Melbourne – The City & St Kilda

Eight Days in Melbourne is simply fantastic! It gave us enough time to relax, spend time with friends, and tour the city as well as places off the beaten track. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, a relatively modern city which is less than 200 years old, never sits still. New futuristic designs add to the fascinating mix of architecture and ensure the skyline is constantly changing. Melbourne is very much about lifestyle.

Flinders Street Station is among Melbourne’s most recognisable landmarks. It is the best-known railway station in Australia. It is the central railway station of the suburban rail network of Melbourneon and located at the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city blocks.

The river Yarra River was called Birrarung by the Wurundjeri people who occupied the Yarra valley prior to British settlement. It was given the name Yarra Yarra in 1835 by John Helder Wedge of the Port Phillip Association, in the mistaken belief that this was the Aborginal name for the river.

The photo shows the beautiful Princes Bridge

Beng’s and Tania’s apartment @ Baillie Street

Tram stop near Beng’s apartment

Crown Casino is the largest Casino in Australia and was opened in 1994, and moved to the new complex at Southbank in 1997. The Crown Casino includes two hotel towers, a number of exclusive fashion stores, top class restaurants, food courts, cinema complex and more.

The food in Melbourne is fantastic! We had all kinds, from english breakfasts, to steak, to korean, to chinese, to vietnamese, to american, and greek cuisine. Beer was also relatively cheap and the weather was just perfect for alfresco dining.

Greek food @ Lambs – Souvlaki :)

Tbone steak and Fajitas @ Hard Rock Cafe at Bourke Street

Chinese food with Tania, Ivon, Cheryl, Prata, and Beng

Korean food @ Seoul House on Russell Street

At a local deli having delicious iced-chocolate 

We spent most of our nights at Cafe L’Incontro at Swanston St

St Kilda is a inner city suburb and is located on Port Phillip Bay. It has been a popular seaside resort for residents and visitors since its foundation. During the Edwardian and Victorian eras it was favoured by Melbourne’s elite, and many palatial mansions were constructed. Subsequently the area became Melbourne’s red-light district, with many of the large mansions converted into low-cost rooming houses. In recent years, St Kilda has begun to shake off a seamy reputation and is home to many of Melbourne’s famous visitor attractions.

This is one of a three part entry of our trip to Victoria, Australia. Other places we visited on this trip are Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island.