Melbourne city guide for fabulous travellers

Fabulous local: Jo’s guide to Melbourne

If you’re visiting Melbourne and really want to sink your teeth into its quirkier side, then let my amazing friend Jo be your guide. Originally hailing from neighbouring New Zealand, I met Jo over a decade ago when we both worked as Arts Council temps in London. These days, when she’s not dressing in fabulous outfits, Jo works as Melbourne Food & Wine Festival‘s Digital Marketing Manager. So be assured, what she doesn’t know about this amazing city isn’t worth […]

hipster guide to Melbourne @minkaguides Carla

Fabulous local: Carla’s guide to Melbourne

Melbourne never ceases to amaze my gorgeous friend Carla, a writer originally from Sydney who suffers from chronic FoMO in addition to being a total theatre nut. For the past 11 years, she has called Victoria’s capital home and written for local culture online magazines such as Broadsheet, Milkbar Mag, Theatre Alive and Picture Skew, as well as creating the popular vegan food blog Easy as Vegan Pie. If you’re looking for a hipster guide to Melbourne, then let this local […]

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Discover more about Melbourne on my Pinterest board What's on in Melbourne Why you will love Melbourne Things to watch out for in Melbourne

Discover more about Melbourne on my Pinterest board

What's on in Melbourne

Why you will love Melbourne

If Sydney is Australia's answer to Los Angeles, the comparison is only possible because in many ways Melbourne is very New York. And quite a lot like Berlin. In fact, it is up there with those two as the world's most iconically hipster cities. Notoriously the place where people wear a lot of black and take their bicycles almost as seriously as they take their coffee, to dismiss Melbourne as painfully superficial would be to do it a great injustice. This city thrives with an abundance of creative and political energy, to an extent that to grow tired of Melbourne must be no one's fault but your own because there is always so much on! I always find it hard to pinpoint exactly what it is I love so much about Melbourne; you really just need to go there to understand why it has such a dedicated following the world over.

Things to watch out for in Melbourne

Nightlife: don't ask where the massive clubs are. If you want to have it large, go to Sydney. Melbourne is all about small bars and local pubs. INCREDIBLE small bars and local pubs mind you, where you can still have just as much fun.
Trams: if you plan on cycling around the city watch out for those tram tracks! And the trams themselves I suppose. You can't buy tickets onboard anymore but you can travel for free within the CBD (Central Business District) so if you jump onboard without a ticket you may actually not be bunking.
Weather: Crowded House weren't using too much poetic licence when they sang 'Four Seasons In One Day'. Leave the house prepared for everything.