text:
Review of Chicago Magic by David Witter
Magic has been my life. A big part of that magic life has been a devotion to the history of the art, specifically in Chicago. It makes reading the newly published book, Chicago Magic, by David Witter all the more distressing.
The book is riddled with historical errors and out right fabrications. The body of the book is 112 pages of long from the Introduction to the end of the story and I have 10 pages of notes correcting the lack of care Mr. Witter put into his book.
There are more mistakes than I want to recount here, so I will give you an example of a single chapter.
Chapter 8 – Schulien's
(Note: There is really only one source needed in writing a story on the Schulien Restaurant: The Magic of Matt Schulien by Phil Willmarth, first published in 1959 by Ireland Magic CO. (Magic, Inc.), a book not in the thin bibliography supplied by Mr. Witter.)
P 61-The chapter starts with a dramatization of Charlie Schulien performing Matt's Card on the Wall, except Charlie never performed the trick. None of Matt's children did Matt's trademark trick. It was "dad's trick." (Page 142, The Magic of Matt Schulien)
P 62- Throughout the book Witter misspells and, flat out, misnames many performers. He repeatedly calls Don Alan, Don Allen, especially egregious because Don is one of the most important and influential magicians to come out of Chicago. In Chicago Magic he is mentioned several times, but as no more than a bystander to the magic world. Second, He misnames beloved magician Jimmy Krzak as Mike Krzak. It is just sloppy work.
P 63- On this page there is a lovely picture of Matt Schulien, Jay Marshall, and an unidentified magician at the door of Schulien's. Except, it is really a picture of Charlie Schulien, Jay Marshall, and Phil Willmarth at that door. The photo matches others used in The Magic of Matt Schulien.
P 64- Witter states that Joseph Schulien bought the saloon Quincy No 9 for the Schlitz Brewing Company. Actually, this was one of many bars Joe bought for himself. He made a business of buying or opening saloons , building up the business, and then selling it off. He finally settled at 1800 N Halsted creating the first Schulien's.
He also says that in 1948, Matt moved north to 2100 W Irving Park. It was 1949. He also writes that at Irving Park they started serving food. Wrong again. The "1800" was also a restaurant.
In the same paragraph he misspells the name of the restaurant currently in the Irving Park space as O'Donavan's (Actual spelling: O'Donovan's) and he misspells the name of the restaurant across the street, Lashet's (Actually: Laschet's). He'll go on to misspell it later in the chapter, also.Continuing on page 64 Witter quotes magician Al James on the birth of magic at Schulien's. He says that Harry Blackstone Sr. performing magic tableside in the restaurant inspired Matt. The story is false. It does not appear in The Magic of Matt Schulien. In the foreword by Harry Blackstone Sr., it is not mentioned. In the wonderful essay, recounting the history of Schulien's, Not the Best, but the Biggest by Frances Marshall does not include the story. In Matt's own words, describing how he got into magic, the Blackstone story is nowhere to be found.
P 65- Witter writes that Matt Schulien died in a plane crash in 1959. This is the sloppiest of research. Matt Schulien died in 1967. Matt's Son, Matt Schulien Jr., died in that plane crash. How you could get that wrong is beyond any reasonable thought. I am left scratching my head.
P 66- Witter now recounts the story of Al James performing the Houdini Milk Can Escape as a publicity stunt at the restaurant. As background, Witter writes about Houdini and the escape.
Excusable is the fact they get Houdini's birthday wrong, April 6 was believed to be Houdini's birthday, but more than 20 years ago it was shown to be March 24. If only Mr. Witter had some source, like a book about Houdini where he could confirm the date. Oh wait, he has three listed in the bibliography. Or maybe if he had some convenient way to search the internet to quickly find a source talking about Houdini. Oh wait, he could have googled Houdini and found his Wikipedia page. Wikipedia being a source listed in the book's bibliography.
He also gets the details of escape wrong as performed by Houdini. If he would have actually read the Houdini books in his bibliography he would have learned that the Milk Can was invented by Montreville Wood from Berwyn IL and the original can was built in Chicago. Not invented by Houdini.
They did not fill the can with water while Houdini was in the can. It was filled before.
Houdini did not let spectators get into the can.
Houdini's assistant Franz Kukol did not stand by the can with an axe asking the audience if they thought it was time to "hack."
P 68- Here we go again. For a guy who purports to know Chicago history, why can't you spell White Sox broadcaster Harry Caray's name correctly? (Harry Carey)
First, he writes that Schulien's moved in 1948, now he writes it moved in 1947. He has two tries at the date and both are wrong.
He implies that Ed Schulien (Matt's sons, Charlie and Ed, ran the business after Matt retired in 1952.) dropped out of the business and then Charlie sold out in 1999. In reality, Ed left the business in 1974.
And that ends the chapter.
Surprisingly, Witter misses the most important part of Schulien's legacy. There is an acknowledged Chicago Style of Magic. Matt Schulien developed this style at Schulien's. It is never mentioned. In a Chicago magic history book. Not once.
Virtually, every chapter that has anything to do with history has similar problems.
Witter also makes two confounding choices to end the book. The second to last chapter is a list of songs with a magic theme. The last chapter is a list of celebrities that do/did magic. Neither of these chapters has Chicago connections, so why are they in a book about Chicago Magic. It is the laziest kind of filler.
Finally, the book is poorly written. Especially shocking because the biography of Mr. Witter tells us that he is an English teacher. However, as you've already seen, being devoid of any editorial process is the least of the book's problems.
If you like your history fabricated then you'll love this book , but if you want your history to be…true, then move along there is nothing to see here. Just a train wreck.
One of the worst history books I've ever read.


text:
OpenID Login
Not a member? Register Forgot Password?
GamerDNA Login
Not a member yet? Register.
Winter!: Prepare for holiday gaming!
Game Night!: This weekend! https://www.facebook.com/events/317792721696252/
New Releases: What upcoming games are you looking forward to?
Answer this question....: Eyup or Nope?
So Gamers...: how is it going?
Fercberk...: Ask us a question or two on our Facebook Page! http://www.facebook.com/gamerDNA
Need Help?: Ask us a question or two on our Facebook Page!
Facebook!: Gamers! Check out our Facebook page!
Youtube!!!: Check out our Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/smg1170?feature=mhee
Gamers......: meh
Closing in:
Amazing games. I loved all of them and have absolutely no complaints about any of them.
Game Traits applied to Arc the Lad Collection (PS) by Echiboo
Member actions:
A terrible shame to the Arc the Lad series. It was repetitive, boring, and had a terrible plot and...
Yet another amazing installment to the Arc the Lad series! I loved the plot, characters, battle...
It was enjoyable, but the translation sucked and the story dragged quite a bit.
The average age for gamers, most have been playing for 12 years.
gamerDNA®, Contents are Copyright 2006–2015 PLAYXPERT LLC and Live Gamer Inc. gamerDNA and the gamerDNA Logo are trademark and property of Live Gamer Inc.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SEO Initial Search Engine Comparison
So my eCommerce site, Pet Pawfection, has been up and running for about two months now. I've noticed some interesting differences in the search engines to date.
Google started indexing the site within the first week or two after I submitted a site map in its webmaster tools. The indexing was pretty aggressive. By the end of the first month, just about every page in the site map was indexed. I also signed up for every related Google service I could find: AdWords, Analytics, Merchant Center, etc. That may have helped Google notice me but I can't be sure.
Yahoo was the next to start indexing but it took about a month for that to start happening. The indexing was frustratingly slow, and to date, Yahoo has only indexed 20-30 percent of the site.
Bing was the latest to the indexing party. Bing finally noticed me a couple of weeks ago and has now passed Yahoo in the number of pages indexed. I estimate about one fourth of my site's pages are now indexed on Bing. Not too bad for a couple of weeks worth of indexing. I plan to update a lot of the product pages (the pages not yet indexed) with more content so hopefully that will help.
Webmaster Tools
IMO, Google has the best webmaster tools, especially when you factor in Google Analytics. Yahoo and Bing were both initially showing inconsistent indexing metrics from one page of the webmaster tools to the next. This problem seems to have gone away in Bing now that more pages are indexed. Yahoo still has some issues on the Statistics page. Yahoo's webmaster tools will be shut down at some point (a result of the merger into Microsoft), but only traffic data from Yahoo is currently being shown in the Bing tools. I still take a peek in the Yahoo tools to compare pages indexed but that is about it.
Back Links
Back links are links from external sites to your own site. Even being late to the game, Yahoo was the first to register most of the back links to my site. To date, it still has the best list. Bing actually displayed back links similar to what Yahoo registered even before indexing began in earnest. This is possible because most back links are targeted at my home page, the first page to be indexed in all of the search engines.
Google was the last to register back links. This is odd since it started aggressively indexing my site soon after I launched it. I suspect it noticed the back links much sooner but just didn't display them in the webmaster tools. So don't be surprised if this happens to you.
Search Results (SERPs)
I haven't done a thorough evaluation of search results but I have noticed one interesting difference. Google provides the best results so far for long tail keywords that appear on my site. However, Bing and Yahoo provide much better results for searches involving my blog topics (The Lap Pack). I'm not sure why there is a difference. I'm going to pay special attention to this disparity over the next month to see if it is just a fluke or something I should be concerned about.
The Skinny
So if you are just starting out on your own web site adventure, be patient. It will take months for your site to be fully indexed with back links and all of the other things you want the search engines to notice. Start with these steps to get the ball rolling:
- Make sure your site is easy to navigate for both humans and search engines.
- Make sure your site is full of rich content with as little repetition as possible. Humans and search engines love this!
- Register your site with Google, Bing and Yahoo webmaster tools and be sure to provide a link to your site map for each. Do the same for any associated blogs you have.
There are many other things you can do, like immersing yourself in the world of SEO, but the three basic steps above are the most important.


text:
Study: Excessively Positive Reviews Hurt Conversions
January 9, 2014 | 4:45 pm
By Juli Monroe
A friend sent me this article today about a study of reviews and how they impact conversions (or sales).
Their conclusion will come as no surprise to TeleRead readers.
The study also found that positive star ratings didn't influence sales. Only the content of the reviews impacted conversions. This might be because everybody has a different definition of what counts as a 5 or 0 star product, and the review itself contains the information to make that judgment for yourself.
But here's the thing…
While the star ratings themselves didn't influence sales, the variability in star ratings positively influenced sales.
