I live about an hour and a half out of Melbourne and in July and August we’ve had temperatures down to nearly -8C.
hawksgirl, if you can afford it a tour down the Great Ocean Rd is a nice thing to do, once you get onto the coast road there is some spectacular scenery. There are lots of bus tours on offer, but I don’t know how expensive they are. Lorne or Apollo Bay and back is easily done in a day.
If you like country towns, you could easily catch a train to somewhere like Castlemaine and have a look around. Castlemaine was a part of the gold rush, and is small enough to walk around in a day and there are lots of interesting old buildings (and some terrific cafes). It’s about an hour and a half by train from Melbourne.
Bendigo and Ballarat are major regional cities built on the Goldrush. Ballarat has Sovereign Hill which is a museum of the Goldrush. Ballarat was the site of the Eureka Stockade. Both Ballarat and Bendigo are about a two hour train ride from Melbourne.
If you venture out of the main arteries of Melbourne city itself and explore some of the smaller streets and alleys you’ll see lots of interesting architecture, small shops and good bars and cafes. I’d suggest you walk the length of Flinders Lane and Little Collins St from Spring St to Queen St.
From Collins St you should visit the Block Arcade and have afternoon tea at the Hopetoun Tea Rooms. The Tea Rooms are fabulously Art Nouveau and are pretty much unchanged since they opened in the 1890s.
What else? In Bourke St you can have an espresso at Pelligrini’s which has been a Melbourne institution since 1954, then continue up the hill to see the Houses of Parliament and the Old Treasury Building.
The Queen Victoria Markets are only a short walk from the centre of Melbourne and worth a visit, especially on a Saturday morning. You can visit the grave of John Batman, who founded Melbourne, in the Market car park.
I’m not keen on Federation Square myself, but lots of people like to visit it, so do that. If you’re interested in modern media, visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, you could also visit the Racing Museum. Then head on down to the Arts Centre for a look around, and drop into the Museum of Performing Arts. From there walk around the corner to South Bank and walk along the Yarra.
Not far out of the city, up Russell St towards where it becomes Lygon St you can see the old Law Courts, the Old Melbourne Gaol (where Ned Kelly was hung), the 8 Hour Day monument outside the Emily McPherson Building at RMIT and across teh road is Trades Hall, which is a bastion of Melbourne union activity and history. About half way up the staircase at Trades Hall are some bullet holes in the wall, from a gun battle which killed a policeman.
From memory the last man hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol was the killer from this incident.
If you catch a tram up Swanston St and and get off outside Melbourne University at the Faraday St stop you can explore Carlton, which is sort of the Italian quarter of Melbourne. Have a look at the University while you’re there … the Law Cloisters are very lovely, and I have a great affection for what is called the Old Arts Building.
Catch a bus (or walk) from Carlton to Brunswick St or Smith St which are interesting and lively. Smith St is more bohemian and a bit more real. From Smith St you could walk up Gertrude St (or catch a tram) to Brunswick St, visit St Patrick’s Cathedral, walk through the Fitzroy Gardens and have a look at East Melbourne, which has some extraordinary houses and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Fire Museum.
A tram to St Kilda is a good idea, Fitzroy St is always good for people watching, and if you turn right at the Prince of Wales you can walk through to Acland St and admire some lovely architecture along the way. I love the thirties apartment buildings in St Kilda.
From St Kilda take a tram ride to Rippon Lea in Elsternwick. Rippon Lea is a National Trust Estate, a very grand 19th century mansion.
I’d also suggest a visit to the Immigration Museum which is housed in the old Customs Building and the State Library in Swanston St. Two other very grand houses which are easily accessible are Labassa and Como. Both of them are listed on the National Trust site I’ve linked above.
If you’ve got things you’re particularly interested in, let me know and I’ll see if I can come up with some suggestions for you.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
