Use Melbourne Bus Charter to Explore the CBD Area!
For those unfamiliar, the CBD in Melbourne CBD stands for Central Business District. There – that’s out of the way. No matter the season, there is never a shortage of good times to be had in Melbourne and all of the surrounding areas. Particularly if you’re travelling in a group, you should seriously consider bus charter in Melbourne to save yourselves the trouble of renting cars, getting lost, or getting separated. Leave the driving to those familiar with the streets, the traffic, and the sights. Here’s a list of things you can do in this prime location:
Get Out of the City while Staying in the City!
Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? Yarra Bend Park offers a little bit of greenery in the centre of cement and concrete. Whether you take a hilly journey all the way to the eastern suburb of Bulleen, the shorter track to Kew, or just wander around the winding trail of the park itself, you can easily forget that you’re in the heart of the big city.
The Yara at Pound Bend is a great place for both ducks and people in need of a quick dip or a little fun in the sun. Lounge around for the entire day or stay just long enough to enjoy the river banks, untamed bush, and a calm, wide pool. At the end of a suburban street, it is one of the most pristine spots for swimming in Melbourne.
Soak Up the Arts or Join the Vibrant Festivals
Frequently, when people think of art, they tend to shy away from the stuffy, cultural aspect of it – unless of course it’s what they’re looking for. But art festivals can be fun and entertaining for everyone. If you are looking for art that is a little off the beaten path, check out the touristy collection at Hosier Lane. The lane-ways here are home to some of the country’s most celebrated works of street art.
And if art isn’t your passion, no problem. Festivals of all kinds abound in Melbourne… particularly when there are so many from which to choose, as there are here. October offers the Melbourne Festival; September, the Melbourne Fringe; April offers the Comedy Festival; and the luminous February gala goes by the name of White Night Festival.
Explore the Australian Pubs
The Palace Hotel won Pub of the Year and rightly so (also voted Best Sports Pub). With its footy memorabilia, inviting tables placed in perfect adjacency to the fireplace, an unrivalled craft beer list, and friendly publicans, it is everything Australians adore about their city’s pub culture.
Other winners of Pub Awards are as follows (and should definitely be visited): The Retreat took the Legend Award, The Grosvenor won The People’s Choice Award, Local Hosts won for Best Beer List, the Old School Pub Award went to Railway Club Hotel, Best Live Music Pub went to Bendigo Hotel, Pub Revival was won by Crafty Squire, and finally, Lamaro’s Bodega captured the Best Pub Food Award.
In Need of a Jolt? Go to Market Lane!
Whether you’re looking for a little renewed energy or just love the taste of fine coffee, make Market Lane one of your stops. Thanks to their five city locations, they’re hard to miss. Melbourne takes its coffee very seriously so Barista Junko Takeda takes great pride in offering the fullest flavour coffees available. She accommodates everyone from the lactose-free coffee aficionados to the hard-core caffeine addicts. They serve full cream milk, un-homogenized, organic, you name it. If you’re looking for sweet and flavourful, high octane, or something in between, you will find it at the Market Lane coffee shop.
Discover Luna Park and Jacka Boulevard
The oldest amusement park in Australia, Luna Park, features rides from the old days. A 1913 merry-go-round and the 1912 Scenic Railway are two of its biggest attractions. After you’ve had your fill of amusement for the day, take in Jacka Boulevard to St. Kilda’s Breakwater for a sunset stroll. Here, a bonus photo opportunity exists. Mostly in summer after the sun goes down, but present all year round, is the colony of little penguins. No feeding or touching of the penguins is allowed, please don’t climb on the rocks, and try to refrain from using your flash when taking pictures.
Look for Good Eats in Melbourne
Obviously, there is no way to list every great eatery in Melbourne. Here however, is a sample of some of the best: most awesome pizza ever goes to Johnny Di Francesco’s Margherita; homestyle pasta dishes can be found at Rosa’s Kitchen; Shanghai Village Dumpling allows you to bring your own alcohol and sample some of the best fried dumplings anywhere; Queen Victoria Market’s Michael Caiafa offers up the best local produce; the best gelato in Melbourne can be found at Pidapipo; if you’re looking for Melbourne’s best Ma and Pa burger joint, be sure to visit Truck Shop Take Away; and don’t forget to stop in at Naked in the Sky for bar snacks and cocktails with a breathtaking sky view of Melbourne.
See Wild Creatures Out of the Wild at Melbourne Museum
Granted, the creatures aren’t necessarily fun to watch, but they are decidedly easier to examine. The taxidermy room here features Sam the Koala bear, bamboo munching pandas, and a toucan and leopard face-off. The plight for endangered and rare animals is near and dear to the hearts of this museum’s staff.
Live, Love, and Laugh at Life in Melbourne
Though three weeks out of every year is dedicated to the Comedy Festival in Melbourne, comedy can be found year-round during various featured Melbourne comedy nights. Hares and Hyenas offers a monthly postmodern comedy night; Tuesday evening is funny night at Comedy at the Wilde, and every Thursday night you can laugh it up at the European Bier Café.
Not many travellers know this, but guess who was voted most liveable city in the world? That’s right, Melbourne! And two of Melbourne’s most celebrated pastimes? Eating and drinking! That said, there are any number of activities to keep you busy when not partaking in those two particular pastimes. Whether you enjoy cultural activities or are more comfortable in the out-of-doors, Melbourne and surrounding areas provide an all-inclusive getaway, no matter if you’re visiting for a couple of days or an extended holiday.