Studying Abroad in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
When I came back home (US) for a month from Australia, everyone seemed to ask me a similar question: "What was the coolest/most amazing thing you saw in Melbourne". I felt guilty not being able to come up with something super spectacular, but Melbs isn't really a big touristy destination. It's not a city where you can say you saw some famous landmark or you went to a crazy jungle. Melbourne is a beautiful city, full of culture and an artsy, urban vibe. It's an amazing place to live because there is always something to do - whether it be one of the hundreds of festivals they have going on all year long or wandering around the city into the many hidden lane ways to find dozens of cafes, restaurants or stunning graffiti.
My advice to anybody studying abroad in Melbourne is to go to a uni closer to, or better yet, IN the city. Melbourne University and RMIT are great schools and in the city. And if you live in Melbourne, you WANT to be in the city or at least close. I attended Deakin Uni and it was about 45 minutes away via tram - which is why I moved OUT of bumfuck Burwood and into Camberwell - a quaint (kinda "uppity") city.
My advice to anybody studying abroad in Melbourne is to go to a uni closer to, or better yet, IN the city. Melbourne University and RMIT are great schools and in the city. And if you live in Melbourne, you WANT to be in the city or at least close. I attended Deakin Uni and it was about 45 minutes away via tram - which is why I moved OUT of bumfuck Burwood and into Camberwell - a quaint (kinda "uppity") city.
The best things to do in Melbourne, in my opinion, are visiting Healesville Sanctuary - awesome zoo where you can get really up close & personal with the animals (even pet & feed them), go to as many markets and festivals as possible - Visit Victoria has all the different festivals listed and it ranges from Fashion Week to random festivals like the "Viva Victoria" Festival. These are usually held at Federation Square and have different cuisines, world markets and entertainment like cultural dances, bands and so on. What my boyfriend and I would do while living here, which proved to be quite successful, was continuously look at Groupon.com, Livingsocial.com and WeekendNotes.com. These sites always have awesome deals (which are especially useful in the very expensive city of Melbourne) and I've found great things to do such as an awesome walking tour of the CBD (Central Business District AKA The City) throughout a dozen of the hidden lane ways, countless unique restaurants of any kind of cuisine and crazy-themed bars and pubs.
Like I said, Melbs isn't the craziest city with dozens of different tour attractions to see, but it's an incredible city. Just walking around the CBD or Southbank or any cities around here is like walking through a different city every time. There's so many interesting people around and the city itself is just gorgeous. The weather is NOT superb - as in it's the opposite of what I thought it would be and what I'm used to. So long to the perfect San Diego weather and hello rain, humidity and wind. Luckily, this pushes me to appreciate the beautiful days that we get here, and I am fortunate to be able to enjoy it in such a beautiful place.
My favorite area to go to was Brunswick Street. I was a little obsessed with finding graffiti while living here (which isn't hard) and Brunswick had some amazing art. They also had great restaurants and awesome bars. This was one of the few places in Melbourne that actually had Happy Hour (leave it to me to find the Happy Hours). There are tons of unique bars with crazy names (never thought a place called Naked for Satan would be a favorite of mine). Chapel Street is also great with tons of shopping as well. I had a bike while living here and it was the best idea I ever had. Biking through Melbs, in my opinion, was the best way to see it because there are so many amazing hidden areas that you wouldn't have found otherwise. There are also tons of great bike trails (some of the streets have separate lanes & even LIGHTS for bicyclists!)
Overall, Melbourne may not be the most exciting tourist destination, but it's an amazing place to live. If you can get used to the cold and the high price of living, then this place is absolutely perfect!
Overall, Melbourne may not be the most exciting tourist destination, but it's an amazing place to live. If you can get used to the cold and the high price of living, then this place is absolutely perfect!
See Also:
The Graffiti Laneways of Melbourne
Other Posts About Living in Australia
Phillip Island One Day Excursion
Sydney
Gold Coast
Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef
Other Posts About Living in Australia
Phillip Island One Day Excursion
Sydney
Gold Coast
Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef