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Things to do in Melbourne (apart from PAX).
EmbraceThePing
ひきこもりWhere the Crabbits and the Iz roam and the Jungle Queen rules the plainsRegistered User regular
ひきこもりWhere the Crabbits and the Iz roam and the Jungle Queen rules the plainsRegistered User regular
Is this the real Melbourne?
I'd like to hear from a few of you Melbournians as to what our backward Northern Hemisperical (sic) cousins might want to take time to have a look at whilst in the Great Southern Land.
I mean, I know we're all going to be at the PAX and stuff but if someone waned to take the opportunity to immerse themselves in a little bit of Oz while they're here, other than PAX/BAR/SLEEP rinse and repeat, where do they go? What do they see?
Please post up some interesting activities that visitors may like to see or do and maybe wont find in the brouchures and I'll try and keep this info updated.
In and Around Melbourne.
Catch a game of AFL football.
The chances are if you're in Melbourne when a game is on, you will hear the game. The crowds are large and vocal, the followers passionate and the noise of the game rolls around the streets like thunder. It's a game like no other and one you wont soon forget, from the non stop action on the field to the parochial but friendly supporters. It's a game with BALLS! The MCG is also worth the visit.
The Eureka skydeck is one place to be sure of seeing everything in Melbourne. Maybe even your breakfast (if you aren't good with heights).
Check out the Markets.
The Queen Victoria Markets were well worth the visit last time I was in Melbourne and there are many many more around the city, each with their own unique flair. Give the souvenir shops a miss and get something you'll really remember at these hubs of real Australian life.
If we can get some feed back on some of the other markets that would be great.
The South Melbourne Market
The Lost and Found Market
The Rose st. Craft Market
...and many many more.
A Litte Culture
The Old Melbourne Gaol.
The Melbourne Musuem. If you ever wondered why Phar Lap was considered a freak see the beast for yourself.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
The National Gallery of Victoria.
Animals Animals Animals!
The Melbourne Zoo.
The Werribee Open Plains Zoo.
The Phillip Island Nature Reserve (You'll never forget your first taste of Penguin
).
The Melbourne Aquarium. Personally I'd rather eat them than watch them swim around. But to each their own.
Cafes and Bars
The Mana Bar looks likely to be ground zero in a citywide assault on the capitals booze reserves by the blow-ins. Make sure you stick your head in the door while you're here and say hi to the wonderfull people who lurk there.
Lygon st. in the suburb of Carlton is Melbournes little Italy with a cafe/restaurant strip that will fill any emptyness. Check out the link to see what I mean.
Brunswick st. in the suburb of Fitzroy is another gastronomic thoroughfare not to miss in the city that genuflects to food.
Cherry. Apparently a bar that also serves Rock and or Roll.
For the Nerdling in all of us.
Apparently Cydus is a cafe. That serves Lans. Thick and juicy Lans, or so I've heard.
Critical Hit is also a store which looks interesting. May be worth a visit.
Of Science and Swords seems to be a book store. Like word thingies, on paper. But for Nerdlings.
Also Minotaur. Probably easier to say what this store doesn't carry. Stuff!
Needfull Things.
Public transport in Melbourne is good but better when you don't have to fumble for change. That's where Myki comes in.
I'd like to hear from a few of you Melbournians as to what our backward Northern Hemisperical (sic) cousins might want to take time to have a look at whilst in the Great Southern Land.
I mean, I know we're all going to be at the PAX and stuff but if someone waned to take the opportunity to immerse themselves in a little bit of Oz while they're here, other than PAX/BAR/SLEEP rinse and repeat, where do they go? What do they see?
Please post up some interesting activities that visitors may like to see or do and maybe wont find in the brouchures and I'll try and keep this info updated.
In and Around Melbourne.
Catch a game of AFL football.
The chances are if you're in Melbourne when a game is on, you will hear the game. The crowds are large and vocal, the followers passionate and the noise of the game rolls around the streets like thunder. It's a game like no other and one you wont soon forget, from the non stop action on the field to the parochial but friendly supporters. It's a game with BALLS! The MCG is also worth the visit.
The Eureka skydeck is one place to be sure of seeing everything in Melbourne. Maybe even your breakfast (if you aren't good with heights).
Check out the Markets.
The Queen Victoria Markets were well worth the visit last time I was in Melbourne and there are many many more around the city, each with their own unique flair. Give the souvenir shops a miss and get something you'll really remember at these hubs of real Australian life.
If we can get some feed back on some of the other markets that would be great.
The South Melbourne Market
The Lost and Found Market
The Rose st. Craft Market
...and many many more.
A Litte Culture
The Old Melbourne Gaol.
The Melbourne Musuem. If you ever wondered why Phar Lap was considered a freak see the beast for yourself.
Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
The National Gallery of Victoria.
Animals Animals Animals!
The Melbourne Zoo.
The Werribee Open Plains Zoo.
The Phillip Island Nature Reserve (You'll never forget your first taste of Penguin
).The Melbourne Aquarium. Personally I'd rather eat them than watch them swim around. But to each their own.
Cafes and Bars
The Mana Bar looks likely to be ground zero in a citywide assault on the capitals booze reserves by the blow-ins. Make sure you stick your head in the door while you're here and say hi to the wonderfull people who lurk there.
Lygon st. in the suburb of Carlton is Melbournes little Italy with a cafe/restaurant strip that will fill any emptyness. Check out the link to see what I mean.
Brunswick st. in the suburb of Fitzroy is another gastronomic thoroughfare not to miss in the city that genuflects to food.
Cherry. Apparently a bar that also serves Rock and or Roll.
For the Nerdling in all of us.
Apparently Cydus is a cafe. That serves Lans. Thick and juicy Lans, or so I've heard.