In other words, if a visitor sees nothing but 5 star reviews, they get suspicious.
(Bolding is from the original article)
The timing of my friend sending this article was ironic. He'd sent me a coupon code for a free subscription to a webinar series he'd created. In the email he asked me to rate and review the series, but not to leave anything other than a 5 star review. I emailed him back and told him why I thought that was a bad idea. I convinced him, but then this article showed up to reinforce my case.
Nothing in the study was a surprise to me. I've been using similar criteria when deciding to buy a book for some time. I've been sold by 2 star reviews before because the reviewers were specific about what they didn't like. Since I knew I would like those things, I bought the book.
Just reinforces that the most important reviews are ones from actual readers who are honest about why they did (or didn't) like a book. Readers are smart enough to spot sock puppets, and we as authors risk insulting their intelligence if we don't remember that.
TeleRead podcast commences at 3 p.m. Eastern
Accessory Review: Omoton Kobo Glo HD Sleeve
Morning Links: Understanding Hugo Awards Snafu. Famous Typographical Optical Illusion
My Perspective on Scribd's Announcement Of Removing Romance Titles
Morning Links: Apple Music First Look. Kickstarter Setting Records
Does this mean review sites like Buzzfeed, that promise to publish only positive reviews, are hurting their credibility? Apart from Buzzfeed's lack of credibility in the first place, I mean.
I never even thought about it analytically before, but I have a tendency to do the same thing when reading reviews. I mostly ignore the 5 star reviews, (other to mentally note that they are there,), but carefuly read a few of the 1 or 2 star reviews to see if there is substance to the low reating, of it's just an innane complaint. Hmmm.


text:
Whether you're throwing the party or searching for the perfect gift for your hostess or host, festive tableware makes the occasion. This placemat set is inspired by interlacing Mediterranean pavement designs from the 1930s. The refined lines and minimal use of shapes in each piece are meant to evoke the concept of "zafaf," or the wedding night, an eternal marriage between old and new. This Images d'Orient set features a stunning, contemporary arabesque design with deep ties to tradition.
Set of 2. Washable with soap and water. Resistant to all cookware except cast iron and enameled cast iron. Soak in hot water to restore shape. Shatterproof.
This product has no reviews yet. Be the first to review this product. Write a review
Enjoy 10% off your first order*


text:
Veterans Day parade forms at 2:30 p.m. Saturday near Casino Aztar
EVANSVILLE - Saturday's Four Freedoms Veterans Day Parade will have at least 33 participating groups, and since the weather is expected to be pleasant, organizers are hopeful for a big audience.
The parade will begin at 2:30 p.m. near Casino Aztar and progress along Riverside Drive to the Four Freedoms Monument.
Organizers promise motorcycles, music, marchers and a bevy of patriotism. They also landed a big fish for a grand marshal — Maj. Gen. Martin Umbarger, leader of the Indiana National Guard.
Local insurance agent and veterans advocate C. Larry Rhodes secured Umbarger's appearance, said parade organizer Garry Hisel. "He pulled that off on his own. We're thrilled to have Martin Umbarger in the parade."
The event is in its third year. Sponsoring organization River City Thunderbolts bumped up its social media presence this year, creating a Facebook page, and taking to local airwaves to attract both more participants and a larger audience.
The event's website is ThunderboltClub.org.
Major supporters of the event include Casino Aztar, Demolition City Roller Derby, Environmental Consultants, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 723, and Eleanor and Patrick Savage.
Subscribe to the Courier & Press or The Gleaner
Need Help? Call us at 1-877-304-7771.
Monday-Friday: 6am-5pm / Saturday: 6am-11am / Sunday: 7am-Noon


text:
From wiki.travel.com
- For other places with the same name, see Melbourne (disambiguation).
Melbourne [1] is the second-largest city in Australia and the capital of the south-eastern state of Victoria, located at the head of Port Phillip Bay.
Melbourne is generally regarded as Australia's cultural capital. The city's features include Victorian-era architecture, extensive shopping, many cultural institutions such as museums, galleries and theatres, and large parks and gardens.
Melbourne's 4 million population is both multicultural (with large Greek, Italian, Jewish, Vietnamese and other immigrant communities) and sports-mad.
Reasons for tourists to visit Melbourne are to attend major sporting events, to use it as a base for exploring surrounding regions such as Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and to visit Phillip Island to view the penguin parade. Many UK visitors come to Melbourne for tours of filming locations of soap opera Neighbours [2].
Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, spreads southwards along the shoreline of Port Phillip Bay, east towards the Dandenong Ranges, westwards towards the city of Geelong and northwards towards the plains of central Victoria.
Like any large city, Melbourne is divided up into many suburbs - not all will be of interest to travellers.
The Melbourne city centre is a beautiful and interesting mix of the old and the new. You can't miss the Eureka Tower and the Rialto stands out as well but look closely and you will notice some intricate buildings from a bygone era.
Inner city
- City Centre— Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) and historical core north of the Yarra River, including the Southbank district immediately south of the Yarra and the new Docklands precinct to the west.
- Albert Park— Home of Melbourne's F1 Grand Prix circuit
- Brunswick— Inner northern suburb. The "new" Fitzroy.
- Carlton— Traditional home of Melbourne's Italian community and the University of Melbourne.
- Collingwood— Working class suburb with funky shopping on Smith Street.
- Fitzroy— The Bohemian quarter filled with interesting restaurants and trendy boutiques.
- Prahran— Favourite shopping district with Chapel Street as its main attraction.
- Richmond— North Richmond is Melbourne's Little Vietnam while the southern part of the district, Bridge Road, is famous for low price fashion outlets.
- South Melbourne— Home of the shopping strip known as Clarendon Street, South Melbourne also has the popular South Melbourne Market, which first opened in 1867 and features food, clothing, footwear and much more.
- South Yarra— South of the river, with high-end shopping and dining, it covers South Yarra and Toorak.
- St Kilda— Suburb on Port Philip Bay with its famous Sunday art market, and home to many backpacker hostels and cafes.
- Williamstown— Old, maritime-styled suburb with many cafes situated along the foreshore.
- Yarraville— Quiet, inner-western suburb with well-preserved Victorian architecture and a funky, artsy vibe.
Outer suburbs
- Eastern suburbs— Stretching from almost inner suburbs of Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell to the outer areas like Belgrave, Lilydale, Ringwood, Glen Waverley and the Dandenong Ranges.
- Northern suburbs— Covering suburbs like Tullamarine, Broadmeadows, South Morang, Epping, Bundoora and Eltham.
- Southern suburbs— Spread along the coast of Port Philip Bay and covers areas like Brighton, Elwood, Sandringham and Frankston. Its main attraction is the beach along the bay.
- Western suburbs— Includes areas like St Albans, Footscray, Keilor, Altona, Laverton and Werribee, Williamstown.
It is often said that Melbourne has "four seasons in one day". This is particularly common in late Autumn and early Spring, when the weather is quite changeable, although major extremes are rarely felt in one day. Statistically, Melbourne receives only about half of the average rainfall of Sydney, and generally receives about 600mm (24 inches) of rainfall annually, which is scattered throughout the year - October is usually considered to be statistically the wettest month. You can expect an average summer's day (December, January & February) in Melbourne to be sunny with temperatures hovering around 26-30°C (79-86°F) with the warmest temperatures tending to be in the inland suburban locations and the coast tempered by a refreshing southerly seabreeze. Heatwaves are common during the summer and daytime temperatures can often exceed 40°C (104°F) with hot northerly winds. The highest maximum temperature recorded in Melbourne was 46.4°C (116°F) in 2009 (The 'Black Saturday' bushfires occured on this day). Despite the warm days Melbourne experiences in summer, humidity is rarely a problem and temperatures at night remain mildly comfortable with an average summer low usually about 16°C (61°F). Thunderstorms are more common in summer than winter but usually bring refreshing relief from the occasional stifling daytime temperatures. Winter (June, July & August) is usually cool - with a mix of clear, sunny weather and cold & damp conditions. Temperatures in winter can range from chilly overnight lows as low 2°C (36°F) to daytime highs as high as 19°C (66°F) at times. The coldest temperature recorded in Melbourne was -2.8°C (27°F) all the way back in 1869. Light snow has been recorded in and around Melbourne during the winter months only a couple of times over the last century, the hills east of the city however usually see a snow shower or two every winter. It is best advised to visit Melbourne in the autumn and spring - temperatures during these periods are usually very pleasant, without being unbearably warm and daytime highs are usually in the 20s Celsius (70s Fahrenheit).
The settlement of Melbourne commenced in 1835 when settlers from Tasmania "purchased" land on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River from the local Aboriginal tribes. The streets of central Melbourne were carefully laid out in 1837, with some streets 30 metres wide. The first British lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe, arrived in 1839 – his cottage still stands and can be visited in the Kings Domain. The year 1851 was a landmark for Melbourne - the colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales and very soon after, gold was discovered in Victoria, sparking a huge goldrush. Aspects of the goldrush history can be seen at the Gold Treasury Museum, housed in the Treasury Building built in 1858. Gold was the catalyst for several decades of prosperity lasting through to the late 1880s and examples of the ornate Victorian-era structures built during this time still stand. In 1888, the property boom collapsed and Victoria suffered the depression of the 1890s. Throughout the gold and building booms, Melbourne managed to retain its many spacious parks and gardens and these remain to this day.
In 1901, the British colonies of Australia became an independent federation and Melbourne the temporary capital of Australia, with the Federal Parliament meeting in the Parliament House of Victoria until 1927 when the new Federal capital of Canberra was founded. After World War II, Melbourne grew rapidly, with its mainly Anglo-Celtic population boosted by immigration from Europe, particularly from Greece and Italy. Today Melbourne has the biggest Greek city population (over 800,000) outside Greece and the biggest Italian city population (over 230,000) outside Italy. The significant pre-war Jewish population was also boosted after the war. From the mid-70s, many immigrants came from South-east Asia, particularly Vietnam and Cambodia. Melbourne has had a Chinese population since the goldrush of the 1850s and Chinatown has existed from that time but the population of Chinese and other East Asians has also been boosted by immigration in recent years.
