Melbourne
is a great city with all sorts of things available to keep
visitors busy. Melbourne can satisfy
most general interests and even offer specific subjects such as immigration history and digital culture. Here are the top things to do in Melbourne that are completely free.
Ride an historic tram
Not
many cities look after tourists the way Melbourne does. Melbourne’s tram network runs an
historic tram on route 35 for free. It circles the city roughly every 12
minutes passing significant tourist stops and making useful transport
connections. Tram 35 runs from
10am to 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and 10am to 9pm Thursday to Saturday.
Traditional Tram No.35 is free in Malebourne, Australia |
Admire
the architecture
Melbourne
prides itself on being the artistic and cultural capital of Australia. Nowhere
is this more evident than in the blending of old and new architecture across
the city. Striking juxtapositions present themselves such as 19th
century St Paul’s Cathedral and the very modern-looking Australian Centre for
the Moving Image just across Flinders Street. Flinders Street Station was also
built in the 1800s and is a great example of an historic building being
preserved and continuing to be used today. The stations façade (main image above) dominates
Flinders Street and is rather beautiful.
Enjoy the quiet at St
Paul’s Cathedral
Not
quite as enormous as the cathedral of the same name in London, Anglican
cathedral St Paul’s Cathedral is still impressive as one of the few significant
cathedrals remaining in Australia. It was built on the site where the first
Christian services in Melbourne were led in 1836. This stone building was built
in the late 1800s. It features beautiful stained glass windows, an interesting wooden
effect ceiling and a still functioning organ.
St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, Australia |
People watch at Federation
Square
Centrally
located in the middle of the city, Federation Square really is the beating
heart of Melbourne. The modern piazza is full of cultural attractions,
specialty stores, restaurants and bars, making it Melbourne’s favourite place
to catch up and people watch.
Enjoy some street
art
Hosier
and Rutledge Streets, Caledonian and Union Lanes, Finlay Avenue, Degraves
Street, 122 Palmerston Street, Centre Place and the Corner of Flinders Land and
Cocker Avenue.
Other
examples around the city, include Giuseppe Roneri’s mosaic benches on Victoria
street, Westgarth Street, and Russian dolls on Brunswick Street.
Learn lots at the State
Library of Victoria
Victoria’s
most valuable research library is more like a museum. It contains thousands of
books, but also houses historical items of interest telling Victoria’s history,
such as John Batman’s journal, Ned Kelly’s armour and various paintings. For a
one-stop history lesson on all things Victoria the exhibit ‘the changing face
of Victoria’ is a must. It includes maps, pictures, and other items exposing
daily life over the years.
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State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia |
Get arty
The National
Gallery of Victoria has two galleries housing over 70,000 works of art from
European, Asian, Oceanic and American art collections. The Ian Potter Centre:
NGV Australia contains indigenous and non-indigenous art from the colonial
period to the present day. It is home to more Australian art than anywhere else
in the world. The Australian
Centre for the Moving Image is a haven for movie buffs and TV addicts. The
futuristic building is full of film, television, digital culture and has a free
exhibit called Screen Worlds that is well worth a look. The ACMI store contains
lots of treasures for movie fans.
Enjoy the outdoors in Carlton
Gardens
Melbourne
has several park areas including Flagstaff Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens, Treasury
Gardens, Kings Domain. World Heritage listed Carlton Gardens cover 64 acres
just north east of Melbourne’s city centre. The area is home to the Royal Exhibition
Centre, Melbourne Museum, Imax cinema, lakes, tennis courts and a playground.
The gardens feature wide expanses of lawn, European and Australian plants, and a
tree-lined avenue leads to the exhibition centre. The gardens are also home to
possums, ducks, kookaburras and bats.
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Carlton Gardens, Melbourne, Australia |
Hit the beach at St Kilda
While
Bondi is Sydney’s beach destination, St Kilda is Melbourne’s. St Kilda beach is
long, well maintained and clean. For those needing a bit more than beach, it is
also lined with markets, amusement parks and nightclubs.
St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, Australia |
Spend some time by the Yarra
River
Take
a riverside stroll along the southbank for a great view of the city. The
southbank is lined with restaurants and cafes, and street performers compete
for attention. There is also a cycle path for those wishing to take in the
riverside on two wheels. Crown Promenade around the casino is a good place to
head to for quality restaurants
Well those were my favourite free things to do in Melbourne. Have you got any tips of your own? If so, please share your ideas in the comments below.
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Melbourne at night, Australia |
Well those were my favourite free things to do in Melbourne. Have you got any tips of your own? If so, please share your ideas in the comments below.
Photo credits: Adam_Inglis, tauntingpanda, AdamSelwood
