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melbourne

Gotta love Melbourne in June

The article is written by Paola Bianchi Cover photo by chiaralily

Let’s face it. June in Melbourne equals sunny but cold days. The winter has been waving us for a while but now is officially here.

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Is this an excuse to get lazy and see Netflix every day? No way! (although it sounds a good idea)

Here are 3 awesome excuses to get OUT of home and IN some great venues)

WINTER NIGHT MARKET

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During 13 weeks the renowned Queen Victoria Market is open during the night but with a gourmet approach. Raw fruits and vegetables are replaced by more than 30 global street food stalls.
It’s a great opportunity to taste food from all over the world. Singaporean, Japanese, Peruvian, Spanish, you name it.
There are also live music and product stalls for gifts.

4 nigth market 2 Image by Lucas Randall

Every Wednesday of June, July and August. From 5 pm to 10 pm. It’s free!

WINTER WINE FEST

Each year during the Queen’s birthday weekend, Mornington Peninsula showcase its best local wineries and cheese makers!

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This event requires a ticket, but it is so worth it! Wine, food and music. Who is with me?
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All right, enough of eating delicious food and awesome wine and let’s focus on our inner self for a weekend, shall we?

Next event its by far the most original one:

MIND BODY FESTIVAL

The Mind-Body Festival is Australia’s largest well-being and natural therapies event held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane every year.

7 entrance mind festival Image by Paola Bianchi
There are more than 200 stalls, short workshops and seminars, guided meditations, live performances and plenty of great products (books, crystals, tea blends) and body services (massages, iris health check, aura photographs) on offer and so many more that you have to see it believe it!

8 Pic room mind festival Image by Paola Bianchi
Without a doubt, the centrepiece of the event is the physic reading room. Well-known physics will use their abilities to give you an honest reading base on their tools, like tarot, hand reading, clairvoyance, mediumship and much more.

9 Pic reading room Image by Paola Bianchi

Head to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center, near the Casino, to pamper yourself with magic.
Tickets are free! Make sure you swipe them in those stalls that are giving away great prices!

Melbourne City Skyline from South-East

The article and photos by Paola Bianchi

Nobody can deny that Melbourne is a gorgeous city. Have you ever seen Melb’s city skyline?
We got 4 terrific spots to see the best of the city skyline… from the south-east point of view!

Spot 1. Shrine Of Remembrance

This is the closest spot from the CBD in our list. It’s a 15-20-minute walk from Federation Square, near the Botanical Gardens. The Shrine Of Remembrance is a war memorial for the loss of lives during the First World War. The building has a 360-degree balcony where you can admire the city skyline even on a cloudy day. Open every day until 5 pm, and it’s free!

1 shrine of rem

Spot 2. St Kilda Pier

This long Pier is close to Fitzroy Street and you can get there from the city in 15 minutes by tram (12, 96, 16 or 3a). This historic Pier was first constructed in 1853 to help first settlers to unload building materials, but a storm washed it away. It has been renovated since then, and now it’s a popular destination for visitors and locals. Boats and vessels usually adorn the view of the city skyline and, when windy, also with kitesurfers!

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Spot 3. Point Ormond

In the neighborhood of Elwood, there is a Bay Trail used mainly by locals that enjoy walking, running or cycling right next to the sea. There are a few barbeques around the main hill where this lookout is situated on the top. The skyline view is breathtaking, especially at sunset! It’s a 5-10 minutes bike ride from the famous Luna Park in St Kilda.

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Spot 4. Foreshore Reserve in Brighton

This is the most distant spot from CBD city. It’s a 30 minutes train ride or car from Flinders Station. You might have even been nearby when visiting Brighton Beach Boxes. From these colorful boxes, walk south just 10 minutes and you will find this little Reserve. There is a parking lot, barbeques and benches. Sit, chill and enjoy the view of Melbourne skyline on a sunny day.

48 HOURS IN: MELBOURNE

The article is written by Candice Locklee

If you’ve just settled into your new life in this country and are looking forward to immersing yourself in everything Australiana, we imagine that you’ve got a pretty long list of places you want to visit while you’re here. Sometimes, that means scooting off on a plane to another city for a quick two day trip in your spare time so that you can experience as many awe-inspiring sights as you can squeeze in and truly make the most of your time here.

