| Image: PCL |
Melbourne is the cultural and culinary capital of
Australia. It is also the country’s most cosmopolitan city,
with a distinctly European feel and a downright hip
attitude.
While it may not be as visually impressive as Sydney, it boasts
the nation’s finest botanical gardens, contains a fine blend
of new and stately buildings, a tram network, an abundance of bars,
cafés, restaurants and live music venues and has a noticeably
more relaxed air than Sydney.
It’s a wonderful city to enjoy for a few days. But when
time is short, what are clients’ must-do sights? Follow
Travel Weekly’s guide to getting the most of 24 hours in
Melbourne.
Market forecasts
08:00: clients should start at the historical
Queen Victoria Market, just north of the city centre. Opened in
1878, the market is classified by the National Trust and listed on
the Historic Buildings Register.
It is Melbourne’s principal retail produce centre, a
hectic and colourful multi-cultural scene, and is best visited in
the early morning when it is at its most vibrant. Clients should
browse the stalls, which sell everything imaginable, and soak up
the buzzing atmosphere.
Gaol birds
09:00: stroll on to the Old Melbourne
Gaol, stopping on the way for a coffee and hot pancake at XMS
Café on Franklin Street. The Gaol is a cold, dark, grim place
– but one that is undeniably fascinating. Built in 1842, it
was in operation until 1929, during which time 135 prisoners were
hanged for a variety of crimes. On display are the death masks of
some of the more infamous bushrangers and convicts, along with the
armour and scaffold that helped Ned Kelly meet his maker.
City break
11:00: hop on to one of Melbourne’s icons –
the tram – and head into the city.
There are many impressive stately buildings in the city and
three of them can be found at the intersection of Flinders and
Swanston Streets – Flinders Street Railway Station, St
Paul’s Cathedral and Young and Jackson’s pub, which was
famed for a painting that hangs in the upstairs bar that was deemed
indecent at the 1880 Melbourne Exhibition.
The station is one of the city’s oldest and grandest and
‘under the clocks’ at the entrance is Melbourne’s
favourite meeting place.
Meanwhile, St Paul’s is a fine example of gothic
architecture. The centre itself has an impressive shopping area
spanning over a large grid of interconnecting streets and starting
with a huge air-conditioned indoor complex, perfect for escaping
the midday heat and browsing the mix of designer, high street and
boutique shops.
Walk this way
12:30: a short walk along Flinders Streets is
the first of Melbourne’s renowned gardens, Fitzroy. The state
of Victoria is dubbed the garden state and its capital is no
exception. The pathways of Fitzroy are laid out in the form of the
Union Jack and contain Captain Cook’s Cottage, which was
transported brick by brick from Yorkshire and reassembled in
1934.
Melbourne is also the sporting capital of Australia, and with
good reason. It is home of the Australian open tennis
championships, held in January, and it boasts the nation’s
biggest sporting stadium – the 100,000 capacity Melbourne
Cricket Ground, MCG. It is only a short walk from Fitzroy Gardens
so clients should head to the MCG for a tour of the stadium which
also takes in the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum.
The tour departs hourly and costs £6.
A short walk from here is the Southgate complex, on the Yarra
River, with its stylish cafés, bars and restaurants. A great
spot for lunch is the Southgate food court, a collection of 15
licensed eateries huddled around heated terraces.
Gardeners’ world
15:00: meander through the 88-acre botanical
gardens, reckoned to be the finest in Australia and among the
world’s best. Located next to the Yarra, it features a lake,
50 varieties of bird life, possums and a colony of fruit bats. Near
the gardens is the Shrine of Remembrance, a war memorial detailing
Australia’s involvement in several wars. There are views of
the city from the top.
Beach bound
16:00: next clients should head south towards
St Kilda, Melbourne’s cosmopolitan beach suburb, and home of
the popular TV series The Secret Lives of Us. It’s a hive of
activity with dozens of bars and cafés lining the beach and a
pier from where it’s possible to take a trips out to see a
small colony of penguins. Visitors can take time out for an al
fresco coffee at the Metropol and enjoy a view of the coast.
That’s entertainment
18:00: after heading back to the centre clients
should stop at the Crown Entertainment Complex on the river. The
reception features a colourful fountain display, complete with
music, and the glitzy Monte Carlo Room is a great place for a
necessary minimum bet and pre-dinner cocktail.
Foodie heaven
19:30: the bohemian area of Fitzroy is the best
place for clients to start (and finish) their evening. Dining
possibilities are endless – there’s enough to eat
somewhere different every day of the year and Melbourne is the only
city in the world where a McDonald’s has closed through poor
custom. Particularly recommended is the beautiful Dining Room 211
on Brunswick Street.
The late show
22:00: if clients stay in Fitzroy, which also
has a thriving live entertainment scene, they should head to Bar
Called Barry’s to sip cocktails and listen to live jazz until
the early hours.
