Melbourne’s unique blend of history, culture, and modernity makes it one of the most exciting cities to visit or live in. Melbourne is second most populated, with the population of over 5.2 million and second most popular city in Australia behind Sydney. So if you are coming to Melbourne for the very first time, it can be very confusing and overwhelming for you to start your journey. Hence we have put together this comprehensive guide so you can have the comfortable stay in this great city.
Airport
Let’s start with the airport, if you are coming to Melbourne from overseas then the Melbourne Airport located in Tullamarine, is the main international airport in Melbourne that you would be landing in. It is about 21km away from Melbourne CBD (Central Business District).
As of now Melbourne airport is not connected with any train lines directly, so there are no trains going to and from the Melbourne airport. However you do not need to panic as there is SkyBus, which is the bus service that runs very frequently between Southern Cross station in the city to the airport. Beside SkyBus, you can also rent a car, use rideshare apps, taxis and shuttlebus to travel to your destination from the airport.
If you are travelling to metropolitan cities, you can take the SkyBus to Southern Cross station in Melbourne city and then from you can Metro trains.
If you are travelling to regional cities like Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Seymour and Gippsland you can take the SkyBus to Southern Cross station in Melbourne city and then from there you can Vline trains/coaches.
There are also few privately operated shuttle bus which runs between the Melbourne airport and Ballarat, Bendigo, Dandenong and Mooroopna.
Beside Melbourne airport, there are two other domestic airports in Melbourne; Avalon airport and Essendon airport, mainly used for internal and regional flights.
Public Transportation
After you reach the city, now you would probably be looking around a way to get to your destination. But you do not need to worry about it a lot as Melbourne has a very good public transportation system available. You can take trains, trams and buses to travel from one place to another.
When you travel on these public transportations, it is very important that purchase a Myki card as it is the main way to pay for your travel on the train, trams and buses in Melbourne city. You can purchase and top up a myki card at a myki machine, myki retail outlets or at a ticket office counters. For Android phone users you can buy a Mobile myki. You will need to touch on and off when you travel on trains, trams and buses in Melbourne otherwise the Authorized Officers can give you a fine if you do not touch on the myki card and obey the myki card rules. If you are travelling to some regional cities in Victoria, then you may have to buy a paper ticket.
Train
There are two main train systems in Melbourne, Vline and Metro trains. Vline offers the train/coach services from the city to the regional cities and it originates from and terminates at the Southern Cross station. It does not run through the city loop.
While Metro trains offers trains service from the Flinders Street station in the city to the metropolitan cites. Most of the metro trains(not all) run through the city loop which includes the Southern Cross, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central and Parliament Stations.
Tram
Melbourne offers the world’s largest tram network which is fully operational. There are a large number of trams line that run through the city frequently connecting the surrounding suburbs in Melbourne. If you want to experience Melbourne fully then you will need to hop on a tram.
In the CBD there is a Free Tram Zone and if you are just travelling few stops within the free tram zone then you will not need to touch on/off your myki card but if you are travelling beyond the Free Tram Zone you will need to touch on your myki card.
There is also a City Circle tram(35) which provides a free service to everyone and it runs around the Melbourne CBD. You can use this tram to travel to major attractions, shops and restaurants.
Bus
Bus is another means of transportation in Melbourne which gives you more options to travel between the places. There are a large number of bus routes in operation.
Currency
In Australia, Australian dollar(AUD/A$) is used in day to day financial transactions. So if you have the currency from overseas then you can exchange those currencies to AUD at the money exchange counter at the airport or in the banks as well.
In terms of the currency denomination, the hundred dollar note is the highest one and 5 cent coin is the smallest one.
There are no one cent coins in use in Australia currently. So if you buy some something in cash and requires change of less than 5 cents then don’t expect the change as it’s is rounded up to the nearest 5 cents e.g. $5.63 is rounded up to $5.65 and $5.62 is rounded up to $5.60. However in digital transaction, you get charged the exact amount and not rounded.
Grocery stores/supermarkets
Now that you have figured out what currency to use and how to get around the city, so the next important thing would be finding a place to buy food. In Melbourne or Australia in general, the popular grocery stores or supermarkets where you can find everything you need to make your breakfast, lunch and dinner to the over the counter medicines for common colds or fever, are Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA.
