Guest Contributor
With beaches, shopping, alleyway restaurants and students who take interest in the opportunities of tutoring Melbourne, there is really no city where you can experience diversity like Melbourne which is why preparation is key. Be sure to check if your country requires you to have an Australia Visa before visiting. Here are some of the top tips and tricks to make your travel trip to the Australian city of Melbourne memorable:
Layers on layers on layers
As mentioned before, Melbourne is a diverse city, it is known to be a “temperamental” city with four seasons in ONE DAY. It can go from 16C to 35C in a matter of hours (speaking from personal experience). That is why layering your clothes is essential if you want to be able spend the whole day outside without having to run back to your suitcase. This means shirts on shirts and jackets on jackets – thin layers that can easily be removed or added on as the weather fluctuates during the day.
Quick city escapes to nature
This is no joke, just outside of Melbourne you can experience almost every single type of nature and relaxation. Toward the east, you can find yourself in the Dandenong Ranges, a bit to the west and you’re in the stunning vineyards of Yarra Valley. South you can do the amazing coastal Great Ocean Road drive, or if you want to find something closer to the city, you can visit Melbourne’s cutest residents, the fairy penguins on Phillip Island.
Sports are really, really important
Going into Melbourne, you probably wouldn’t know that this vibrant city is also the sporting capital of Australia. They proudly support their local teams in cricket, tennis, netball, and Australian Football League (AFL) while also boasting some of Australia’s best sporting arenas including the MCG. Before visiting, make sure to check if there are any sporting events going on that you can either attend or catch on the telly at a local pub.
Getting around the city
Melbourne has made lots of improvements to its public transport and they are now well known for it. One of the best perks is that the tram inside the CBD (Central Business District) is free! Outside of the free tram zone, all you need is a Miki card which can be purchased at any convenience store or big station and topped up there too. Use the many trams, trains or buses to get you just about anywhere in the city. The only headache that you will find is getting from the airport to the city, there is a bus that takes you directly into the city, it isn’t cheap, but in most cases it is still more affordable than catching a cab.
So much coffee
That buzz of the city is not just any buzz – it’s caffeinated. Melbourne has some of the country’s best coffee which means a lot since a good coffee is an Australian staple. Now, coffee in Australia means espresso and we are internationally known for our Flat Whites which is a slightly stronger latte. In Melbourne however, you will find many more types of coffee from cold drips to a Melbourne special – Magics, which is basically a stronger version of a flat white but its much more fun to ask for a coffee magic than it is for a double shot flat white.
Plan your trip or spend your dollars
There is no way around it but Melbourne (and Australia in general) is quite expensive, especially when it comes to holidays. That is why planning your trip in advance is essential if you want to get the most bangs for your bucks. I’ve used, and highly recommend Traveloris’s Melbourne Trip Planner as it helped me choose the things I wanted to see, turned it into the perfect itinerary, and helped me decide on whether or not to but a city pass (which I did).
When it comes to applying for your Australia Tourist Visa, be sure to find out set out enough time to prepare the necessary required documents ahead of your application.
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