Melbourne
Northbound
| Melbourne to Lakes Entrance - Apr, Sep-Mar: Tue, Thu, Sat May-Aug: Tue, Sat |
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| City |
Victorian Art Centre, St Kilda Rd, Melb |
6.15am |
| City |
Hotel Bakpak, 167 Franklin st |
6.25am |
| City |
Nomads Industry, 196-198 A'Beckett St |
6.25am |
| City |
YHA Metro, 78 Howard St, Nth Melb |
6.25am |
| St Kilda |
Base Backpackers, 17 Carlisle st |
6.30am |
| Foster |
Mobil Service Station |
10.00am |
| Bairnsdale |
St Marys Church / Info Centre |
5.45pm |
Northbound
| Melbourne to Princetown - Apr, Sep-Aug: Tue, Thur, Sun May-Aug: Tue, Sat |
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| Melbourne |
City (Call office for pickup locations) |
6.25am |
| Melbourne |
Base St Kilda |
6.30am |
| Geelong |
Geelong Central Railway Station, Gordon St |
8.00am |
| Torquay |
Front of Rip Curl Shop |
9.00am |
| Lorne |
Lorne YHA |
10.30am |
| Apollo Bay |
Hostels |
1.00pm |
Melbourne & Other Attractions Ask someone from Sydney what Melbourne is like and they’ll tell you it sucks and vice versa. As for us, we love it. Melbourne would have to be the most cosmopolitan and culturally obvious city in Oz. It has a diverse and interesting multicultural population that is best seen in the numerous restaurants. Those that appreciate a good cup of coffee and a feed will love it. Melbourne’s history probably is the root of the rivalry between it and Sydney. Once upon a time Victoria was originally part of New South Wales, however in 1851 it became independent. Melbourne was the epicentre of a gold rush that spanned to the outlying regions such as Plenty and as far afield as Glenrowan and Ballarat. The city is located on the banks of the Yarra River.
Take a walk or hire a bike and cycle the bike tracks for an excellent afternoon and a great way to orientate yourself. The city has loads of great shops and most Aussies who are victims of fashion will tell you it is the capital of shopping.
Definitely check out South Bank where there are some good bars especially on Friday and Saturday night. Tip for going out after dark in this city - wear black. The city is great by day, however it winds down at night like most cities, with the exception of the clubs that pump all night. The Crown Casino is enormous and is sure to have some signs of life most times of the day (if you can call it that).
Go and see an Aussie Rules football match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Oval, or do some cheap shopping at the Victoria Markets. Then there’s the Rialto Tower where, from the top, you will get a superb view over Melbourne.
St. Kilda is a popular place with the locals and travellers as well as the city’s largest red light area. It’s a pretty safe area, just be careful. Check out Acland Street, the waterfront (Port Phillip Bay) and South Melbourne.
There are plenty of cool pubs - try the Provincial Hotel on Brunswick St, Fitzroy, one of the best areas in Melbourne.
Carlton is a favourite with the locals. It’s a slice of Italy in Melbourne and the obvious Italian influence has meant good cheap pizza and coffee. Plenty of cheap eats on Lygon Street. Check out Friday and Saturday nights on Lygon Raceway and the streets behind. The local rev heads drag each other along the strip and fry their brains with music so loud it smashes windows.
South Yarra/Toorak is the place to go on Saturday afternoon and see the beautiful people of Melbourne. Specifically check out Chapel St and Toorak Rd. On Sunday head to the Queen Victoria market where you can rub shoulders with the locals. T
he Royal Melbourne Zoo is worth a look, as is the Art Gallery, the Arts Centre, the Old Melbourne Gaol, a game of cricket or footy at the MCG, tennis at the tennis centre, the Botanical Gardens and a Melbourne tram. If you’re lucky to be there at the beginning of March you will see ‘Moomba’. A huge festival, In June check out the Film Festival, which runs all night.
The Mornington Peninsula forms the eastern side of Port Phillip Bay and also has a coastal side where there are amazing beaches, foaming rock pools and historic light houses gazing out across one of the roughest most torturous straits in the world - Bass Strait. The land is extremely fertile which makes for awesome wine grape production and farming. You can find a job picking fruit or pay a few bucks and just pick and eat it! Mornington Peninsula is one of the favorite spots with Melburnians. Here you’ll see the fashionable ‘vogue’ areas where the beautiful people strut their stuff and, only minutes away, areas of unspoiled wilderness, pristine national parks, wetlands and marine life which offer you some unique wild life encounters.
Philip Island Phillip Island is located at the entrance to Western Port Bay and is a holiday spot popular with the locals. As well as the famous penguins, there are fur seals at Seal Rocks, where a fantastic new facility has been installed recently so you can see them up close without disturbing their fragile environment. There are mutton-birds which nest in the dunes at Cape Woolamai, and the island is also host to the Super Bike series (motor bikes). The main town on the island is Cowes. It’s a fair size and there’s plenty to do. Every night you can see the famous Penguin Parade where thousands of penguins come charging out of the water at sunset and into the nests dug in the sand on the beach. It’s a fascinating sight and well worth a look. You can join a tour from Melbourne or get out there under your own steam and just pay the $12.50 entry fee, but be warned - it’s a long way.