If you need to buy tools then Bunnings warehouse is the most popular place.
For electrical items Officeworks, JB HiFi, Harvey Norman and the Good Guys are the popular choices.
Accommodation
If you are looking for the short term accommodation in Melbourne, then its diverse range of hotels and motels ensures that you can find a place to stay that meets your needs and budget. Whether you’re looking for luxury, comfort, or affordability, the city has something to offer. There are numerous number of best hotels and motels in Melbourne but Best Western, Mercure, Holiday Inn, Novotel and ibis are some of the very few popular ones.
But if you are planning to rent or even buy the house, realestate.com.au and domain.com.au are the most popular websites in Australia where you can find the large number of houses, townhouses and units in your choice of suburbs.
Weather and Seasons
Now than you have your food and accommodation sorted, we can start looking into Melbourne’s weather. There are four seasons in Melbourne and in Australia. Although the weather in Melbourne could be bit unpredictable sometimes as people often say you can see all four seasons in a day in Melbourne.
Summer
December to February: Average temperatures range from 14°C to 35°C
Summer in Melbourne is warm and lively and it’s the perfect time to explore city’s coastal charm, beautiful beaches and to enjoy the long daylight hours.
Autumn
March to May: Average temperatures range from 11°C to 20°C
Autumn in Melbourne is characterized by its crisp air and stunning fall foliage with hues of red, orange and gold.
Winter
June to August: Average temperatures range from 2°C to 14°C
Winter in Melbourne is a season of cozy indoor activities. While it doesn’t often snow in the city, the nearby mountain ranges offer perfect spots for winter sports activities in the snow
Spring
September to November: Average temperatures range from 9°C to 20°C
Spring in Melbourne is a time of renewal and vibrancy as the city’s gardens and parks come alive with blooming flowers and lush greenery, making it an ideal season for outdoor activities and festivals.
Driving
In Melbourne and overall in Australia, the driving is on the left side of the street and roundabouts are very common at the intersections beside the normal traffic lights.
In Victoria(including Melbourne), if you need to get a driver license and register your vehicle, then you will have to contact VicRoads. Each states have their own government authorities responsible for driver license and vehicle registration.
Local terms and slangs
Once you are in Australia it will be really handy if you start getting used to the commonly used local terms and slangs. Like this term “mate” is commonly used in social interaction and embodies the friendly, egalitarian spirit that Aussies hold dear.
Similarly some of the most popular slang or terms used in Melbourne and in Australia are:
“ta” for thank you,
“arvo” for afternoon,
“servo” for service station,
“thongs” for flip-flop,
“G’day” for Good Day,
“brekkie” for “breakfast,
“snag” for sausage,
“barbie” for barbeque,
“maccas” for McDonald’s etc
“no worries” a phrase meaning “it’s all good” or “you’re welcome
You will also hear about Vegemite from time to time, which is a dark, thick yeast extract spread with a distinctive taste; salty with a slightly bitter undertone and is typically spread thinly on buttered toast, bread, cheese sandwiches or crackers. However Vegemite is more than a spread; it’s a symbol of Australian identity and resilience. You will find it in most of the popular super markets around Australia.
Daylight Saving Time(DST)
If you are coming to Australia from a country where Daylight Saving Time is not observed then it could be a new concept for you. In Australia, Daylight Saving Time is observed in these states; NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania while Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not.
In Melbourne and in Victoria, DST begins at 2am on the first Sunday in October when clocks are put forward one hour and it ends at 2am (3am DST) on the first Sunday in April when clocks are put back one hour. The time is usually followed by AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) during the Daylight Saving Time period while AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) is used for the remainder of the year.
Now-a-days with the latest smartphone, it adjusts the time automatically however the analog clocks/watch will require manual adjustment.
Metric System
In Melbourne and in Australia in general:
Metre(m) and Kilometre(km) are commonly used to measure the distance e.g. like the distance between places, distance travelled by a vehicle, width of the land etc rather than Mile.
Litres(L) is used to measure the liquid volume e.g. to measure the petrol for the vehicle, milk, oil etc rather than Gallon.
Gram(g) and Kilogram(KG) are used to measure the weight e.g. 1kg tomato, 5kg apples etc rather thank Pound(lb).
Centigrade(°C) is used to measure the temperature rather than Fahrenheit.
