Melbourne Australia

Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, is a great tourist spot in Australia. Situated on the natural bay of Port Philip and the city centre, Melbourne Australia is located at the estuary of the Yarra River. The city was founded in the year 1835 and was named after 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Now, the city is the center for education, arts, entertainment, tourism and sport.

Melbourne is the cultural hub in Australia and birth place of Australian film, the Australian impressionist art movement, Australian Rules football, various Australian dance styles such as the Melbourne Shuffle and the New Vogue. It is also home to traditional and contemporary Australian music. The city houses great buildings of Victorian architecture and many contemporary creations.

Many gardens and parks are spread throughout the city. Festivals and cultural events are part and parcel of the city life in Melbourne. According to a report by the Economist Group’s Intelligence Unit, Melbourne ranks in the list of World’s Top Three Livable Cities. The cultural capital of Australia has also drawn large number of visitors to the country.

Important attractions in Melbourne

The city is a popular tourist spot and offers a great opportunity to spend their vacation with enjoyable bike riding, fishing and a lot of fun activities. A few important destinations for the tourists are listed below.

• Royal Botanic Garden
• Dandenong Ranges National Park
• Melbourne Cricket Ground
• Kings Domain
• Flinders Street Station
• Royal Arcade
• Collins Street
• Queen Victoria Market
• National Gallery of Victoria
• Melbourne Zoo
• Melbourne Central Shopping Center
• Victorian Arts Center
• Shrine of Remembrance

Getting Around Melbourne

The metropolitan area of Melbourne is very large and all the places of attraction can be reached within 20 minutes from the Central Business District by tram or train. Various modes of transportation which ply on the streets of Melbourne are listed below.

Public Transport

Metlink, the public transport system in Australia, consists of buses, trains and trams, connecting the suburbs with the city. A single ticket which is called the Metcard, allows travel on all three modes of transportation.

Tourist Services

The free City Circle Trams, which ply on the streets of Melbourne, covers Spring St, Victoria St, Nicholson St, Harbour Esplanade, Flinders St and La Trobe St. This old-fashioned tram plies on both directions every 12 minutes throughout the week.

Bike

There is an excellent network of bike paths along the Yarra River which can be great fun to the visitors.

Car

Rented cars are also available to the visitors to travel across the city. There is an excellent network of bike paths along the Yarra River which can be great fun to the visitors.

Foot

It is an excellent city for the walkers and the visitors would not find difficulty walk across the Central Business District.

Taxi

Taxis are very common in the Melbourne city. But, in the suburbs, they are a rarity. The big agencies which are taxis are Black Cabs and Silver Top. Despite the names of these agencies, the taxis which run in the Melbourne city are yellow colored.

Last updated on 10/11/2010