New high-rise buildings replaced many of Melbourne's interesting old structures in the construction boom of the 1970s and 80s. Melbournians belatedly recognised the loss of their architectural heritage and steps were taken to protect what was left. Construction of the huge Crown Casino (briefly the largest casino in the world) in the 1990s upset some Melbournians with its introduction of a gambling culture. Melbourne's development continues in the 2000s with the opening of the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square and the Docklands precinct.
Melbourne is often called the cultural capital of Australia, with its many art galleries, film festivals, orchestras, choral and opera productions, vibrant live music scene, and a strong food, wine and coffee culture. People in Melbourne tend to dress up more than in Sydney, partly due to the colder climate. Many bars and clubs have strict dress regulations, such as requiring collars and dress shoes for men.
Particular events to note include the Melbourne International Film Festival in August, the International Art Festival in October, and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April, as well as individual concerts and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition to the Melbourne Museum, there are special museums dedicated to subjects such as science, immigration, Chinese history, Jewish history, sport, racing, film and moving image, railways, police, fire brigades and banking.
Melburnians are sports enthusiasts and particularly passionate about Australian Rules football [3], a sport invented in Melbourne. In fact the Australian Football League (AFL) is not so much a sport as a religion in Melbourne with 9 of the 10 Victorian teams being based in Melbourne. As a guide, the entire national competition only has 16 teams, meaning over half the league is based in Melbourne alone. Horseracing is another passion, and the majority of the state has a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November for the racing of the Melbourne Cup [4], one of the world's famous horse races. Cricket is the big summer sport and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the 'MCG') [5] is one of the world's leading grounds. Each January, Melbourne hosts tennis' Australian Open [6], one of the world's four Grand Slam championships. In March, Melbourne hosts the first race of the Formula One season, the Formula One Grand Prix[7]. The race is held in Albert Park in South Melbourne. Melbournians have also taken football (soccer) to their hearts in recent times. The Melbourne Victory, playing in Australia's premier competition, the A-League, enjoy enormous crowds and colourful, boistrous support at their home ground, Etihad Stadium (previously known as the Telstra Dome). Melbourne is the unquestioned sporting capital of Australia with the largest arenas and two of the major sporting administrations basing their operation in Melbourne: Cricket Australia is a stone's throw from the MCG, and the AFL games are played at both the MCG and Etihad Stadium.
Get in
By plane
Melbourne is served by two airports, Melbourne Airport (International and Domestic) 22km north of the city centre, and Avalon Airport (Domestic), about 60km southwest of Melbourne towards Geelong.
Melbourne Airport (MEL)
Melbourne Airport [8] (IATA: MEL) is 22km north-west of the city centre, adjacent to the industrial suburb of Tullamarine. There are regular flights from all major Australian and New Zealand cities, and there are direct international flights to many Asian hubs, and onwards connections to Europe. There are direct flights to the west coast of the USA and Canada, Santiago, Fiji and Hawaii. It is practical to fly direct to Melbourne from most international points.
The airport has four terminals, T1, T2, T3 and T4. T1, T2 T3 are in the same building, and it is easy to walk to T4, however each terminal has separate security screening, and access between terminals is not available once in the sterile area.
- T1 (the "North Terminal") is used by Qantas [9] and Jetstar [10] domestic services.
- T2 (the "International Terminal") is used by all international airlines. It is the middle terminal of the airport.
- T3 (the "South Terminal") is used by Virgin Blue [11] and REX Regional Express [12] domestic services.
- T4 is used by Tiger Airways Australia [13] domestic services.
All arrivals are on the lower level of the terminals, with departures from the upper level.
Taxis between the airport and the city centre cost around $40-$45 and take about 25 minutes in clear traffic.
Skybus [14], tel +61 3 9670 7992, runs a 24/7 shuttle to and from the Southern Cross Station Coach Terminal on Spencer Street at the west end of the Central Business District, just north of Lonsdale Street. There are two airport pickup locations. One is outside the Virgin Blue/REX terminal (T3), 50m from the international terminal (T2). The other is outside the Qantas/Jetstar domestic terminal (T1). There are ticket desks at both T1 and T3, and if unattended, tickets can be purchased electronically or from the driver.
The trip takes around 20 minutes (in good traffic) and runs directly using the freeway with no stops. It costs $16/26 adult one-way/return, $6 child one-way (between 4 and 14 years of age). There are also several family ticket options available. Frequency ranges from hourly during the wee hours to quarter hourly from about 6:30AM-7:30PM (always on the quarter hour). They also run a connection service between the terminal and central hotels/hostels during the day (M-F 6AM-8PM, Sa-Su 8AM-6PM), and this is included in your fare. Otherwise, you can board any train at Southern Cross, or take a tram down Collins St through the city centre. Bookings are not needed for travel from the airport to hotels, but on the way back, book hotel pick-up at least 3 hours ahead.
Alternatively, if heading to southern Melbourne (St Kilda and points beyond), the Frankston and Peninsula Airport Shuttle (FAPAS) [15] runs roughly-hourly minibus services, advance bookings required either online or at +61-3-97831199. Full adult fares from $18, but there are group discounts and some hostels even offer free rides if you stay for three or more nights.
Local buses service the airport infrequently - every hour or so during the day, and every couple of hours on the weekend, and not at all at night. If you are economising, and are lucky enough to be there when a local bus is passing, a 2-hour 2-zone metcard gets you into the city for $5.80. Catch a bus towards Moonee Ponds (Essendon) or Broadmeadows and switch to the train.
From Melbourne CBD to MEL Airport direction. Get a 2-hour zone-2 ticket at Flinders Street Metrolink station for AUD 5.80 to Broadmeadows (Craigieburn line). Time your train boarding at Melbourne Flinders Street Station for arrival at Broadmeadows for a connection by local bus No. 500 to MEL airport within 2 hours or before expiry of ticket. The journey from Flinders Street Station to Broadmeadows station takes about 25~30 minutes. Local buses arrive at Broadmeadows fairly consistently. The most recent bus schedule obtained indicates services at 7:35 am; 8:00am; 9:35am; 11:15am; 12:48am; 02:48pm and 4:48pm. If you are able to connect within 2 hours of your departure from Flinders Street Station and boarding a local bus, then your AUD 5.80 ticket is still valid for this transit. Otherwise you have to purchase another ticket from Broadmeadows to MEL airport. Journey from Broadmeadows to MEL airport takes 15 minutes.
Avalon Airport (AVV)
Avalon Airport, [16] (IATA: AVV), is situated in the Geelong outer suburb of Lara. The airport is located 55 km to the south-west of Melbourne, and is considerably further from Melbourne CBD than the Melbourne airport at Tullamarine. However, a shuttle to Southern Cross costs only $4 more than a shuttle from Tullamarine. It is a simple terminal facility. The facilities for arrivals are basic, just an ATM, car hire desks and baggage carousels in what looks like an old hanger. The departure facilities are a little better, with a cafe and a bar, and a video arcade room.
Avalon Airport is serviced by Qantas subsidiary low-cost airline Jetstar from Sydney and Brisbane.
Options to get to the Melbourne CBD:
- A taxi from the airport to Melbourne CBD will cost up to $100.
- SITA coaches [17] operate a coach shuttle service to Melbourne's Southern Cross Station at $20 per adult and $10 per child one way. The buses meet every Jetstar arrival. An additional $7 per person charge is made for a transfer to city hotels. Only cash is accepted, not credit cards.
- Lara station is around 8km from the terminal. Trains from there to Southern Cross station in Melbourne CBD run hourly, and cost $5.60. Children 17 years and under are half price. During off-peak times up to two children travel free with every adult. You will need to get a taxi to Lara station, as there is no public transport connection. A taxi should cost around $15, so there is no cost or time benefit for a single adult of the train over the shuttle.
- The road connections are good. Hiring a car for a couple of days will usually be cheaper than a taxi, as long as you have somewhere to park it. It is about 50 minutes drive to the Melbourne CBD. Can take longer in the morning peak, or on Sunday afternoons.
You can also use Avalon airport to Get in to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road. See those articles for the transfer information.
By train
All intercity rail services from interstate and intrastate destinations operate to and from Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station), located on the western edge of Melbourne's central business district. The station has recently been renovated and has excellent links to the rest of the city's public transport network as it is part of the City Loop. Some services enter stop at Melbourne Flinders St station immediately prior to Southern Cross, which is usually a better gateway to the city centre.
CountryLink [18] operates a twice daily service from Sydney (11 hours away). Great Southern Railway [19] run three services a week from Adelaide (10-11 hours away).
Services from cities within Victoria are operated by V/Line. These services operate from regional centres such as Geelong, Ballarat, Albury, Bendigo, Bairnsdale. V/Line also operates bus services connecting with these trains.
VicLink [20] is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria. Regional Victoria's public transport is managed by VicLink [21].
By car
From Sydney, the quickest route is the Hume Highway, which takes about 10-11 hours. A less popular, longer route is along the coast on the Princes Highway (National Route 1). This adds many hours to the journey as it is longer in distance, speeds are lower, and there are fewer passing lanes.
Adelaide is slightly closer, and can be reached in 8.5-9 hours. Once again, it is possible to go inland or along the coast - the coast is very scenic, but will add a couple of hours to the journey.
A direct journey from Brisbane takes around 21 hours (non-stop) and takes you further inland along the Newell Highway). This makes an interesting alternative to the more common Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne coastal route.
By bus
Bus services to Melbourne from out of state are provided by Firefly Express [22] and Greyhound [23].
Bus services within Victoria are operated by V/Line, and operate from most major and many minor Victorian towns.
By boat
Melbourne can be reached from Devonport, Tasmania by car/passenger ferries run by Spirit of Tasmania [24]. The journey takes 10 hours and runs every night (in both directions), departing at 9PM and arriving at 7AM. During the peak of summer, there are also day sailings (departing 9AM, arriving 7PM) on many days - check in advance.
Ticket prices depend on time of year and your sleeping accommodation. A seat (no bed) is the cheapest, starting (in off-peak season) from $108 for adults and $82 for children. Bear in mind, the seat is most uncomfortable, equivalent to a cinema seat. Cabins with bunk beds start from $187 adults, $97 children. Peak season costs are about 25% higher. Cars cost $59 all year round.
Melbourne is also served by several cruise ships throughout the year (mostly in the summer cruise season). Check operators for further details.
