Rough Guide - Melbourne and around

Melbourne is Australias second-largest city, with a population of 4.25 million. Rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne is on an almost childish level in every sphere from football to fashion and business and in purely monetary terms, Sydney leads the race. That said, Melburnians never tire of pointing out that they inhabit the worlds most liveable city, which is famous for its thriving caf culture, trendy laneways and dynamic inner suburbs. It is Melbournes subtle charms, rather than in-your-face sights, that make it worth a visit and will make you want to stay much longer than planned.

In many ways, Melbourne is the most European of all Australian cities: magnificent landscaped gardens and parks provide greenery near the centre, while the skyscrapers of the Central Business District (CBD) and flash public spaces like Federation Square contrast with Victorian-era facades and tree-lined boulevards. Large-scale immigration since World War II has shaken up the citys formerly self-absorbed, parochial mind-set for good. In the postwar era, whole villages moved here from Greece, furnishing the well-worn statistic that Melbourne is the third-largest Greek city after Athens and Thessaloniki. Further influxes of immigrants from Vietnam, Lebanon, Sudan, Turkey and Italy have transformed the city into a foodie heaven , and tucking into a different cuisine each night is one of its great treats.

Bordering the south side of the CBD, the muddy and, in former decades, much-maligned Yarra River lies at the centre of the massive developments that have transformed the face of the city, with new high-rises still popping up like mushrooms. Close to the river, the venerable Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) has been drawing sports fans from all over since it hosted the 1956 Olympic Games, while the redevelopment of the trendy waterfront Southbank and Docklands precincts continues today. Continue south of the river for the rambling Royal Botanic Gardens , which form the centrepiece of the Domain Parklands and carpet the southern end of the CBD with lush greenery. Melbournes eclectic suburbs offer up a melange of different vibes, from arty Fitzroy to multicultural Richmond the combination of which gives the city its distinctive Melbourne flavour.

The citys strong claim to being the nations cultural capital is well founded: laced with a healthy dash of counterculture, its artistic life flourishes, culminating in the highbrow Melbourne International Arts Festival for two weeks in October and its slightly offbeat (and shoestring) cousin the Fringe Festival. Throughout the year, there are jam-packed seasons of classical music, comedy and theatre, a wacky array of exhibitions in small galleries, enough art-house movies to last a lifetime, and the Writers Festival in August showcasing Australian literary talent. Sport, especially Australian Rules football, is almost a religion here, while the Melbourne Cup in November is a public holiday, celebrated with gusto.

Melbourne is an excellent base for day-trips out into the surrounding countryside. To the south, the Mornington Peninsula on the east side of Port Phillip Bay has farmland and wineries on gently rolling hills, and is home to some of the citys most popular beaches and surfing spots, while the placid waters of the bay are good for swimming. Western Port Bay, beyond the peninsula, encloses two fascinating islands French Island , much of whose wildlife is protected by a national park, and Phillip Island , whose Penguin Parade, when masses of Little penguins waddle ashore each night, is among Australias biggest tourist attractions. Closest to the city are the quaint villages of the eucalypt-covered Dandenong Ranges , while the scenic Yarra Valley , in the northeast, is Victorias answer to South Australias Barossa Valley, and one of many wine-producing areas around Melbourne. On the western side of Port Phillip Bay, Victorias second city, Geelong , and most of the Bellarine Peninsula are not quite as captivating as their Mornington counterparts, but they do give access to the west coast and the world-famous Great Ocean Road. Queenscliff, near the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay, with its beautiful, grand hotels, is a stylish (and expensive) weekend getaway.

Melbourne boasts a reasonably cool climate , although January and February are prone to barbaric hot spells when temperatures can climb into the forties. The threat of bushfires around this time can close off certain areas to the public.

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KOALA, HEALESVILLE SANCTUARY

Terrific collection of Australian art on Fed Square, with galleries devoted to the indigenous communities.

The low-rise, narrow streets of Melbournes Chinatown have changed little since the nineteenth century.

Exhibitions and paintings in this beautiful domed building give essential background on the founding of Melbourne.

Join the cheering crowds for an action-packed footy game at the MCG.

Enjoy great paintings in a sylvan setting at John and Sunday Reeds modernist home.

Melbournes love of food borders on obsession, and eating out in the city is a must.

See thousands of Little penguins emerge from the sea and waddle up to their burrows.