The Best Dessert Places in Australia – According to the Experts
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Yarra River
Melbourne
Whether it’s your first time discovering the many faces of Victoria’s capital or you've worn the soles of your sneakers on its cobblestone laneways many times before - Melbourne always has something new to find. Known as Australia’s fashion capital, Melbourne’s arts scene, night life and host to world-famous sporting events make it a must-visit city.
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Places to stay
The diverse city of Melbourne offers an array of accommodation options to suit visitors from interstate and overseas. Business travellers are spoilt for choice with hotels located throughout the CBD from the Grand Hyatt on Collins Street to the Crown Towers at Southbank, offering panoramic views over the Yarra River.
Just a short tram-ride from the CBD, in Prahran and South Yarra you’ll find boutique hotels, luxury apartments and refined Airbnb’s perfectly located for the fashion conscious.
Or head northside to Fitzroy and Brunswick where you’ll find curious and cool bars, independent retailers, traditional pubs, restaurants, cafes and live music scattered all over the neighbourhood grid. Sample life like a local, on a wander from Brunswick Street, to Gertrude, to Smith, and Johnson streets - sip coffee at Marios and browse books at Brunswick Street Bookstore.
The bay-side suburb of St Kilda, offers a vast range of places to stay from luxury hotels, beachfront apartments to eclectic hostels and cosy backpackers accommodation. The area has played host to artists and adventures, musicians and muses - making it one of the most colourful precincts.
Things to do
Home to a thriving arts scene, you won’t be short of a unique culture hit with headline exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria or masterpieces at Heide Museum of Modern Art and the best names on the comedy circuit at The Comic’s Lounge. Shop till you drop at the glittering Melbourne Emporium, Chadstone Shopping Centre for big names in international and Australiana designs. For clothing with more vintage bent, there’s no beating Queen Victoria Market or boutique stores through the laneways surrounding De Graves Street.
At the Windsor end of Chapel Street, you'll find a place to dine with your name on it. Siblings Tokyo Tina and Hanoi Hannah are the name of the game for contemporary Asian, along with Hawker Hall and playful Mr Miyagi. Keep it real at local haunt The Wolf and I or go for speakeasy style and single malts at Woods of Windsor.
If you're partial to easy on-foot exploration, wander through the Royal Botanic Gardens then let your feet take you across the river to the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground and National Sports Museum. No trip is complete for the sporting enthusiasts who visit Melbourne without entering the hollow turf of the MCG to watch a game of Aussie Rules, the home of Australian Football. Stumble across some of Melbourne’s hidden laneway pubs, hole-in the wall cafes or rooftop bars – it’s a big part of the city's enduring charm.
Where to go
Road trips
Take a road trip and head beyond the city to the renowned Great Ocean Road stopping at Bells Beach, where the world-class surfing event is held in April.
To taste some of Australia’s produce, head to the wine regions in the Yarra Valley.
If it's relaxation you're after, visit Victoria’s natural mineral springs in the Mornington Peninsula region.
St Kilda
Explore the array of alfresco cafes, bars and restaurants, the palm tree-lined esplanade, beaches, eclectic retail, outdoor activities, festivals and entertainment for all ages in this beachside suburb.
The eclectic St Kilda community offers a selection of creative and quirky experiences for those who enjoy a cultural experience.
The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
Celebrating 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian art and culture, Pharaoh showcases exquisite jewellery, tomb and temple architecture, and monumental sculpture, as well as coffins and funerary objects.
Pharaoh is the largest international exhibition curated by the British Museum, with more than 500 works. Don't miss this exclusive exhibit now showing until 6 October 2024.
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