All passenger boats serving Melbourne arrive at and depart from Station Pier in Port Melbourne which is located a short distance from the CBD. For those without private transport, the 109 tram departs from the old railway station across the road from the Pier and goes right into the heart of Melbourne (continuing to Box Hill in the north-east of the city.
Get around
Melbourne has a very large metropolitan area, but most sights of interest are within the city center and the rest can for most part be reached within about 20 minutes from the CBD on the train or tram. Metlink's Journey Planner [25] can suggest the best way to get from point A to point B, with schedules, maps and connections.
By public transport
The public transport system is known as Metlink [26], and consists of trams, trains and buses: trams service the central city and inner suburbs, trains service the city and the suburbs, and buses where there are no tram or train tracks. There are connections to most of the major attractions of the city, and it is quite possible to spend time in Melbourne without a car.
Melbourne's trains have been known to be dirty and run-down, but in recent years, a large public transport overhaul means that clean modern trains have replaced most of the fleet. Unfortunately signalling is still not up to snuff, so delays of 10-15 min happen near-daily and cancellations are all too common -- if time is critical, catch the train before the one you need.
A single ticket called a Metcard allows travel on all three modes of transport. These are old-fashioned magnetic cards that are slowly being replaced by a smartcard system called Myki, but as of March 2010, Myki is riddled with bugs and only works on suburban trains.
The city is divided into "Zones", with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and consequently almost the entire tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle and outer suburbs. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it.
There's a large range of tickets. The basic one-zone, two-hour ticket costs $3.70. Depending on your plans it could be more economical to use of these options:
- For visits of less than five days you're best off buying daily tickets (adult one zone $6.80) as you need them. A daily ticket allows unlimited travel and costs less than two two-hour tickets.
- If you're visiting Melbourne for five days or more, a 10 x two-hour ticket ($29.40) is cheaper than buying individual two-hour tickets. For multiple trips each day for a 5-7 day period, a weekly ticket is the best option
- Two-hour tickets stamped after 6 PM are valid until 3 AM the next morning. Also, validity periods are always rounded up, so if you validate at 2.01 PM, the card is valid until 5, or almost three hours.
- Trains on certain lines are free to travel on before 7AM working days provided you get the Early Bird ticket from the ticket window at the station.
- For Sundays only, pick up a "Sunday Saver" ($3.10, from convenience stores - but not ticket machines), which allows travel throughout zone 1 and 2.
Children under 15, Australian students and Australian pensioners (with ID) can use half-price concession fares. Children under 4 travel for free.
Metcards are available from:
- Train stations - less than one-quarter of Melbourne's suburban train stations are staffed. At unstaffed stations, Metcard vending machines are provided. All ticket machines accept coins and will issue a maximum of $10 in change. Most stations will also have at least 1 machine that will take notes but less frequently used railway stations may have just coin-only machines.
- Trams - all trams have a coin-only ticket machine that issues a limited range of tickets (up to a day-ticket).
- Many retail businesses, especially 7-Eleven and Tattersall stores.
- The Met shop.
The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (open 8.30AM-5PM Monday to Friday, 9AM-1PM Saturday). The Metlink Information Centre, ph 131638 (131MET), every day 7AM-9PM, provides information and the Metlink website [27] also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. A recently released application for iPhones provides up to date timetables for trains and trams in metropolitan Melbourne.
Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a Metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the Metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. The expiry time is printed on the back of the card on validation.
If you are caught using a concession ticket without a concession card, you will be fined. The ticket barriers have a light on the top which flashes if you are using a concession ticket. It has now been written into law that your ticket can be inspected even after you have left your train, tram or bus. Fines start at $158 and can be as high as $500. You will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train.
Services generally operate between 5AM and midnight Monday to Saturday, and after 8AM Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs. Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3AM - if you're boarding a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you don't alight until after it expires.
Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom. Some outer suburban stations are known to be 'hang-outs' for youths and louts. Generally the stations are still safe and you will not be hassled if you mind your own business and ignore any illegal behaviour that may be occuring. It is particularly safe following sporting events at night when there are lots of people using public transport in particular families.
Tourist Services
The free City Circle [28] trams run around the CBD perimeter, covering Flinders St, Spring St, Nicholson St, Victoria St, La Trobe St and Harbour Esplanade along with the new Docklands Precinct. It is an older style tram, easily recognisable by its maroon colour. The tram stops along the route are sign posted with City Circle. They run in both directions every 12 minutes every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 10AM-6PM, and until 9PM Thursday-Saturday during daylight savings. Several of the trams on this service are equipped with recorded commentary about attractions passed. Tourist information is often available on board either from brochures or from a city guide person. These trams are geared to visitors and provide access to sites of interest to the tourist. They are a fun introduction to central Melbourne and a free way to have a tram experience, but they tend to be painfully slow.
The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle [29] bus service stops at key tourist destinations in and around the city. The buses run at 15 minute intervals between 9:30AM and 4:30PM every day. A complete circuit takes 45 minutes, and there is onboard commentary.
By bike
Melbourne has an excellent network of bike paths, plus a generally flat terrain, making pedal-power a great way to take in the city. Most paths are "shared footways" under the law, although the majority of users in most places are cyclists. This means cyclists should expect to share the path with pedestrians, dog-walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, prams and tricycles. Some trails contain on-road sections (in marked bike lanes). It is legal to cycle on footpaths only when supervising cycling children or when the path is marked or signposted as allowing bikes. Helmets are required by law, and care should be taken when cycling near slippery tram tracks.
The main paths of interest to travellers are:
- The Yarra River Trail [30] runs from the mouth of Melbourne's iconic Yarra River, through the city and onwards to Westerfolds Park in the outer suburbs.
- The Capital City Trail [31] runs a circuit through Melbourne's inner suburbs, the Docklands precinct and the city. It's a good way to see a slice of day-to-day life.
- The Bay Trail [32] is a pleasant trek around Port Phillip Bay, running from Port Melbourne, through the bustling beachside precinct of St Kilda, past the famous bathing sheds of Brighton, all the way to Carrum. A punt operates under the West Gate Bridge on weekends and public holidays allowing a start at Altona Meadows along the Williamstown Trail, across the punt, and joining with the Bay Trail. There is no cyclist access permitted to the West Gate Bridge.
Detailed maps of the bike path network can be found online [33].
Bikes can be hired from Rentabike [34] near Federation Square at Vault 14 Princes Walk, Federation Wharf on the north side of the Yarra, ph 0417 339 203.
A folding bike of 20" wheel base is very convenient when travelling in the city. In addition when in folded condition it can be carried on bus, train and Country Link without any additional charges. Just tell the driver that it will be folded and hand carried as baggage. As for inter-city train, always take train outside heavy traffic hours usually between 7:00am to 9:00am and 5:00pm to 6:00pm. If the wheelchair area is not occupied then the bike can be parked in this area safely without folding.
By car
Independent rental companies give good value. Try:
- Airport Rent A Car Melbourne, [35]. 33 Catalina Dve, Tullamarine 3043. (03)9335 3355
- Alpha Car Hire, [36]. 35 Catalina Drive, Melbourne VIC 3034 (03)9338 2058
- BC (Bargain) Car Rentals, [37]. 69 Whiteman Street, Southbank. (03) 9699 2222
- Choice Car Rentals http://www.choicecarrentals.com.au Melbourne Airport and Melbourne City locations 7 days, 0800 until 2000 from $19 per day
- Crown [38], 371-379 King St, Central Melbourne or its affiliate Abel [39], 247 Mickleham Rd, Tullamarine.
- East Coast Car Rentals - Melbourne Airport and City, [40].- 5A Tarmac Dve, Tullamarine.
- Network Car Rentals [41], Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine.
- Snappy [42], 225 Franklin St, Central Melbourne or 79 Matthews Ave, Airport West.
- Turnbulls Hire [43], 8 Racecourse Rd, Pakenham, VIC 3810.
The major chains are well-represented. These include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty.
There are a handful of intersections in the city centre where you must do a Hook turn to turn right due to tram tracks running down the centre of the road. Follow the signs, pull to the left of the intersection if you are turning right, as far forward as possible, and when the light for the street you are turning into turns green (the traffic on the street you are on stops) make the turn.
Check out CityLink's [44] site for details of Melbourne's T-shaped tollway which links the Westgate, Tullamarine and Monash (formerly South-Eastern) freeways. It is a fully electronic road with no manual tollgates. You can buy a day pass in advance, or within 3 days of having driven down it, giving your registration and car details. You can do this by phone, Internet, or at some Shell petrol stations. The registered owner of the car will get a fine in the mail if you do not buy a pass within 3 days. The tolled sections are indicated with blue and yellow signs, rather than the standard green and white. CityLink can cut a worthwhile amount of time from your journey, especially if you are driving from, say, the south-eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport. Motorcycles are free, cars are around $11/day. Larger vehicles are more.
The EastLink tollway has recently been completed. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it links the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways. Like the CityLink, it is a fully electronic road with no toll gates. If you have a tag or account, tolls range from 28c for short trips on some segments, to a toll cap of $5.15. Weekends are 20% off, and motorcycles are half price. If you don't have a tag or account, passes are available for the cost of the trip cap (e.g. travelling one way will cost you $5.15 in a car). Passes are available online at [45] and can be purchased before or up to 3 days after the trip.
Tags from other Australian cities work on Citylink and the EastLink tollway, but passes do not.
One option for travel on both CityLink and EastLink is the Melbourne Pass. It costs $5.50 to start up an account, and tolls are debited from your credit card automatically once the accumulated tolls and fees reach $10, or when the pass expires (after 30 days, but can be extended once for another 30 days). No tag is required. The pass can be purchased online at [46]
In the CBD, parking at meters and ticket machines can be as much as $3.50 per hour.
Motorcycles and scooters are well catered for as footpath parking is both free and legal (providing the footpath is not obstructed). Scooters are becoming very common, however for all size scooters a motorcycle license must be held.
By foot
Melbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD grid. A brisk walk may even see you keeping up with the trams, as they crawl through the city centre.
By taxi
Yellow Melbourne taxis are ubiquitous in the city center but less often spotted in the suburbs. The largest companies are Black Cabs [47] (tel. 13-CABS/132227) and Silver Top [48] (tel. 131008), both of which — despite the names — are also yellow in color. Fares are standardized so that the meter starts ticking at $3.20 and clocks up $1.617 per km, meaning that short city-center hops can go for under $10 but longer hauls get pretty expensive pretty fast. Midnight to 5 AM is 20% more, booking by phone or taking a taxi from the airport costs $2 extra and sitting in traffic is $0.56/min. Between 10 PM and 5 AM, taxi fares are prepaid: you pay an estimated sum to the driver in advance and the fare is corrected on arrival.