With so much to see and so little time to see it, we’d love to introduce you to our new travel blog series “48 hours in…” in which we take you round to all of the major sites and cities in Australia and give you a quick guide of the best things to see and do in each place.

First stop – Melbourne.

Often voted the #1 most livable city in the world, Melbourne is a stunning mecca of art and culture, hidden laneways, shopping extravaganzas and a thriving café and coffee culture that will have you coming back in no time.

Here are our top picks on how to make the most out of a quick visit:

Study Anywhere_the food

THE FOOD

Melbourne is a foodie’s dream. Whether you’re after the best souvlaki you’ve ever had, beer ice-cream or the perfect pho, Melbourne has you covered.

From Michelin star fine dining to grungy bars with live music and hipster cafés hidden down laneways, you can find any cuisine to satisfy your taste buds. TripAdvisor is a great place to discover popular local haunts that offer anything from old-fashioned comfort food to the super weird and experimental.

Also, don’t forget to check out Melbourne’s markets. There are a number of huge food markets around the city where you can find delicious homemade meals and fresh, organic produce for low prices. Queen Victoria Market on Elizabeth St and South Melbourne Market on the corner of Coventry and Cecil St are two of the best.

DIRECTIONS

QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET:

Queen Victoria Market is located in the city centre and is within the free tram zone. It is bordered by Peel, Franklin, Victoria and Elizabeth Streets. To get here by tram, take the number 19, 57 or 59 to stop 7 on Elizabeth St. You can also take tram 59 to Peel St and enter through an alternative entrance.

SOUTH MELBOURNE MARKET:

From the CBD, take tram 96 on Bourke St and get off at South Melbourne stop 127. Alternatively, you can catch tram 12 from Collins St and get off at the corner of York St (stop 127).

Check http://ptv.vic.gov.au/ for other methods of transport.

THE FASHION

While you can no doubt find any outfit in Melbourne to suit your style, we suggest bypassing the big department stores and seeking out the independent stores that make Melbourne fashion so special.

It’s no secret that Melbournians love their vintage, from fashion and accessories to vinyl and video games. Visit one of the many vintage clothing stores in the city and grab something at a bargain price to stand out in the crowd. RetroStar in the CBD and Shag are a must.

Head to the famous Sydney Rd in Brunswick where you’ll find an endless run of fashion stores selling both retro and new outfits, accessories, handmade items and everything in between. Chapel St is also an iconic shopping strip that stretches through South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor. There isn’t anything you can’t find here – from the wildly eccentric to the impossibly chic, you can find it on Chapel St.

DIRECTIONS

RETRO STAR:

RetroStar is located on the first floor of the Nicholas building on Swanston St and corner of Flinders Lane in the CBD.

SHAG:

Shag is located in the Centreway Arcade, between Flinders Lane and Collins St in the CBD. You can also head to Chapel St to visit their second store.

SYDNEY RD:

From the CBD, take tram 19 from Elizabeth St in the CBD to Sydney Rd, Brunswick.

CHAPEL ST:

Take tram 8 to Chapel St leaving from Swanston St in the CBD.

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Melbourne loves its art and culture and there’s always plenty happening to keep you busy no matter what day of the week you land here.

If you’re looking for an alternative taste of the Melbourne art scene, street art is a celebrated culture here and you can find it all over the city. Like Alice down the rabbit hole, lose yourself down cobblestone laneways that roar to life with colour and creativity all year round. Hosier Lane is the most popular spot for graffiti artists to show off their talents with its walls covered daily with spectacular art that is constantly being updated.

Some of the best indie bands in the country are coming out of Melbourne’s thriving underground music scene. Catch a live band at one of the many venues around the city – the Corner Hotel, Cherry Bar and Prince Bandroom are a few of the best.

DIRECTIONS

HOSIER LANE:

Hosier Lane is in the heart of the CBD. It’s situated between Flinders St and Collins St and you can get there with a short 2-minute walk down from Flinders St Station and Federation Square (head in the direction of ACMI and Hosier Lane will be on the left side).

