Total Miles Traveled: 55,900
Melbourne is listed as one of the most livable cities in the world and we could see why. It’s got a little bit of everything: urban sophistication, a cafe/coffee culture, lively restaurant and bar scene, sports culture (Aussie-rules football originated here), stunning nearby beaches, wine regions, and an ethnically diverse population (they even have real mafia wars! No joke!).
I’d been to Melbourne 5 years ago for my friend Jinah’s wedding. When we visited this time, she had 3 kids under the age of 5 running around the house. Quite a change from when we were in b-school!
Anyway, here are some scenes from the city which has a very compact city center. This is a view down Flinders Street next to Federation Square (also pictured above), which has very interesting architecture. For example, the ground isn’t flat – it has many angles and slopes, like the building you see below.
There’s a nice riverfront area with parks, bars, and cafes – all very walkable.
The city also tolerates (encourages?) graffiti art. There’s even a map at the tourist center that shows you where to go see the best graffiti! Here’s Union Lane in the CBD (central business district).
Chinatown is also an attraction, though I’m not sure why. It’s much like Boston’s, only 2-3 blocks.
The Chinese tourists find Chinatown to be fascinating:
Ahh, there we go – this is why Chinatown is interesting… there’s a restaurant named after Lisa’s family – the Westlake restaurant!
Then we headed out to St. Kilda, a nearby suburb on the beach. Here’s the sunset at the beach:
Then, on our final days in Melbourne, we made it out to the Mornington Peninsula, southeast of Melbourne, where there are a lot of cool-climate wines being made – think Oregon or Washington State. Worth a visit if you have some extra time in Melbourne. Thanks, Jinah, for providing us with a place to crash!
Cool photo of the peninsula:
Next up, we visit the Great Ocean Road, southwest of Melbourne, which is a bit like the California coastline. Here is a slideshow of our photos in Melbourne:
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