Some taxi companies do not provide a lost property service. Lost items by law must be forwarded to the police if not claimed.
Melbourne attractions are here listed according to their respective districts. See the district pages for full details.
City Centre
The City Centre probably has the most to attract the traveller, including cafes, boutiques, department stores, and Victorian architecture, which can all be sampled on foot.
- Docklands— An entire new precinct filled with shops, bars, restaurants and a stadium with a waterside setting.
- Eureka Tower— Tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere, panoramic views of the whole of Melbourne.
- Parliament House of Victoria— The first seat of the Australian federal government, free tours are available on week days.
- Queen Victoria Market— Huge and colorful, with an assortment of fresh and dry produce and tonnes of souvenirs and other interesting things.
- State Library— Worthwhile if you're into books, city architecture and free internet.
- Southgate— Pretty promenade on the south bank of the Yarra, with lively restaurants, bars and a Sunday art & craft market.
- Federation Square— Modernistic and popular meeting space to see Melbournians enjoy life whilst sitting down at cafes and bars.
- Immigration museum— Located on Flinders Street, Explore the moving stories of people from all over the world who have migrated to Australia
- Police Museum— Also located on Flinders Street, See over 150 years of stories and displays of crime, justice, courage, forensic techniques and examples of how police are making Victoria a safer place to live.
The attractions in Carlton are mostly historical as it houses the Melbourne museum, and cultural with its strong Italian heritage.
- Melbourne Musuem— It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere and home to seven main galleries, a children's gallery and a temporary exhibit gallery on three levels, Upper, Ground and Lower Level.
- Lygon Street— Crammed with Italian restaurants, gelatarias and coffee shops, which all serve some of Melbourne's best hospitality.
- IMAX Cinema— Right next to the museum. It shows movies, usually documentary films, in 3-D format.
- Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens— UNESCO World Heritage site (tours available through the museum).
- Melbourne Gaol— museum set in the old prison where Ned Kelly was hanged.
- Melbourne Zoo— Usual assortment of zoo animals in a natural-like setting with lots of Australian native species too. Jazz at the Zoo is a popular weekend evening function over the summer months for a picnic, music and evening stroll around the animal enclosures.
- University of Melbourne— The premier university of Victoria, and internationally recognised as a leading university, it is a hub of students, fine Victorian architecture and gorgeous sprawling gardens.
St Kilda
St Kilda is Melbourne's beachside nightlife precinct and is tremendously popular area for beachcombers and those looking to grab a bite or sip on a latte by the sea.
- Luna Park— Historic amusement park built in 1912.
- St Kilda Pier— Popular spot for fishing and walking.
- St Kilda Esplanade— Fine place for walking, skating, sunbathing and on Sundays, discovering new treasures at the Esplanade Sunday market.
- St Kilda Botanical Gardens— With the first trees planted in 1859, the Botanical Gardens are a sprawling oasis of tranquility and greenery.
- Jewish Museum of Australia— Depicts the history of the Jewish community in Australia.
South Yarra
Greenery and high-end living are the main draws to South Yarra.
- Royal Botanic Gardens— Water restrictions limit traditional floral gardens. It does have nice old trees, drought tolerant displays, a cafe and grassy places to loll about. In summer you can see outdoor movies and Shakespeare plays.
- Chapel Street/Toorak Road— Kilometer-long strip of fashionable but often unaffordable shops plus some top end restaurants to match.
Prahran lies to the south of the city and shopping is the main draw.
- Chapel Street— Famous for its street cafes and designer fashion boutiques. Cheaper stores are found at its southern end.
- Prahran Market— is a market dedicated to the finest quality fresh food. You can find gourmet delights here that you will find in no other place in Melbourne. Prahran Market also has children's activities and a large Market Square to sit and enjoy.
- Commercial Road— Known for its gay-friendly eateries, shops and clubs.
Northern Melbourne
Tullamarine— Home to Melbourne's International airport.
- Woodlands Historic Park— Immediately north of Melbourne Airport, contains an 1840s homestead and a nature reserve.
Southern suburbs
Brighton— Melbourne's prime bayside suburb featuring excellent upmarket cafes and boutique shops.
- Brighton Beach— One of Melbourne's favoured beaches, be sure to check out the infamous 'bathing boxes', brightly coloured boxes that are dotted along the sand.
Fitzroy - Trendy 'bohemian' area north of the CBD, filled with eclectic cafes and stores.
- Brunswick St - Long and lively cafe/bar strip with cheap and decent eats.
- Smith St - Slightly run down yet charming street with cafes, bars, and unique clothing (and other) shops.
- See interesting films at the Art Deco-styled Astor Theatre [49] in St Kilda. There are several moonlight cinema programmes in summer. The Melbourne International Film Festival [50] is on in August.
- Alternately, visit the Cinema Nova on Lygon Street (tram 1 or 8) on a Monday for $6 films before 4pm.
- Visit a comedy club. The Comic's Lounge [51] has shows for $10-25 including a show filmed for Channel 31 on Mondays, or dinner and show for $45. The Comedy Club [52] has dinner and show for $32 and shows only beginning at $7 (discount ticket price).
- Watch the mesmorising process of personalised hard candy being hand-made at Suga [53]. Around lunch time is a good time to see (and sample!). There is a store at Queen Victoria Market, but if you visit the Royal Arcade location, you can also watch chocolate making next door at Koko Black [54].
- Watch a game of AFL football at the MCG or Etihad Stadium during the winter, or a Cricket Match during the summer. AFL Fixtures [55] and Cricket Fixtures [56], bookings at both the MCG and Telstra can be made through Ticketmaster [57], however for most games you can just turn up and pay the rates at the gate: this is the most authentic way to experience the game.
- Kick back at one of Melbourne's fantastic cafes in the CBD (Degraves St, The Causeway, and other laneways are fantastic for this), South Yarra (Chapel Street) or Fitzroy (Brunswick Street, Smith Street).
- Melbourne has an exceptionally vibrant live music scene. Many bars and pubs will have copies of the free magazines "Beat" and "Inpress" which provide local gig guides. Fitzroy, Collingwood and St. Kilda are generally your best bets for seeing some of the great local talent Melbourne has to offer. Venues where you generally can't go wrong include: "The East Brunswick Club", "The Evelyn" and "The Espy".
- You could try hitting a round of 18 hole Mini Golf,[58] that has been designed around an Australiana theme and is indoors and under Black Light with state of the Art light and sound system with fluorescent colours, The Black Light Mini Golf is located at the Docklands, Just behind the Big Wheel (although note that the wheel is currently dismantled due to a fault, and won't be rebuilt until early 2011). Being located indoors means that you can play all year round, Admission pricing is $13.00 an Adult and only $10.00 a Child and takes around one hour to play.
- You can take language classes, join a cafe book group, learn to draw, sign up for historical or foodie walks, study for your Victorian Certificate of Education or take computer or business classes at the Council of Adult Education (CAE) [59]. The CAE is also home to the City Library [60] where you can sign up to borrow books or just read magazines in their cafe.
The most popular industry for a working holiday is to work in hospitality jobs around the St. Kilda area. The wages in all other industries are usually much better than working in hospitality but require more specific skills. At the moment there are a lot of job offers for nurses and craftsmen.
Fruit picking is a possible source of income but in the greater Melbourne area there are not many jobs are offered. You will find better chances are in the dairy business but you should have some basic experience. Grape vine tending is another possibility in the near by Yarra Valley.
Shopping hours in metro Melbourne are typically 7 days a week, 9AM-5:30PM weekdays and 9AM (maybe later)- 5PM weekends. Most suburban shopping centres such as Chadstone have later closing hours on Thursdays and Fridays - mostly up to 9PM. Supermarkets have extended hours 7 days, most opening at 7AM and closing at midnight. There are a lot of 24 hour supermarkets around. Alcohol in Victoria can only be purchased at licensed shops/venues and supermarkets often have an adjacent bottle shop, which close earlier than supermarket hours. You need to be over 18 years old to purchase alcohol. Most bottleshops close by 10PM or so (even on weekends), but there is a bottleshop open until 3AM on Riversdale road in Hawthorn, and 24-hour bottleshops on both Chapel and Lygon streets, in Windsor and Carlton respectively.
City Shopping
Melbourne is known as the fashion capital of Australia with numerous malls and boutique lined streets.
In the CBD itself, Little Collins Street is home to some of the world's top designers and fashion houses; Collins Street also boasts other high end shops such as Louis Vuitton. Brunswick Street (Fitzroy), and the southern end of Chapel Street in Prahran/Windsor, have clusters of stores selling an eclectic mix of vintage, rave, retro and alternative gear such as Shag, Fat Helen's and Beaut Vintage to shop around.
Melbourne Central is another shopping mall based in the city, adjacent to the underground station of the same name. The Bourke Street Mall with the department stores Myer and David Jones is another city-central shopping hub.
For the bargain shopper, there is a DFO Outlet Malls located on Spencer Street, Melbourne city, just north of Southern Cross Railway station.
It is also worth noting, for Backpackers, that Elizabeth Street has plenty of Bargain backpackers stores, for example Mitchell's Adventure (255-257 Elizabeth Street), which can offer outdoor products for bargain prices.
Suburban Shopping
Bridge Road [61] in Richmond is a strip where warehouse direct outlets rule and no one pays recommended retail price. Chapel Street in South Yarra is a favourite among the locals, with its spread of exclusive boutiques, cafes and well established chain stores. There are also several huge shopping complexes in the outer suburbs, such as Chadstone and Southland (Cheltenham) in the South-East. Doncaster Shoppingtown, Eastland (Ringwood) and Knox City are in the outer East. Northland in the north, Highpoint in the west.
Melbourne is also home to many of Australia's largest shopping centres; including Chadstone (the largest shopping center in the Southern Hemisphere) which has over 530 stores, Knox City Shopping Centre which has 350 stores, and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre which includes approximately 330 stores.
Looking for something in particular?
For those in the bridal market, High Street in Armadale and Sydney Road in Brunswick are the two main clusters for bridal apparel and accessories. For those who are looking for local, aspiring designer creations, try Greville Street in South Yarra or Smith Street and surrounds in Fitzroy.
