Melbourne
Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 12:25 pm
Melbourne is a "hidden" city of sorts; not many tourists have heard much about it. The city is often considered the "cultural centre" of Australia, with hundreds of cafes, nightclubs, museums, art centres, and events.
Essentially you can imagine Melbourne as a place for a relaxing holiday. If you're looking for sun and surf, you won't find it here, but if you're looking for a stroll along colourful gardens and multicultural markets/shops, then take a visit to Melbourne.
Some notable places:
-Arts Centre in the city, where regular operas, concerts, theatre events, and galleries take place
-Scienceworks Museum and Planetarium. Very interesting and unique science related exhibits, most of them interactive. Makes learning about science fun (yes, this coming from a 20-year-old).
-Chinatown. Self-explanatory. A bit small compared to San Francisco's Chinatown, but its a neat place with plenty of small shops, restaurants, etc.
-Victoria Market. There's the day market, full of screaming vendors, and the Wednesday Gaslight Night Market, also full of screaming vendors (although the night market sells more "exotic" items)
-Healsville Sanctuary. Ok this is a little out of Melbourne, but if you can rent a car, its worth it. You can experience Australia's wildlife up close without fear of being eaten. Pet kangaroos, emus, koalas, even wombats. Just remember though, pelt smuggling is illegal
Essentially you can imagine Melbourne as a place for a relaxing holiday. If you're looking for sun and surf, you won't find it here, but if you're looking for a stroll along colourful gardens and multicultural markets/shops, then take a visit to Melbourne.
Some notable places:
-Arts Centre in the city, where regular operas, concerts, theatre events, and galleries take place
-Scienceworks Museum and Planetarium. Very interesting and unique science related exhibits, most of them interactive. Makes learning about science fun (yes, this coming from a 20-year-old).
-Chinatown. Self-explanatory. A bit small compared to San Francisco's Chinatown, but its a neat place with plenty of small shops, restaurants, etc.
-Victoria Market. There's the day market, full of screaming vendors, and the Wednesday Gaslight Night Market, also full of screaming vendors (although the night market sells more "exotic" items)
-Healsville Sanctuary. Ok this is a little out of Melbourne, but if you can rent a car, its worth it. You can experience Australia's wildlife up close without fear of being eaten. Pet kangaroos, emus, koalas, even wombats. Just remember though, pelt smuggling is illegal