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DestinationsOther |
Melbourne AustraliaINTRODUCTION Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia. It is a melting pot of culture and diversity. Only the island state of Tasmania is smaller than Victoria, but all of England?, Scotland? and Wales fits easily into it. It is thus easy to drive to Victoria's many attractions, like the Yarra Valley, the atmospheric gold-mining area around Castlemaine, and the iconic towns of Ballarat and Bendigo. Melbourne has twice shared top position in a survey by The Economist of The World's Most Livable Cities on the basis of its cultural attributes, climate, cost of living, and social conditions such as crime rates and health care, once in 2002, and again in 2004. The US's Utne Reader says: "Add a long tradition of civic pride, communities of new immigrants from around the world, and the best food in Australia, and you have a recipe for what many claim is the hippest city in the Southern Hemisphere" (Nov/Dec 2001). KNOW BEFORE YOU GO ATTRACTIONS Getting around Melbourne is a breeze and such a contrast to the choked streets of Sydney. Melbourne's trams are an institution, and lines reach as far as outer suburbs like Bundoora in the north. There are also buses and an excellent train service. If you are driving, the freeway system enables you can get across the city quickly, without being held up by sets of traffic lights. Cycling is popular, and genuine provision is made for cyclists. Melbourne is often referred to as Australia's "garden city," and the state of Victoria is officially known as "the garden state." There is an abundance of parks and gardens close to the CBD, with a variety of common and rare plant species amid landscaped vistas, pedestrian pathways, and tree-lined avenues. It is also often called the sporting capital of Australia, and hosts many major Australian sporting events including the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival (including the 'race that stops the nation', the Melbourne Cup), the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the Australian Tennis Open and the AFL Grand Final. Melbourne hosted the first Olympic Games in the southern hemisphere in 1956, as well as the 2006 Commonwealth Games. RESTARAUNTS There are many great places to go out and eat in Melbourne due to it's huge cultural diversity. For example, Melbourne's Greek community is reputed to be larger than that in Athens But a walk along Ligon Street reveals how the range of this city's ethnic diversity is represented in the amazing cuisine of this street of restaurants. LODGING PERSONAL STORIES Come and visit and experience the culture. 
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