Must Do’s In Melbourne

By Tara Brougham, University of Melbourne, Australia

Having arrived home after an incredible exchange year, I have been reflecting upon my experiences and collated this list of must dos in Melbourne for anyone lucky enough to be moving there soon!! These are also all quintessential Melbourne spots, so ideal if you’re visiting Melbourne as well.

St Kilda Sunsets at Point Ormond

Starting strong with a classic for Melburnians and visitors alike is watching the sunset. Though St Kilda is definitely not the best beach Australia has to offer, the sunsets from Point Ormond over the city are gorgeous and is even how I chose to spend my last night in Melbourne.

Italian on Lygon

Lygon St. in the Northern Suburb of Carlton is known as ‘Little Italy’ and for good reason – its cute streets are packed with Italian restaurants and wine bars making it a lovely place to spend an evening. My favourite Italian is Tiamo, which specialises in pasta with Carlton Wine Room and Johnny’s Green Room ideal spots for after dinner drinks.

Watch a game at the MCG

Another Melbourne must-do is of course watching a game of ‘footy’ (Aussie Rules or AFL) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Not only is this venue iconic, as a non-sports watcher I found footy so much fun to watch and its a great way to spend a weekend arvo.

Melburnian Coffee

One thing Melbourne is famous the world over for is its coffee, so sampling some of this is essential. The city and its suburbs are packed with independent coffee shops all selling delicious coffee, among other snacks. These were a particular favourite during exam season, when my friends and I would break up the library sessions to study in cafes. Some of my favourite cafes are:

Blue Doors, CBD

Tesorina, Parkville

Felix, Parkville

Kines, Brunswick – get the mushroom toastie!

Museums and Exhibitions

Melbourne is home to some of the best museums and exhibitions in Australia, and they are well worth a visit. My favourite is the Lume, an immersive exhibition that changes theme every few months. For example, I saw Indigenous Art there in spring, and a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition more recently. There are heaps of other galleries and museums, mainly located around Federation Square which itself is worth a visit. For example, the Koori Heritage Trust is a great pick to learn about Indigenous histories and culture while the National Gallery Of Victoria (NGC) showcases some of the world’s best art.

Go for Brunch

Australian culture is far more morning focused compared to the UK, with most people getting up early. As such, going for brunch is a common activity with friends, and one that Melbourne provides heaps of options for. Alongside the cafes listed above, the Hardware Societe is a classic Melbourne brunch spot and an easy way to also sample Melbourne’s famous coffee.

Get out for a hike

Despite the city of course having plenty to offer, if you have time getting out into the country offers a relaxing break. For example, I did several day hikes from Melbourne into the Dandenong Ranges. This is the only rainforest in Victoria, and was the first place I saw a wallaby – so a good way to see the famous Australian wildlife without going too far. Other popular day trip spots are the Mornington Peninsula and Werribee Gorge.

Gelato nights : pidapippo, piccolina, yochi, luther’s

Last but not least on my must do in Melbourne list is to go out for gelato. As I’m sure you can guess, many of my favourite gelato spots are also in Little Italy, near Lygon St. Pidapippo and Piccolina are both delicious options, each with several branches across the city. My favourite gelato shop is Luther’s in Brunswick, whose Brown Butter Cheesecake flavour is the absolute best. Finally, despite being frozen yoghurt rather than gelato, yochi deserves a special mention. This is a self-serve fro-yo shop, and its the absolute best.