For the culinary traveller, Melbourne is one of the best destinations in the world. There is an abundance of affordable, high quality restaurants representing almost every cuisine. Eating out is cheaper than in Western Europe but not as affordable as North America. The service in Australian restaurants may be more discreet than many North Americans may be used to. Although service staff in Australia are paid considerably more than their North American counterparts and tipping is not compulsory, it is customary to give a 10% tip for good service in high-end restaurants.
Excellent eateries can be found sprinkled throughout all of the inner (and some outer) suburbs, while certain neighbourhoods have become magnets for residents and restaurants of particular countries. A large range of restaurants and cafes offering high quality food, and representating various cultures and countries, are scattered through the central city, Southbank, Carlton (mostly Italian and touristy), Victoria Street in Richmond (many low cost popular Vietnamese and South East Asian restaurants), Docklands, South Yarra and Prahran. Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg is known for its many Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Greek and Turkish restaurants. The popular tourist area of St Kilda offers a large range of good quality restaurants and cafes, especially on Acland Street, and Fitzroy Street.
English-style fish and chip shops are scattered through the suburbs - particularly in bayside areas. Souvlaki and gyros are very popular in Melbourne and outlets are plentiful through the inner and outer suburbs. Japanese nori rolls and sushi is very popular and many stores through the city and suburbs sell these items.
There is a concentration of African cafes in Nicholson St, Footscray and Racecourse Road, Flemington. Most serve a small range of meals and coffee and are frequented by the local African residents; The Abyssinian is popular for locals and tourists for a more elaborate dinner. The broth or curry dishes are served on a large pancake in the middle of the table. Everyone eats with their hands which is messy but fun. There is also one restaurant in Fitzroy.
"Australian cuisine" is a nebulous concept that may include traditional native foodstuffs and more modern cafe infusions of international influences. Items such a emu and kangaroo meat are unusual, and are most likely to be found only at the high-end fine dining restaurants as a speciality item. You can however, find great kangaroo steaks at the Napier Hotel (Napier St, Fitzroy) for around $20, or at the Edinburgh Castle pub on Sydney Rd, Brunswick for around $10.
Meat pies are available from bakeries and convenience stores.
Café/Delicatessen Food
High quality delicatessen style eating available in many of a cafes in the small lanes of central Melbourne. Many high quality deli style diners can be found outside the city, in Acland Street, St Kilda.
Chinese cuisine has a long tradition in Melbourne and a large number and range of quality restaurants exist. Many are in Chinatown in Little Bourke Street, City centre. They are also dotted through the inner and outer suburbs, with concentrations in Richmond, Footscray, and suburban Box Hill, Glen Waverley and Springvale.
Most of the food is from the Southern (Cantonese) school of cooking, although Northern favourites like dumplings are also available. Eating dim sum, which is consumed either during breakfast or lunch (called yum cha or "drinking tea" in Cantonese) is an extremely popular Sunday pastime for Australians of all ethnic backgrounds.
If you're after a budget option (meals $5-$10), try Camy's dumpling house (Shanghai style dumplings) on Tattersalls Lane in the CBD. In the evening, the easiest - and most amusing - option is the all-you-can eat service for $12 per person. Service is dicey, but always exciting.
Lonsdale Street in the City Centre is Melbourne's Greek precinct with bars, cafes and restaurants, and cake shops. Greek restaurants and food outlets can be found in Sydney Road in Brunswick, Swan Street, Richmond, Coburg and Oakleigh in the south eastern suburbs which have many Greek cafes specialising in frappe, cakes and good souvlaki.
Indian restaurants can be found throughout Melbourne, particularly in the city, North Melbourne, and inner eastern suburbs such as Richmond and Hawthorn. There are also numerous Indian snack bars in the city that serve cheap but tasty curries and samosas, cafeteria-style.
Nepalese food is also popular in Melbourne, and some restaurants feature both Nepalese and Indian cuisine on their menus. An increasing number of Indian restaurants offer home delivery.
Befitting its large number of Indonesian students, Melbourne has many Indonesian restaurants. One of the most famous is Blok M on Commercial Road, Prahran, which many famous Indonesians have visited. Another popular restaurant is Nelayan with two restaurants on Swanston Street and Glenferrie Road, Agung on Glenferrie Road, Bali Bagus on Franklin Street, Es Teler 77 on Swanston Street, Nusantara in Caulfield and Bali Bowl on Flinders Lane. There is also Warung Gudeg, specialising in Jogjakartan local cuisine in Caulfield. Warung Agus in West Melbourne serves Balinese cuisine on a rather upscale atmosphere.
With its large Italian population Melbourne has countless Italian restaurants, mostly offering food from the southern regions of the Italian peninsular.
Italian cafes and restaurants are plentiful throughout Melbourne but are in the greatest concentration in Lygon Street, Carlton, just north of the city centre. Lygon Street is where Melbourne's coffee culture originated. Suburban Italian restaurants are often large and family orientated and tend towards the pizza, pasta, seafood and steak formula.
Pizza outlets are very much part of the Melbourne landscape. These include Piazza 51 in Sydney Road, Brunswick, Spiga in Melbourne Central, Pizza Meine Liebe in Northcote, and countless options in Lygon Street.
A quick "sushi" take away lunch can be bought on almost every block where there is food. In and out of Chinatown there are also plenty of places that have good bento, udon and donburi as well.
For dinner, many of the inner city suburbs have Japanese restaurants, but in the city itself there is a long an interesting Japanese restaurant history that continues to this day. Both Melbourne's oldest, Kuni's (which has been around since 1978) and it's sister restaurant Kenzans are known for a very authentic, if expensive, meal. There are a plethora of choices for those on stricter budgets as well.
St Kilda East and Caulfield are home to vibrant Jewish communities and kosher bakeries and cafes abound most situated on Carlisle Street in Balaclava, Kooyong Road in Caulfield North and Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick.
Malaysians and Singaporeans feeling homesick will find host of restaurants and foodcourt outlets offering items like roti canai/paratha, nasi lemak, prawn noodles, laksa. Many are in the City Centre; there are Malaysian restaurants scattered throughout Melbourne.
Middle Eastern
Lebanese, Moroccan, Arab and Turkish restaurants are concentrated in Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg to the north of the city centre. These restaurants can also be found in the outer suburbs that are home to those communities, including Dandenong.
Thai restaurants are ubiquitous in Melbourne: even dining precincts mostly known for Italian or Vietnamese food boast Thai restaurants. An excellent thai restaurant in the city centre is Melbourne Lanna Thai on Exhibition Street 287-293. Order to share or try one of the set menus to sample several of their amazing dishes.
Vegetarian food is widely available in Melbourne, and you can expect every restaurant or cafe to have a few vegetarian or vegan options. There are also many vegetarian restaurants: Vegie Bar in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Gopals in Swanston St and Shakahari in Lygon St, Carlton are just some of the options. Crossways at 123 Swanston St. serves a very popular $5 all you can eat vegetarian lunch, Mon-Sat.
Melbourne's Little Vietnams are in Footscray, North Richmond and Springvale out in the far eastern suburbs. The streets in these areas are lined with pho (noodle) shops and restaurants offering other Vietnamese favourites. Many outlets have also appeared along Swanston Street in the City Centre.
Spanish, Argentinian, Burmese and Polish restaurants can be found in the Richmond/Collingwood/Prahran area.
Melbourne has some Cajun/Creole restaurants and one or two American style diners, but US cuisine is otherwise absent: Foods like Southern-style barbecue and clam chowder are nearly impossible to find.
There are several Korean restaurants in the city centre.
Melbourne has a long and rich coffee culture beginning with Victorian era coffee palaces and further enhanced by Italian migrants arriving in the aftermath of World War II.
Perhaps the most famous Italian style cafe is Pellegrini's, 66 Bourke Street, Melbourne city. Fitzroy is known for funky, bohemian-style cafes. Collins Street features many elegant cafes. Many Italian style cafes are found in Carlton; Brunetti's is open late and always packed.
Serious espresso connoisseurs would enjoy visiting St Ali cafe/roastery in South Melbourne, Auction Rooms (Errol St) in North Melbourne, or the Maling Room café in Canterbury.
Atomica cafe (268 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, tel +61 3 9417 4255) serves a strong, but well-balanced mix of coffee and silky smooth milk. Atomica also has seats on the footpath, if the upbeat music is too much for your coffee buzz and, on a warm sunny day, it is an ideal spot to mix it with the Brunswick Street crowd.
Easy to miss, but better you don't, The Green Refectory, (115 Sydney Road, Brunswick, tel +61 3 9387 1150), serves great value homemade food, and quality Illy coffee to accompany it. The crowd is eclectic mix of the Brunswick artsy crowd, university students and young professionals pushing prams. Despite its nondescript exterior (look for the 'Illy' coffee sign that juts out from the front windows), the difficulty of locating this place hasn't affected its popularity at all.
7 grams (505 Church Street, Richmond, tel 9429 8505) has a 'best in show' coffee. The cafe itself is unpretentious, with an understated decor and a row of black-topped, chrome-legged stools along a mirror bar.
65 Degrees (309 Exhibition St, Melbourne, tel 9662 1080) is itself a recent addition, but its owners have a long history of accolades. Champion barista, world latte artist and award winning coffee blend, gridlock coffee. Fast, friendly service and some of the finest coffee around.
Melbourne nightlife is 24 hours, loud, colourful and anything goes. Door policies are strict but once inside high quality entertainment is guaranteed. DJ's, live music, artists, beautiful people and so much more can be found. There truly is something for everyone and every taste.
Along side the many clubs that are hidden underground, in laneways, on docks, warehouses and almost any other type of "hidden venues"... Melbourne also has a fast rising party city. Global event companies such as ID&T Sensation, Global Gathering, Ministry of Sound, Trance Energy and many others have jumped on board through 45,000+ patron music festivals. For those on the look out for this type of thing www.thestealthbombers.com would be a great place to find updated information. The Stealth Bombers is Melbourne's premium music marketing company and generally promote all of the large events down there. Some of Melbourne's most extreme cases of hidden venues was at Kryal Castle (just out of Balarat).. A Limestone Castle replicate as a venue for music events.
Gay, lesbian and transgendered party goers are welcome everywhere as Melburnians are on the whole very tolerant and welcoming people. Perhaps the one bad thing is that nothing really starts happening until 12AM!