Critical Hit is also a store which looks interesting. May be worth a visit.
Of Science and Swords seems to be a book store. Like word thingies, on paper. But for Nerdlings.
Also Minotaur. Probably easier to say what this store doesn't carry. Stuff!
Needfull Things.
Public transport in Melbourne is good but better when you don't have to fumble for change. That's where Myki comes in.
EmbraceThePing on
+3
Posts
It's not like that area is short on cool bars though.
We could hold a picnic/bbq in the Alexandra Gardens (weather permitting).
Also, regarding PAX Aus, we're gonna work closely with Tourism Victoria to put together some discount group events that can be down around Melbourne. Like, say pre or post PAX for those that stick around, a list of things with times and discounts that a whole bunch o PAX peeps can go to together.
Cool?
That said, lets go nuts with suggestions - I'll look into them to see if we can get any PAX group discounts!
Facebook.com/PAXAus
Twitter.com/PAXAus
This. Although You can just set it up in my hotel room if you'd like. I'm up for either or both :P
In the greater scheme of things, can't go past http://www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au/ for some straya culture.
Yarra Valley wineries.
Buy all of the things at Swords & Science/Critical Hit & Minotaur.
I never bought one, but apparently it also has "Discounts at 15 attractions".
http://www.myki.com.au/About-myki/myki-visitor-pack
Ha! YMMV of course, I haven't had any problems with it. Yet.
Visit some other cities while you're in Aus. Sydney is a must with it's stately attractions. Cairns is lovely at that time of year for a nice warm holiday before or after PAX. (get to Cairns before the start of July as July 1 onwards is peak with much higher prices.) Best to fly between cities. Or organise your entry in one city and depart from another. Start looking at booking flights between now and Feb for cheapest rates. They'll go up after that.
When in Melbourne see if you can organise a day or two down the south west coast for the Great Ocean Road (http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/img/weekends-away/great-ocean-road.jpg) down through to Port Fairy / Warrnambool. Spend a night in Apollo Bay or the like. There are tours as well I imagine. You can also go down to the east coast to the Phillip Island / Apollo Bay but I'm not sure if it's worth going there in the middle of winter.
Gold fields / Sovereign Hill in Ballarat (1.5hr west of Melbourne) is apparently great for tourists but after several forced school excursions my view is probably somewhat tainted.
Degraves Street (sometimes called Lane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degraves_Street,_Melbourne ) and shopping around the great little inner CBD laneways is required. Try and go on a weekday.
There are several fantastic theatre and arts precincts, have a look a month or two before leaving to see what you can find.
The actual showgrounds area is pretty crap to be honest, middle of suburbia and not particularly exciting. I'd recommend staying in Docklands if you can find somewhere affordable. You can usually find bars or restaurants to adopt almost as your own. You can easily find whole apartments that a bunch of people could share in for a week. My church used to run a conference in the area and it was pretty good. Wherever you end up just try and get near a train station as it is very likely that PAX Aus will have it's own train and station up and running like they usually do for events at the showgrounds.
Perhaps we could dress the train up like the Hogwarts one and rename one of the Southern Cross station lines whatever it was in the book. Or not.
Best to invest in some Bearoguard whist you're down under.
Oh wait.. Is that for the hoop snakes?
YouTube:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/JaydenBev (Neither here, but I'm gonna start soon)
Dev-Blog: *Currently in the works!*
>Implying Drop Bears aren't real either...
They're very real. And you should be scared..
http://www.enemy-agency.com
http://www.enemy-agency.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_bear
http://www.enemy-agency.com
- Yarra Valley Wine Region. Up there with the Barossa Valley for best wine region in Australia. Picturesque landscapes and good wine to sample; how could you lose? About 1-1.5 hours east of Melbourne.
_ Healesville Sanctuary. A very tourist-friendly zoo, focusing on native fauna. A good place to go if you want to hand feed a Grey Kangaroo. About an hour east of Melbourne, but easier to access by public transport than the Yarra Valley. (They also have a Wikipedia Page)
- The Victorian Parliament House. Built during the Victorian gold rush, its decorations are beyond opulent. The upper house (Legislative Council) chamber is pretty much wall-to-wall gilt and elaborate carving. It may not be open, though, depending on when parliament is sitting and what other events are on at the time. Right in the CBD - opposite Parliament Station (oddly enough).
- The Shrine of Remembrance . Not quite as extensive as the War Memorial in Canberra, it's still worth a visit - particularly if there is an exhibition on.
- The Coffee. Not a specific place, but Melbourne is renowned for its coffee culture. Find a hole in the wall cafe and taste some of the best coffee of your life.
Avatar is from www.xkcd.com
Avatar is from www.xkcd.com
Avatar is from www.xkcd.com
Take these recommendations with a grain of salt, Im no local, and also I like cocktails, specifically rum cocktails, im not one to order a pint, so your mileage mat vary at these establishments. listed in order of personal preference
1, Golden Monkey, hardware lane. I always stop here when drinking in melbourne, good atmosphere and good drinks.
2, 1806, Exhibition st. its a serviced cocktail bar, the drinks have been great every time i've gone.
3, Luwow, Johnston St Fitzroy. now i'm mixed about putting this on here i've only been twice, once was a train wreck, but it was super busy, the other time was far better. Drinks are good but not up to the same standard as 1806 and golden monkey.
An honorary mention goes to the croft institute, I had one of the best drinks of my life there. but that experience has never been repeated.
There are many others worth going to but these are probably the only ones ill be making a point of stopping at during PAX.
Previous PAXs: PAX Prime 2011, PAX AUS 2013
http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/ Is the website, it's fantastic fun - a great day and amazing journey thorugh the good looking Victorian mountains.