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Melbourne -When to Go
Just about any time of year is a good one to visit. Melbourne's climate has an
unfortunate reputation: wet, windy, unpredictable and liable to extremes - very
hot or very cold and often both on the same day! On the plus side, Melbourne's
multitude of parks makes it a beautiful place to witness the changing seasons:
it is rarely unbearably chilly, the mercury rises above 35°C (95°F) only a few
times each year and Melbourne's soggy reputation outstrips the reality - it
receives only half the average rainfall of Sydney or Brisbane. In winter the
average temperature ranges between a maximum of 13°C (55°F) and a low of 6°C
(43°F).
With the northern states taking the brunt of tourism down under, Melbourne is a
best-kept secret year round. The shoulder seasons are the gems. While
Melbourne's spring is a sight to behold, with multitudes of gardens in bloom and
the festive Spring Racing Carnival heralding summer, any local will tell you
that mid-autumn sees Melbourne at its most resplendent. A sturdy coat never goes
astray at this time, but a little cold is worth bearing for the strolls through
the amber and ochre parks.
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Getting There & Away
Most international tourists will arrive via Melbourne's Tullamarine airport
which is is 22km (14mi) northwest of the city centre. There are a few ways of
getting into the city from the airport but a taxi or the 24-hour Skybus are the
most convenient modes. A second airport, Avalon Airport, southwest of the city,
opened in mid-2004 and the Sunbus service meets all flights that arrive there.
Bus travel within Australia is fairly cheap but Australia is a big country and
what you save in dollars you pay for in boredom, as journeys can be agonisingly
long. Trains are much quicker and more comfortable but the network is less
extensive. Of course, there's always the option of hiring a car and taking to
the wide open road by hitting the (largely excellent) highways between cities.
The country's train system is less extensive than the bus network and train
travel is more expensive, but it's often quicker and almost always more pleasant
than slogging it out on a bus. Interstate rail services really only operate
between capital cities. Major centres in Victoria are serviced by trains, and
the areas that don't have train lines can be reached by V/Line (the train
company) bus.
The interstate train station (Spencer St) and the main metropolitan station
(Flinders St) are both in the city centre.
Bus travel is the cheapest way to get around, but Australia is a big country and
it can be slow and tedious. Buses tend to travel the major highways, which can
make the trip even more boring. Buses arrive in Melbourne from other Australian
capitals, Victorian towns and tourist favourites like Alice Springs and Cairns.
Small bus companies travel slower, more scenic routes such as the Great Ocean
Road, through the Victorian High Country, along the east coast and through
central Australia.
If you're driving yourself, the main highways into Melbourne are the Hume
(inland) or the Princes (coastal) from Sydney, and the Western (inland) or
Princes (coastal) from Adelaide. Driving is on the left.
Two ferries run between Melbourne and Devonport, in northern Tasmania.
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Getting Around
Melbourne's an easy city to navigate unless you need to be in the suburbs, which
can get confusing. It's designed in the classic mould: the thoroughfares fan out
like the spokes of a wheel from the central business district. Public transport
consists of trams, trains and buses and tends to be efficient and useful - as
long as your trip is along one of the spokes of the wheel. Public transport
across suburbs can be a problem.
Melbourne's metropolitan train lines fan out into the surrounding suburbs and
operate an efficient service. Last trains leave the city around midnight.
Buses are clean and efficient and include the 'Nightrider' bus service, which
runs from the city to the outlying suburbs from midnight to dawn and is aimed at
getting revellers home safely.
You can hire a car from the usual car-rental places or the rent-a-bomb variety.
Be aware that driving in Melbourne can be confusing, particularly with the
unique hook turns necessary in the city centre; traffic turning right must often
do so from the left lane to avoid blocking tram tracks. If you are driving
alongside a tram, you must stop when trams pull up to a tram stop, leaving the
tram doorways clear for passengers to disembark safely. If you are using
Melbourne's tollway road, CityLink, in the east (South-Eastern Fwy) and west
(Tullamarine Fwy), ensure you have a day pass or an electronic pass ('e-Tag'), or
you may be fined.
Melbourne has a plethora of cabs, which can be hailed on the street or booked by
phone. There is a designated taxi rank at Flinders Street Station.
Melbourne's generally flat terrain makes cycling a popular option for getting
around, and there are good bike tracks, but watch out for those tram tracks and
make sure your wheels don't get caught.
Melbourne's trams are a source of city pride and run on a fairly efficient and
broad network within the city and the inner city suburbs. Coin-only ticket
machines are installed on trams.
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