As a guide: The city centre has a number of pubs, the most famous being the Young and Jackson. Melbourne is also famous for its many trendy bars in the CBD. Most of these, however, are down narrow alleys and streets, and are therefore hard to find unless you know where you are going.
The inner northern suburbs, such as Collingwood and Fitzroy cater for the young, laid-back, and bohemian crowd. Here you will find lots of live music, cheaper prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. Head for Brunswick and Gertrude Streets in Fitzroy and Smith Street, Collingwood for cafes, bars and live music, while Lygon Street, Carlton has a range of Italian restaurants and cafes with a student vibe, as it's located near the University of Melbourne. Victoria Street, North Richmond is the heart of Melbourne's Vietnamese community, with many cheap and cheerful restaurants serving good food.
Chapel Street/ Toorak Road in South Yarra and Prahran has the most glamourous bars and clubs. Here, expect high prices, strict dress codes, and beautiful people who want to be seen partying with the best. St. Kilda has a little bit of everything. With it's proximity to the beach, it is often regarded as the Melbourne suburb that feels most like Sydney.
The past decade has seen a revival of Melbourne's inner-city bar scene, with dozens of weird and wonderful watering holes opening up within forgotten alleyways and anonymous lanes of the City Centre (CBD). Melbourne also has its fair share of stylish places to drink, although the better ones can be hard to find. The theory seems to be: the harder your bar is to find, the more people will talk about it. Secrets are tucked around areas like Prahran, South Yarra and many other areas. However there are plenty of alleyway bars, once you find one they seem to pop up everywhere you look. Melbourne's clubs often market a members only rule which can upset your more upmarket traveler. The rule is in place to prevent fighting and unappealing groups of men entering a nice club and destroying the atmosphere.
Australian licensing laws are very similar to those in the UK, i.e. you are not allowed to be drunk on licensed premises. In practice though, Melbourne venues and bouncers draw the line very low. Ejection from a premises can be expected for fighting, vomiting, or frequent falling over. Some pubs and clubs are quicker to eject patrons than others, but it's only ever a short walk to another. Licensing is more liberal then what one may be used to, as you can still expect to find a drink past 2AM. This has lead to a culture of late night drinking where some venues won't get busy until some time after 11PM, especially true during summer.
Melburnians often draw a distinction between 'bars', meaning the small watering holes described above, and 'pubs' which are larger establishments in the usual Australian or British sense of the word. Melbourne's pubs, particularly those in the city and inner suburbs, usually serve restaurant-standard food and a wide range of local and imported beers. Pubs usually offer lunch from approximately midday to 2PM, and reopen their kitchens for dinner from approximately 6PM to 9PM.
Melbourne's budget accommodation options can be found in two main areas, namely in the City Centre and in the seaside suburb of St Kilda. However, outside these two areas, there are also several popular budget options in bohemian Fitzroy, South Melbourne, and Windsor.
- Melbourne Metro YHA is an award winning hostel located on the city fringe, close to major attractions including the Queen Victoria Market and Zoo. This funky hostel is a great place to stay when visiting Melbourne.
- Melbourne Oasis YHA is an oasis in a bustling city, with no bunk beds you are guaranteed a good nights sleep. Enjoy the sunny gazebo garden, regular $2 pancake breakfasts and weekly activities.
- Nomads Melbourne Backpackers Hostel & Industry Bar & Lounge, 196-198 Beckett St, 9328 4383, Free phone 1800 44 77 62, [62]. Shared dorm accommodation from $19, Doubles from $70. Comes with a free meal every night.
- All Nations Backpackers Hostel, 2 Spencer St, 9620 1022, 1800 222 238 (firstname.lastname@example.com, fax 9620 1033), [63]. 24-hour reception. Dorm beds from $19, single $38, double $48.
Please note that around the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (early March) and other international events, hostel accommodation is booked out and some hostels raise their prices. Be sure to book ahead.
Accommodation in this price bracket can mostly be found in the city centre. There are however options scattered throughout the suburbs.
- Jika International Motel - Melbourne - Fairfield, Melbourne 3078. Located just 6km from Melbourne CBD. [64] Phone +61 3 9481 2822 Fax +61 3 9489 8819 [65].
- Golden Chain Motels - Melbourne has many locations in Melbourne and surrounding area serving quality accommodation at affordable prices. View a of Melbourne Victoria Map [66]
- Stephanie's Bed and Breakfast in Williamstown has both B&B accommodation and self-contained accommodation. Suited to corporate travellers looking for something special as well as Romantic Melbourne Getaways. Williamstown is 20 minutes from Melbourne CBD by train and 40 minutes by ferry. 154 - 160 Ferguson Street, Williamstown VIC 3016 Phone +61 3 9397 5587 View a of Williamstown Victoria [67]
The City Centre remains the main area for this category of accommodation.
After a fire gutted the original building in 2001, most of Melbourne's grand General Post Office (250 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne; Phone: 13 13 18; Fax: 9203 3078; Mon-Fri 8:30AM to 5:30PM, Sat 9AM to 4PM, Sun 10AM to 4PM; [68]) has now been turned into an upmarket retail precinct. The main post office in the Melbourne CBD is situated at the corner of Elizabeth and Little Bourke Streets. Post restante services are also located here.
Payphones are easily found through the city, but many are being phased out due to growing mobile phone ownership. These phones are coin-operated or use prepaid Phonecards, which are available from most convenience stores or newsagents. International calling cards are also available at these outlets.
Mobile phone coverage within the CBD and surrounds is usually good-to-excellent. Melbourne's area code is 03 (internationally dial +613).
Internet cafes are dotted throughout the city, especially near the backpacker enclaves of St Kilda and Flinders Street. Speeds are usually excellent and rates range from $2.50 - $12 per hour, the cheapest usually found in combination market/internet cafes in the Asian parts of town. Some of the best include:
- The store "mag nation" on 88 Elizabeth St has a free wireless network.
- e:FiftyFive (55 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne) is like a huge basement lounge room that feels more like a bar than an internet cafe. Great DJs, comfortable couches and dirt-cheap $2/hour internet access when you buy a drink attract plenty of travellers and will make writing that email home an enjoyable experience.
- VA (Bourke Street, Melbourne) is one of the countless but arguably the best internet/LAN gaming cafes in Melbourne, which is packed full of "hardcore gamers" on Sunday afternoons (sponsored competition day). Non-member rates start at $3.50/hour while membership costs a mere $15 (includes $12 credit) and benefits include play offers such as $4/2 hours, $5/3 hours and $6/4 hours, as well as day and night packages.
- Cydus (Victoria Street, North Melbourne) large range of internet usage services every day and at any time (including most public holidays). Non-member rates start at $3/hour while membership costs $10 (includes 2 hours free play) and membership rates are $2/hour while member offers include "Endurance Pass" (5 hours play + $2.80 snack voucher) and "Survival Pass" (10 hours play).
- The City Library, (253 Flinders Lane, Melbourne) [69]. Offers free internet access to members - temporary membership is available. The service will soon have charges.
- The State Library [70]. Offers free internet at many workstations and does not require membership. You can get a free membership for access to free wireless web access, however, the wireless access is limited and you may not be able to access some sites and services.
- Melbourne Central shopping centre (corner of Swanston and La Trobe St) has free wireless internet access.
- Australia on Collins shopping centre (on Collins St) has free wireless internet access.
- You'll also find, as of March 2009, that virtually every Mc Donald's in the city has a free Wifi Hotspot. These hotspots have an idle time limit of 10mins and a down/upload limit of 50mb. There are also some browsing limitations, as Maccas is trying to keep this a 'family friendly' service. You can access MSN and most web-based e-mail services from these hotspots, but all peer2peer services are disallowed by the terms of service (which you have to agree to before you can get online).
Stay safe
While Melbourne is a very safe city for its size, the usual precautions still apply as for any large city, including keeping valuables hidden, and travelling with a friend or companion on the street or a train late at night, if possible. Certain areas which are fine during the day can be unsafe at night if you are alone, including the Collingwood and Footscray areas. However these areas are also heavily patrolled by the Victorian Police Force, so provided you stick to main streets (eg: for Collingwood - Smith Street), you should be fine.
Melbourne's red-light districts include King Street in the CBD, known for its concentration of strip clubs, and certain parts of St Kilda (in particular Grey Street, Inkerman Street and Greeves Street)where there is some illegal street prostitution, but you're more likely to face drunken revellers and approaches from street walkers than any major threat. Melbourne City Council has also recently established all-night "Safe City" taxi ranks with security guards on King Street, outside Flinders Street Station and on Bourke Street.
If travelling by train at night, travel in the front carriage close to the driver's area and note emergency buttons. If a problem occurs, push emergency buttons on the train or railway station to attract attention. Stay in Safety Zones while on stations at night. These are marked with yellow lines and are usually well lit and have emergency buttons as well as about 4 cameras pointed at the area. Robbery does happen on the train system, especially at night, though, this kind of occurance is rare. Railway police patrol most services. In early 2010, there were attacks on Indian students, sometimes racially motivated. Australian permanent resident Nitin Garg was stabbed to death at West Footscray just after the new year in January.
If you are driving your own car or rented automobile beware of car theft or break-in. Avoid temptation by hiding valuables out of sight, and always lock the car and leave the windows up before you leave. If you are waiting in your car, it is only sensible to lock the car as well. A police officer will always show ID before asking you to open your door or window.
Pickpocketing is rare in Melbourne, but be aware of your belongings out the front of Flinders Street Station and the first block of Swanston Street (between Flinders and Collins Streets).
Beggars frequent the southern ends of Elizabeth and Swanston Streets, Bourke Street Mall, and the intersection of Bourke with Exhibition and Russell Streets. You can also expect to be persistently targeted if seated outdoors at a pub or cafe in the city. Verbal abuse and intimidation by beggars is uncommon but by no means unknown.
Although scams are rare in Melbourne, be wary of real estate agents (especially if you have newly arrived and plan to stay only for the short term). There have been many cases of real estate agents preying upon overseas students in particular. Common scams include charging tenants for costs that don't exist (eg. charges for 'advertising' when tenants move out) and deducting costs for non-existent reparations and cleaning from the bond. Be sure to consult the Tenants Union of Victoria [71] and know your rights when you are charged for anything and move in and out.
