There are endless temptations to draw visitors to Australia’s golden shores, and plenty more to captivate in the country’s cosmopolitan cities, but it’s always Melbourne that’s bestowed with the ultimate traveller’s compliment: “I think I could live here.”
Victoria’s state capital is officially the World’s Most Liveable City, topping the Economist Intelligent Unit’s Liveability Ranking and Overview survey for the past four consecutive years, and beating its bigger, flashier neighbour, Sydney, into seventh place in 2014.
In addition to this prestigious title, Melbourne can also arguably claim the unofficial accolades of Australia’s “coolest city” and the “nation’s cultural heart”. Hip bars and cafes, eclectic international cuisine, innovative galleries and museums, stunning street art, cutting-edge theatre and a vibrant music and festival scene combine to create a city pulsating with personality and a very obvious lust for life. Throw the five “liveability” factors into the mix – stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure – and it’s easy to see why some travellers decide they never want to leave.
Unlike the soulless business centres of many of the world’s best cities, Melbourne’s commercial hub is latticed with intricate cobbled lanes, sprinkled with elegant 19th-century shopping arcades, and illuminated with stunning street art, lighting up the shadows thrown by the district’s soaring skyscrapers.
Planning for future growth of the city, insightful surveyor, Robert Hoddle, mapped out the unusually wide avenues and smaller access lanes of the CBD in the 1830s. The Hoddle Grid still stands today, with iconic Melbourne trams plying the main roads from the city to the suburbs, and laneways threading between its major arteries.
Wander the lanes alone or pre-book a Hidden Secrets walking tour at Federation Square to discover hidden drinking dens, hole-in-the-wall eateries, boutique galleries, and unique specialty stores lining the opulent Parisian-style Royal Arcade and Block Arcade.
Street art
Art is everywhere. Elaborate works of imagination are splashed across the walls of the CBD, Brunswick and Fitzroy by graffiti legends including Banksy and Smug. Hire a bicycle to explore, or join one of the artists from the Blender Studios on a street art tour to discover some of the city’s best.
With over 100 galleries, from small commercial studios to large public spaces, there’s plenty more to discover indoors. Head to the National Gallery of Victoria’s Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square to see works from the Heidelberg School – the Australian Impressionist movement which sprung up in Melbourne in the late 19th century. The centre is the first major gallery dedicated to Australian art, showcasing works from the colonial period to present day and a collection of indigenous art, housed in a stylish, contemporary space.
Coffee obsession
Victoria is celebrated for its vineyards, but Melbournians’ obsession of choice is coffee, which manifests itself through the city’s buzzing cafe culture. Refreshingly independent and a world away from Starbucks, bean ambassadors ST. ALi and Seven Seeds roast their own, with their baristas serving caffeine kicks from cool warehouse spaces and pop-ups around town. Coffee connoisseurs or converts can get their own fix on a cafe culture tour which highlights some of the city’s hidden gems.
Like its coffee, Melbourne’s nightlife is legendary, and there’s an open invitation for visitors to make like the locals and catch one of the many music, theatre and comedy shows around town, or catch a late-night drink in the bars of shabby-chic Fitzroy, spiritual home of Melbourne’s hipster community. For a more high-brow night out, Melbourne boasts the award-winning Melbourne Theatre Company – a must see for any culture vulture, while international comedy, arts and music festivals fill its venues and open spaces throughout the year.
With so much on offer, plus fantastic boutique hotels, free tram travel around the centre, and easy access with Singapore Airlines from the UK – including the chance to stop over in Singapore and experience its exciting mix of Asian and European influences – Melbourne’s the perfect destination for your next cultural escape.
Getting there
Singapore Airlines has five daily UK departures to Melbourne via Changi airport in Singapore. You can travel straight through so you get to Melbourne in less than 24 hours, or stop off in Singapore for a day or two. Fares from Heathrow and Manchester to Melbourne with Singapore Airlines start from £710. Book online at singaporeair.com and discover what you can look forward to at visitmelbourne.com.
