Written by Adam Whitehouse
Posted, 3rd September 2021
Melbourne is by far my favourite city in all of Australia. If you are planning a trip or even considering a Gap Year in Australia. Here are 18 reasons why starting your Gap Year in Melbourne is a GREAT decision!
#1 HIPSTER VIBE
Melbourne is a city that is buzzing with energy, you’ve only got to spend 30minutes wandering through the famous laneways in the CBD to be surrounded by street art, coffee shops and quirky little side alley bars. The vibe is very ‘hipster’ and young travellers absolutely love it!
#2 THE FOOD
It really doesn’t matter what corner of Melbourne you find yourself in, the food is always ‘BANG ON!’. Whether you’re looking for a juicy burger, a vegan burrito or fancy getting your brunch on. Melbourne DELIVERS every time!
#3 THE SUBURBS
The inner suburbs of Melbourne all have their very own character and vibe. All very similar but all so very different. St Kilda is the ‘backpacker’ scene by far with Chapel Street being another stomping ground by night. Venture north of the city to Fitzroy, Collinwood and Brunswick street for awesome places to eat, drink and shop!
#4 MELBOURNE COFFEE
If you’ve ever spoken to anyone about their time in Melbourne I can almost guarantee they mentioned something about the coffee! It really doesn’t get much better than this 🙌🏼. Single, double or even double double (yes that’s a thing 🤯)…take it any which way…the coffee will blow your mind!
#5 SOLID FESTIVAL SCENE
The festival scene in Melbourne is absolutely buzzing. Throughout the year the city is home to a variety of different music events; Piknic Electronik, St Kilda Festival, Laneways Festival, Moomba and much much more. Alternatively, if movies are your thing check out the International Film Festival.
Pro Tip: Melbourne has a whole bunch of FREE festivals. Don’t be put off because festivals back home have a hefty price tag!
#6 ST KILDA BEACH
I touched on this a little earlier but St Kilda really is the backpacker district of Melbourne, the beachside suburb isn’t short of options when it comes to backpacker hostels. If you head down to the beach you’ll have more chances of hearing a British or European accent than an Aussie one!
Head down the St Kilda pier for sunset to have a chance of seeing penguins catching their dinner!
#7 STREET PERFORMERS & BUSKERS
You cannot walk a single block in Melbourne CBD without hearing one of the many talented artists getting their ‘jam’ on! Some of the most famous musicians in the world have been found on the streets in Melbourne busking away.
Search ‘Tram Sessions’ on youtube. If you’re lucky you might find yourself in a music video on your way home from work!
#8 QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET
Known for being the largest open-air market in the southern hemisphere – Queen Victoria Market is a typical street food experience that you probably had in Asia right here in Melbourne! You won’t find any weird or wonderful scorpions on sticks but you will find some delicious flavours!
#9 GREAT OCEAN ROAD
You can’t come all this way to Australia and not do an ‘Aussie Road trip’. If road-tripping is top of your agender like most other backpackers, the Great Ocean Road is a great place to do it! The coastal road south/west out of Melbourne is pretty epic, the road itself goes from Melbourne all the way to Adelaide. 100% check it out!
#10 HOME TO THE BEST BEER IN AUSSIE
Victoria Bitter or VB as the locals call it is Australia’s best-selling beer, it doesn’t matter what state of the country you are from this beer is always easy to get hold of. I know for some of you ‘Poms’ this might sound weird because Fosters is the Aussie beer of choice back home, not here in Aussie ‘mate!
#11 YARRA VALLEY WINE REGION
Ok if beer isn’t your thing and you like a cheeky bit of vino…Melbourne also does wine exceptionally well! You can find yourself a little tipsy if you get on a wine tasting experience out of Melbourne.
#12 PHILLIP ISLAND AKA ‘PENGUIN ISLAND’
Head south-east out of Melbourne down towards the Mornington Peninsula and you will find yourself amongst hundreds of tiny little cute penguins all making their way out of the water as the sunsets. This is quite the spectacle and happens every evening! SUPER CUTE!
#13 THE FREE TRAM
There aren’t many places in the world you can jump on a free public mode of transport! Well, guess what…Melbourne CBD has been delivering free trams since back in 2014. This means you can get from 1 edge of the inner CBD to the other in no time at all. This honestly is a LIFESAVER when you are running late for a tinder date!
#14 OPEN AIR CINEMAS
During the summer you can find a number of cool spots across the city hosting open-air viewings of some of the best movies. One of the most popular options is the ‘Melbourne Botanical Gardens’.
#15 BRUNCH AT DEGRAVE STREET
Just like coffee ‘Brunch’ in Melbourne is a pretty BIG DEAL! You are absolutely spoilt for choice but if I was going to give you 1 suggestion on where to visit to find yourself a solid Egg Beni…it has to be ‘Degrave Street’. This was where I tried my first ever Shakshuka and it blew my mind!
#16 ART & CULTURE
Melbourne really is the art capital of Australia. It doesn’t matter what kind of art you’re into you can find something to keep you occupied. Here are a few places to check out; Melbourne Museum, National Gallery of Victoria and of course the famous Street Art and Graffiti laneways
Hosier lane is the most famous laneway for street art!
#17 BRIGHTON BEACH HUTS
Ok, you might be reading this wondering why I am mentioning the famous Brighton beach buts in a Melbourne blog. Well, guess what…Melbourne has its own Brighton and funnily enough, it has its own beach huts also 😍
#17 SKYDIVE THE CITY & THE BEACH
Very few places in the world can you throw yourself out of a plane with a view overlooking the city and THE BEACH! Head down to the most southern point of St Kilda to get your heart racing for an experience like no other
#18 MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS
Melbourne is home to some of Australia’s most famous sporting events. It doesn’t matter what your cup of tea is, there is a sporting event for everyone. From the famous Melbourne Cup to the F1 Grand Prix or head centre court for the Australian Open tennis 🎾
If you’re looking to plan a big trip to Australia and need some help or advice you can always slide into the DM’s and chat with me or one of the team via Whatsapp or Facebook.
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