Intensive solicitation of pedestrians by corporations and activist groups ('chuggers') has become common in the city. Many resort to intrusive tactics such as blocking your path or occupying all four corners of a street intersection. They are not after a one-off donation, but to sign you up to a regular contribution plan from your credit card or bank account (from which they receive a substantial percentage).
The infamous Melbourne gangland war which claimed many lives is now over and despite anything you see on the media having to do with it, violent criminal ocurrences are very rare and isolated. As long you are not involved with Melbourne's underworld, you will not have anything to worry about.
Get out
Melbourne is more-or-less centrally located on the coast of Victoria, and there are many natural and manmade attractions close enough to easily visit in a day's return drive. Another way to visit regional Victoria is utilising the VicLink public transport system. Regular train journeys leave from Southern Cross station. Regional attractions include:
Melbourne Area (less than an hour's drive each way)
- Werribee— Historic mansion & open-range zoo.
- Dandenong Ranges— National park, gardens, historic steam railway.
- Wine-tasting in the Yarra Valley, Healesville and the Healesville Sanctuary.
- Port Phillip Bay scenic drive and the Mornington Peninsula, including the seaside resort locations of Sorrento and Portsea]], offering both bayside and surf beaches.
- Mount Donna Buang (winter sightseeing snow).
- Kinglake National Park.
Northern Victoria
- Echuca-Moama.
- Mount Buller (skiing and sightseeing).
Southern Victoria
- The Great Ocean Road including the twelve apostles
Eastern Victoria
- Mornington Peninsula.
- Phillip Island.
- Lake Mountain (cross-country skiing).
Western Victoria
- The Victorian Goldfields - Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Maldon.
- Macedon Ranges and Spa Country.
- Geelong.
- Bellarine Peninsula.
- Great Ocean Road with its many scenic vistas.
- Grampians National Park.WikiPedia:Melbourne
Related Information
A list of contributors is available at the original article on Wikitravel. Additional modifications may have been made by users at TRAVEL.COM [72].
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.


text:
Motorcycle Innovations Canada
Hi Inmates,
I wanted to take this time to introduce both the company and our brands to folks who may not know us.
Motorcycle Innovations & Distribution is a Canadian company that specializes in unique and innovative motorcycle products for the Canadian dealer and consumer.
I am starting this thread as a focal point for anyone that wants to follow us, ask questions, get notified when we add new products ,and for our Canadian customers..... get FREE SHIPPING! ( Please PM us for the FREE SHIPPING discount code )
Sooooooo, here are some of the products that you guys/gals may or may not be familiar with:
1) Rowe Electronics PDM60
The PDM60:
-Makes adding or removing aftermarket electrical devices\electronics to a bike a breeze
- Simple to install, simple to use, and simple to own
- Connects directly to your vehicle battery
- Offers six power circuits to handle your favorite gadgets and accessories
- Super bright LED indicators on the PDM60 keep you informed of the status of each circuit
- Adding or removing aftermarket electrical devices\electronics a breeze
- Eliminates the need to check or replace fuses
- Eliminates the need to install relays to power high amperage applications
- Plain and simple, with the PDM60 module, your bike will be better equipped
The PDM60 has been built with components selected for superior power management capability, and extended service life. It's designed with one goal in mind: to provide years and years of superior, hassle free performance. The PDM60 unit is fully encapsulated to protect against rain, dust, humidity, etc.
I know that a lot of you already are familiar with the PDM60 from other posts or with talking with Blake from Rowe Electronics. MCI is here to support this great product in Canada.
Motorcycle Mojo will be releasing an article/review on it in their next issue and we would love to have you guys check it out. Please reference our video online.
2) Skene Design LED kits - exclusive Canadian distributor
Skene LED kits are amazingly bright, and versatile, and easily attach to all motorcycles, etc. This will be another product reviewed soon in Motorcycle Mojo very soon! We showed the Skene lights at the Toronto and Ottawa MC Shows and they got amazing response and great sales. These are great for ANY bike and the beauty of them is that they are so bulletproof. I personally run them on my KLR650 and have gone across Labrador, Newfoundland, Cape Breton and they took a lickin and keep in tickin. We know there are other vendors on the forum that support these and we are here for our Canadian customers and dealers in this regard!
3) New GenII Helmetlok- exclusive Canadian distributor
The HELMETLOK™ II , designed by Australian firm Rocky Creek Designs, is a simple and affordable system for locking your helmet and/or your jacket to your motorcycle.
Small and compact enough to fit in your pocket, jacket or on a belt loop, HELMETLOK™ II is designed to lock your helmet to your bike. Simply open the lock, slip the carabiner through your helmets D-Shackle, attach it to you bike and lock it! HELMETLOK™ II will fit around your handlebar, frame, gear rack, pillion grab rail, pillion foot peg bracket, brake or clutch cables, in fact it will fit around anything with a 1.5" or 38mm diameter. This new Helmetlok will easily fit around the fattest Harley or Metric cruiser bars.... your adventure Harley, of course! :lol3
Please check out our video on our site.
4) BikeVis Bullet LEDs & Podmod controller- exclusive Canadian distributor
These are some of the coolest and smallest LED pods out there and at $29 a pair…. we sell tons of them. If you look at the pictures on the website, you will see they mount anywhere on a bike.
5) F2P Technologies - exclusive Canadian distributor
F2P Tech makes garage door openers that simply tie into a bike's hi beam switch to open and close your garage door. Ride up, flash your hi beam twice, door opens, ride in, flash it twice again and door closes.
6) Posi-Products
Some of the most ingenious electrical connectors on the market….. no need for crimping tools… all hand tighten and re-usable.
7) Stop & Go Tire Pluggers
Its amazing how many people ride around without some simple, easy way of plugging a tire if they pick up a nail/screw. Great products!
8) DriSlide ---- Exclusive Canadian distributor
This is an amazing Moly dry lube that has never been available in Canada…….. until now! It has been voted as INNOVATION OF THE MONTH by Motorcycle Consumer news in their February issue!
9) MotoSolutions FogTechDX and Raincoat ----- exclusive Canadian distributor
Unique and effective visor, windshield, etc Water repellant and Fog buster.
Of course we sell other great products that you folks are probably familiar with........ we are the exclusive retailer of Fuzeblock.com fuseblocks. We offer brands like Powerlet, Autoswitch, Crampbuster, Go Cruise, Dimple, Odyssey, Shorai, ROKstraps, and ZootFresh, and more!
Our main mission is to support these brands to our Canadian dealers/customers, so if you would like to be informed of new innovative products, then please join this thread and love to have you along for the ride!
Thanks for posting up. You've got some stuff I want, prices are fair, Cdn $$, free shipping. Good on ya!
Looking at the Ram mounts- couldn't see one for the GoPro mount.
Any plans on getting these or did I just miss it?
We haven't received any requests about this RAM mount to date.... although it looks like a good one..... probably because we don't sell the GoPro cameras. It might be something we would consider stocking on our next order from RAM, if we had enough interest.
Glad to have you aboard and thx for the kind words! :thumb
In the last 2 or 3 weeks I've placed 2 orders for SkeneDesign products and received my order quickly and the free delivery was a nice bonus too :thumb
You should post a link in the Canada forum. I'll keep you in mind for my next purchases.
Vendors are restricted to posting in the Vendors forum, but I might start a thread in the Canada forum and gather a list of Canadian motorcycle accessories vendors... it would certainly be a lot more convenient than dealing with cross border hassles.
Mr Canoehead... thanks for the suggestion but the powers-to-be feel its best that Vendors stay in the Vendor threads so we'll stay put here. :deal
Out of respect to this site and its participants.... don't want to step on any toes.
But hey.... if you mention us over in the Canuck round table........... :evil
Good to know. Have the Skene flashing rear ordered through the US last year. Good to know that you exist and you have some good stuff.:clap
We just added Western Powersports, in Langley, BC, as a dealer...... see Rebecca there for any of the cool products we distribute!
Hi Matt. Prowled around on your site a bit. Looks like some good stuff. Two questions:
First, is there some way to know if you have "it" in stock (whatever "it" is)? Or what the backorder status is? There are other dealers who are notorious for taking the order for something that won't be in for 6 months or more. Drives me nuts!
Second, are there any conditions on the free shipping? I.e. Order amount must exceed $xx amount or limited time. Save you answering a bunch of PM's about the same thing.
Secondly, when you look at any product on the website you should see its stock status beside the price and Reward points associated with the item. Yup... we give your Reward points to use on future purchases.... like Canadian Tire money! It will either show IN STOCK, OUT OF STOCK, or if you don't see a stock status it is because we may not normally stock it but can get it in OR in the case of brand new products like the DriSlide and MotoSolution stuff...... we just announced it and are awaiting our stocking order in a week. Once stock is received the product code will update to show IN STOCK.
When someone places an order, if there is an item(s) that is back ordered, then we provide ETAs on fulfillment. But at anytime, if you want to cancel or change your order...... not a problem. After receiving your order, you have a 30 day money back guarantee....... simply return anything in NEW condition for a full refund for product.
We provide free shipping on orders of $100 or more to Canadian ADV customers only ( no time limit ) and we ask you PM us for the free shipping discount code, as we will change it occasionally to make sure that the order is being placed by a true ADV member and not just a buddy that got it from a friend, who knows a guy..... :lol3
But here's the deal....... ultimately I want you to be happy! I am quite aware that it can take years to build a business and a day to cripple it, if you don't treat customers right. And in today's internet savvy world..... there are no secrets. I will try to treat every transaction like its our first and treat you guys like I would want to be treated. Plain and simple!
Thanks very much for the questions and stayed tuned...... more cool stuff coming down the pipe! :clap
Great to see a new vendor for us Canuckleheads on here. I have the Skene P3 lights and IQ170 lighting controller and can vouch that they are great products. I also have the Flash2Pass and it works well too.
I'm on your site now and will order a couple of things to try it out.
Thanks for posting.
I personally have the Skene's front and back on my KLR and took them across Labrador, Newfie-land and Nova Scotia and they take a licking and keep on ticking! PM sent with the discount code for free shipping to a fellow Canuck!
Any chance you will start carrying rear/side cases and/or rear side racks in the future?
IE: givi/pelican/caribou etc etc
|Times are GMT -7. It's 10:22 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2015, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ADVrider 2011-2015