CORNER HOTEL:

The Corner Hotel is located on the corner of Swan St and Stewart St, only 1.5km from the CBD. You can take tram 70 from Flinders St to Wattle Park and get off at stop 9. Alternatively, the train from Flinders Station will take you to Richmond Station (the first stop out of the city). From here, it is only a short 50m walk to the Corner hotel.

CHERRY BAR:

Cherry bar is located on the famous AC/DC Lane in the centre of the Melbourne CBD. It is off Flinders Lane and between Russell and Exhibition Street.

PRINCE BANDROOM:

Prince Bandroom is located on the corner of Acland and Fitzroy St in St Kilda. Trams 16, 96 and 12 to St Kilda can get you there.

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SIGHTS TO SEE

If you’ve still got time to spare, the picturesque parks and gardens in Melbourne are a great place to unwind after a hard day’s work of sight-seeing. The Royal Botanic Gardens are a must for those looking to escape the crowds. Fitzroy Gardens is another favourite – sprawled across 64 acres, the gardens are stunning and there’s plenty of relaxing strolls down tree-lined pathways to be had amongst the native Australian flora and fauna.

DIRECTIONS

ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS:

The Royal Botanic Gardens is located on Birdwood Ave approximately 2km from the city centre. For $10, you can get a ride on the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle that runs every 30min from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm daily and will take you around to over 15 stops around the city, including stop 13 – Melbourne Gardens/ Shrine of Remembrance. Alternatively, trams 3, 5, 6, 8, 16, 64, 67 or 72 from Flinders Street to stop 13 will also get you there.

FITZROY GARDENS:

Fitzroy Gardens are located in East Melbourne, between Wellington Parade, Lansdowne St, Albert St and Clarendon St. Trams 48 and 75 run between Wellington Parade and Flinders St in the CBD to get you there quickly and easily.

For more info about being an international student living in Australia, be sure to check out the official web page at www.studyanywhere.com.au

Top 5 things to do in Melbourne

The article is written by Candice Tan

If you’ve lived in Sydney or Melbourne for even a short amount of time, you would probably have heard about the small rivalry between the two most populous cities in Australia. In this spirit of this light-hearted competition and our earlier article about Sydney’s hot spots, here is our essential ‘To do’ list in Melbourne:

Study Anywhere_Have a coffee in the laneways

Have a coffee in the laneways!

Melbourne may not have famous icons such as the Sydney Opera House or Sydney Harbour Bridge, but it does make a great cup of coffee. Take a wander down the many vibrant laneways and admire the colourful street art as you sit and sip on an expertly-made espresso or flat white, or be like a local and grab your takeaway cup as you explore what the city has to offer.

Study Anywhere_culture

Soak up some culture!

Melbourne has long been considered the Australian city with the most European-feel and cultural activities. From the majestic Princess Theatre to the iconic Comedy Theatre, you will have plenty of choices to spend a night out in Melbourne. Or, just walk down Swanston Street or Bourke Street and enjoy the world-class performances by an assortment of talented buskers.

Study Anywhere_Go to a festival

Go to a festival!

It is almost impossible to be in Melbourne and not encounter a festival happening around the city. From the world famous Melbourne Comedy Festival and Melbourne Fringe to smaller festivals celebrating the multicultural nature of the world’s most liveable city, weekends in Melbourne are never dull. There will always be something to see and do (and probably eat!) at Federation Square or along the Yarra River.

Study Anywhere_Hop on a tram

Hop on a tram!

Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world and on top of that, riding on the trams within the city is free – yes, free! This is something you won’t find in pricey Sydney. There’s even a tram catering to visitors, with a guided tour of the main attractions around the city. The extensive tram system and simple grid-shaped layout of the city also make it one of the easiest cities to navigate.

Study Anywhere_Get out of the CBD

Get out of the CBD!

While the city will keep you more than occupied, if you drive just a couple of hours outside of the city, you’ll encounter some of the most breathtaking places in Australia. From the Great Ocean Road’s spectacular 12 Apostles to the magnificent Wilson’s Promontory, you’ll be amazed at what the Victorian coasts have to offer. Or, be a like a local and take the opportunity to go on a hike or walk when the sun’s out at popular Dandenong Ranges or Macedon Ranges.
So which city is better? Well, it’s a tough one. But one thing’s for sure – both cities have great things to offer and anyone visiting Australia should get a taste of both if they can!

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