Melbourne

With the northern states taking the brunt of tourism down under, Melbourne is a best-kept secret year round. The shoulder seasons are the gems. While Melbourne's spring is a sight to behold, with multitudes of gardens in bloom and the festive Spring Racing Carnival heralding summer, any local will tell you that mid-autumn sees Melbourne at its most resplendent. A sturdy coat never goes astray at this time, but a little cold is worth bearing for the strolls through the amber and ochre parks.

Melbourne's climate has an unfortunate reputation: wet, windy, unpredictable and liable to extremes - very hot or very cold and often both on the same day! On the plus side, Melbourne's multitude of parks makes it a beautiful place to witness the changing seasons. It is rarely unbearably chilly - in winter the average temperature ranges between 6°C (43°F) and 13°C (55°F), the mercury rises above 35°C (95°F) only a few times each year and Melbourne's soggy reputation outstrips the reality - it receives only half the average rainfall of Sydney or Brisbane.

overview

Melbourne's an easy city to navigate unless you need to be in the suburbs, which can get confusing. It's designed in the classic mould: the thoroughfares fan out like the spokes of a wheel from the central business district. Public transport consists of trams, trains and buses and tends to be efficient and useful - as long as your trip is along one of the spokes of the wheel. Public transport across suburbs can be a problem.

bicycle

Melbourne's generally flat terrain makes cycling a popular option for getting around, and there are good bike tracks, but watch out for those tram tracks and make sure your wheels don't get caught in them.

tram

Melbourne's trams are a source of city pride and run on a fairly efficient and broad network within the city and the inner city suburbs. Coin-only ticket machines are installed on trams. Remember to validate your ticket when you board a tram.

train

Melbourne's metropolitan trainlines fan out into the surrounding suburbs and operate an efficient service. Last trains leave the city around midnight.

bus

Buses are clean and efficient and include the 'Nightrider' bus service, which runs from the city to the outlying suburbs from midnight to dawn and is aimed at getting revellers home safely.

taxi

Melbourne has a plethora of cabs, which can be hailed on the street or booked by phone. There is a designated taxi rank at Flinders Street Station.

car

You can hire a car from the usual car-rental places or the rent-a-bomb variety. Be aware that driving in Melbourne can be confusing, particularly with the unique hook turns necessary in the city centre; traffic turning right must often do so from the left lane to avoid blocking tram tracks. If you are driving alongside a tram, you must stop when trams pull up to a tram stop, leaving the tram doorways clear for passengers to disembark safely. If you are using Melbourne's tollway road, CityLink, in the east (South-Eastern Fwy) and west (Tullamarine Fwy), ensure you have a daypass or an electronic pass ('e-Tag'), or you may be fined.

Airport

The best of Melbourne is edible.

Eating in Melbourne is a joy, and you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get the bill at the end. A culinary mix of European, Mediterranean and Asian flavours and a stable of imaginative chefs have resulted in a modern Australian style with a flair all its own.

Pub bands, stand-up and a seat in the Gods.

Melbourne has a thriving nightlife, a lively cultural scene and some great bars and clubs. You can laugh till it hurts at some stand-up comedy, check out the next big thing on the live music scene, sip cocktails at a low-lit bar, immerse yourself in experimental theatre or flaunt your jewels at the opera.

High culture to high streets - Melbourne has few lows.

Melbourne's easy-going pace is perfect for enjoying its gracious Victorian architecture, its green wealth of parks and gardens, and its many cultural highlights. Most of the city's main sights are just a short walk or tram-hop apart, with plenty of latte pick-me-up opportunities on the way.

Follow the hipster, usurp the mode, overtake the retro.

Melburnians' love of shopping is as great as their passion for food - and that's saying something. Whether you want to buy a look, a lifestyle or a kitsch souvenir, you've come to shopping paradise. While there are lots of malls both downtown and in the 'burbs, try the street strips for fun.