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Stay and Study in Australia |
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Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria, is set around the shores of
Victoria's Port Phillip Bay and boasts a lively and cosmopolitan pulse, with
chic boutiques, buzzing cafés and bars, immaculate gardens and festivals and
popular sporting events. The city sits on the Yarra River, about five kilometres
from the bay.
One glance at a map and it's obvious Melbourne is a planned city: a tidy,
balanced grid of neatly angled streets. But beneath this sense of restraint lies
a restless creative energy. Discover the work of talented local artists,
architects and designers in stylish fashion boutiques, buzzing laneway cafés,
hidden galleries and trendy bars.
Melbourne is a city of style and sophistication, with an inviting cosmopolitan
atmosphere. It is a melting pot of cultures reflected in its microcosm of
restaurants, cafés, bistros and bars. Melbourne's dining offers a dizzying
spread of great cuisines, serving meals from the substantial and classic to the
truly exotic.
From locally designed originals to the best of international fashion brands
you'll be spoilt for choice in Melbourne's shopping precincts. Explore the inner
city shopping centres and the city's myriad of arcades and laneways.
The CBD is made up of many precincts – enclaves with their own distinct flavour
and charm. Some are just a lane or two, while others cover a suburb or a busy
CBD street. Spend time experiencing the richness of Melbourne’s different
cultures from the Greek Quarter around Lonsdale Street, Italian in Lygon street,
Vietnamese in Victoria Street to the Chinese culture in Chinatown and the
upmarket Paris End of Collins Street.
Leave time to admire the elegant Victorian-era streetscapes, take in a film or
food festival and add a visit to one of the many galleries and opulent theatres.
Australia is a safe, friendly and harmonious country. When you arrive you may
find yourself struck by the friendliness and hospitality of the people. Imagine:
you’ve left your country behind, yet somehow, you’ve arrived home.
Australia is a very safe country compared with almost anywhere in the world.
Political unrest is limited in Australia, crime rates are low and strict gun
control laws provide a safe environment.
Food
Australia is one of the most dynamic places in the world to eat, thanks to
international culinary influences and a dining public willing to give anything
new a go. Anything another country does, Australia does too. Vietnamese, Indian,
Fijian, Italian – no matter where it's from, there are expats and locals keen to
cook and eat the cuisine. Due to the country’s huge size, the climate varies a
great deal from north to south. This means that at any time of the year there's
an enormous variety of produce on offer, including Australia’s justifiably
famous seafood.
Food tourism and food festivals are blossoming. Melbourne, for instance, has its
own month-long food-and-wine festival in March. There are harvest festivals in
wine regions, and various communities hold annual events, such as Clare Valley's
(South Australia) Gourmet Weekend.
Christmas in Australia, in mid-summer, is less likely to involve a traditional
European baked dinner, and more likely to be replaced by a ‘barbie’ (barbecue),
full of seafood and quality steak. Various ethnic groups have their own
celebrations.
The Indian community brings out delicious sweets during Diwali; the Chinese
annual Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) involves sumptuous banquets; and
Australia’s Islamic community marks the end of Ramadan with the festival of Eid
al-Fitr. Typically, a restaurant meal in Australia is a relaxed affair. Any
table that you've booked is yours for the night, unless you're told otherwise. A
competitively priced place to eat is a club or pub that offers a 'counter meal'.
Here you order at the kitchen, take a number and wait until it's called. You
then pick up the meal yourself, saving the restaurant money on staff and you on
your total bill. A great feature of the restaurant scene, which also makes
eating out less expensive, is 'BYO' (Bring Your Own). If a restaurant says it's
BYO, you're allowed to bring your own alcohol. If the place also sells alcohol,
the BYO is usually limited to bottled wine only (no beer, no casks) and a
corkage charge is often added to your bill.
Transport - Melbourne
Bicycle – Melbourne's a great city for cycling, as it's reasonably flat and
there are good routes throughout the metropolitan area.
Bus – Generally, buses continue from where the trains finish, or go to places,
such as hospitals, universities, suburban shopping centres and the outer
suburbs, not reached by other services.
Train – Suburban trains are faster than trams or buses, but they don't go to
many of the inner suburbs. Flinders St station is the main suburban terminal.
Tram – Melbourne's trundling trams cover the city and inner suburbs. Tram stops
are numbered from the city centre. There are also 'light rail' services to some
suburbs, including St Kilda, which run along disused rail lines. Be extremely
careful when getting on and off a tram; by law, cars are supposed to stop when a
tram stops to pick up and drop off passengers, but that doesn't always happen.
Shopping
Australians like to shop, as evidenced by the huge variety of local- and
international-brand shops, and the crowds that gather at every clearance sale.
Big cities can satisfy most consumer appetites with everything from high-fashion
boutiques to second-hand emporiums, while many smaller places tend towards
speciality retail, be it home-grown produce, antiques or arts and crafts.
Many Australian cities have really interesting shopping (and eating) strips in
different neighbourhoods, especially in the inner suburbs.
Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne world famous market.
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