7 Melbourne Must Do’s

Downtown Melbourne

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Melbourne is an awesome city, situated on the southern tip of Australia is a hotbed for live music, art, good coffee and everything else a major city centre usually has to offer. We had a hook up in Jackie’s cousin Toby who showed us a few of the many things to do around Melbourne, here is our take on the city and our 7 Melbourne Must Do’s:

1. Have a beer at the Espy and watch the sunset

The Espy is short for the Hotel Esplanade in St. Kilda’s which is less of a Hotel and more of a legendary gig house. Every town has the perfect little drinking hole that provides the perfect mix between seedy charm and historical character, and the Espy is Melboune’s. The ancient, dark hardwood floors are sticky with the beer of ages and the aroma that you are greeted with upon entrance is, you guessed it, beer. The patio they have is in an awesome location that overlooks Port Phillip Bay where you can see a wicked sunset and enjoy a couple of cold ones. Cold beers, hot sun and if you are lucky, a gig to attend, what’s not to like?

2. Grab some chocolate kooglhoupf at Monarch’s Bakery in St. Kilda’s

I am not even going to describe the taste of this cake, rumour has it that the demand is so high you can get it FedEx’ed anywhere in the world. In fact we thought it was so good we are authoring a ‘tastes’ article on it, click here to read.

3. Check out La Trobe Reading Room at the library, and Ned Kelly’s armour while you are at it

Recently refurbished, the reading room is a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city. A huge domed room that has been restored to it’s former glory, it is now a central part of the downtown core. If you have seen a traditional ‘library’ in a movie, then you know what we are talking about. While you are there, they have a great exhibit about the history of Victoria including the armour of  infamous outlaw Ned Kelly that he wore in his final stand against the authorities in the late 1800′s.

4. Stroll along the banks of the Yarra river and take in the sights and the skyline – and grab a beer at Riverland

Downtown Melbourne is split by the Yarra River and the banks on each side have developed into booming little entertainment districts. Hit up Federation square for a quick glimpse of the street performers then stroll alongside the river and grab a cold beer at Riverland and watch the droves of people wandering, some with more purpose than others.

5. Check out the Victoria Art Gallery and the stain glass roof

Victoria Art Gallery boasts an impressive collection of art housed in an ultra modern building that reminded us of the Tate Modern. Check out the waterfall wall on the outside of the building and make your way inside to grab a delicious espresso and brownie at the cafe in residence, which is surprisingly decently priced. After taking in the exhibits, cruise to the back of the main lobby foyer and look up at the incredibly intricate stain glass roof. Thousands of  beautifully coloured glass pieces form an amazing design that catches and purveys the light in perfect dazzling form.

Stained Glass Roof

6. Hit the boardwalk on a hot day in St. Kilda’s

St. Kilda’s is a hip, hip, part of the city, and it is all situated along a huge stretch of beach on Port Phillip Bay. Fire your shades on and cruise down the strip and take in people lounging on the beach, from Euros in banana hammocks to bikini babes you are bound to see something you like. If you are feeling it, grab some rays on the sand, stroll down the dock and then make your way to the Espy (see number 1) to cap the day off.

7. Get lost in the alleyways and arcades in downtown Melbourne

Back alleys and arcades are the places to be in Melbourne and getting lost amongst the multiple alleys will likely reward you with some of the best cafes and bars to knock back a cold or hot drink. If its shopping you’re after, these arcades provide everything from upmarket fashion to Australiaan souvenirs that are made in China. After racking up the Visa bill, head to an alley patio to have a bite to eat and a cold drink at one of the multiple restaurants in the area.

BONUS ACTIVITY: If you are there during the right season, Melbourne is the best place to take in some Aussie Rules Football (AFL). The city is host to 11 of the 17 teams in the league which allows for some awesome inter-city rivalries to form. Head to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) which can hold around 100,000 people, or rabid AFL fans. We checked out a preseason game in Sydney due to timing and it was awesome fun. Don’t know the rules? It is pretty straightforward and after a couple beers any Melbournite will be able to fill in the gaps for you.

Melbourne is a huge city but it shouldn’t deter the average traveller from spending a few days here, there is definitely a lot to see and do and out of the cities we have visited Melbourne is definitely top notch. As with any massive city, there is a tonne of stuff to do and in our short time in Melbourne we got to take in enough of the highlights to know that we will be back one day.

Tower at Victoria Arts centre