Highlights of Melbourne City.

Let me excite you with some of the many city highlights. I got down at Flinders Street Station , the main train station in the city. The oldest metropolitan station in Australia. One of the busiet throughfares with more than 260 000 people pass through daily. Burke Street Mall is the hub of the city where people gather to watch performers. Numerous busy shopping arcades and two leading departmental stores here.David Jones and Myer with an extensive range of quality goods. Daimaru, Melbourne's first Japanese store situated under the glass cone at Melbourne Central shopping centre but sadly it will be closed by May 2002. Chinatown, a colourful strip of Little Burke Street, stretching from Swanton Walk to Exhibition Street, It is famous for its concentration of the Chinese restaurants and groceries. Next destination was to Parliament Buildings on Spring Strrett. Condsidered to be the best Parliament Buildings outside London and built with stone from the Grampians. It is a hot spot among photographers. Website to visit - www.melbourne.org and www. melbourne.citysearch.com.au

Quick Tips:

Shopping - shopping hours are between 9.30am to 5.00pm weekdays and weekends and 9.30am to 10.00pm Thursdays and Fridays. Australia's national gem, opal is one of the six national symbols of Australia, is a fitting memonta of your stay downunder. Visitors are exempted from tax. So bring your passport and flight ticket. Try website - www.opals.aus.nu. Food- Chinatown offers the best of Cantonese cuisine and seafood. Try Dragonboat Chinatown, Sharkfin and Flower Drum Restaurants. If you are on a budget, there are a few large foodcourts at Melbourne central. Not forgetting outlets like McDonald and Hungry Jack. Yo..if you intend to explore Parliament Buildings, there are guided tours. Mon -Fri at l0am, llam, 12 noon, 2pm and 3pm. For more information, grab your Visitor Bonus Book from Level 1, Customer Service, Melbourne Central. Melbourne is also famous for its host of entertaiment options.Website to look out for : www.visitvictoria.com.The Events Guide booklet with a list of current events for the month can be obtained free at hotel receptions. Accomodation -No worries as there are accomodation for backpackers to 5 star. For discounted hotel rates, you can email :itla@optusnet.com.au.

Best Way To Get Around:

The majority of the city and surround attractions can be accessed using public trams service and the free City Circle Tram. YOu must not miss the Free Circle City Tram. It is free! Available 7 days a week from 10am -6pm. a 40 minute to complete the full circuit, these Burgundy W class trams stop at every major intersection which allows you to board or get off. Accesing to Flinders Ftreet, Chinatown, Burke Street Mall and Parliament Building is as easy as ABC. Flinder Street Station is the main train station. From Flinders Street, walk down to Burke Street Mall which is a 10 minute walk. next stroll to Melbourne's Central, nearby to Burke Strret Mall and cross over to Chinatown. From Chinatown town walk down Russel Street and Exhibition Street and you will see Parliament Building on Spring Street. If you are lazy, just board the Free City Circle tram from Flinders Sttation and stop at Spring Street. Car rental is avaliable and there are more than 30000 cabs in Melbourne which can be hailed off the street. No smoking is allowed in taxis. Visit website : www.victrip.com.au.

It is located in the downtown, and just 19km from Melbourne Airport. Situated in the heart of Melbourne City, it is a hotel that is value for money and with a high standard of facilities (even for the disabled). Rates for a room per night ranging from AUD 123 -215 inclusive of tax. It offers 250 rooms. Check in time is 14.00 hours and check out time is 11.00 hours.

I stayed in a single room for a night for AUD 145.00 exclusive of breakfast. The room was in a good condition with the best of facilities and a 24 hour room service.

Facilities available are laundry facilities, restaurants, a gymnasium and a bar. A pay parking is also available in this hotel.

I had my American breakfast here. The rate for an adult is AUD 16 and a child is AUD 9, which is considered a moderate rate in Melbourne City.

I will recommend this hotel as it is located near to Melbourne favourite market, The Victoria Market, just a 5 minute walk from Hotel Ibis and another 10 minute walk to Daimaru, Melbourne Central and Chinatown.

The only flaw I noticed in this hotel was the staff as some of them looked exhausted and tired though they were helpful and friendly. All in, a comfortable place to stay and a good value for the money.

Sharkfin is maybe one of the best Hong Kong restaurants in Chinatown which caters for Hong Kong cuisine and seafood lovers. The two storey buildings are decorated in a classic oriental design. Upon entering the main door, I was served by a smiling waitress welcoming me and directing me to a table. The menu are in English and Chinese with English and Cantonese speaking staff to serve you throughout your meal with soft music for your listening pleasure. I had some osyter as appetizer(yummy!delicious),then a course dinner, rice served with Deep Fried Chicken Wings, steamed fish in garlic and vinegar, fried prawns and a serving of vegetables. We had Chinese tea instead of wine (BYO is allowed)Free dessert (fruits) was served at the end of the course. A fantastic dinner , with large servings, and the bill came up to AUD 156.40 inclusive of tax for four of us. Great for fine dining or special occasions(as birthday song will be played upon request).

And yo...you can even 'yum-cha' here (breakfast) . Try out the various tempting Hong Kong dim sum , served with various Chinese tea. Prizes can be quite expensive but worth it. All major credit cards are accepted and tips are appreciated for the excellent service and fine exterior and interior decor in this restaurant.

It is a Chinese Hong Kong restaurant located outside Melbourne city in one of the suburbs, Doncaster.

It is a spacious restaurant with an elegant and gentle atmosphere. Chinese and English menu with English-speaking staff. Staff are very efficient and hospitable.

My husband and I tried their specialities. We had Peking Duck Supreme, sliced meat and skin from the whole duck in a mandarin pancake served with spring onion and sliced cucumber. The waitress presented one piece after another for us. Yummy! Superb! And the dish cost AUD 55.00. We also had braised superior abolone in oyster sauce and this dish cost us another AUD 45.00.

I tried the vegetable tofu soup which wss AUD 6.50 each. I found it a bit too salty for my liking. What I had was some assorted vegetables and beancurd in clear soup. And I forget the fragrance of the jasmine tea.

Since we could not finish the food as the servings were large, we asked the waitress to pack them for us. The next day, my cousins came again after our recommendation.

Plumme Restaurant is open seven days a week and they also have take-away. It is a place for fine dinning. Prices might be a bit expensive but the food is delicious and the environment is elegant. The toilets are extremely clean!

Burke Street Mall and Melbourne's Central are great shopping paradise in the city.So shop till you drop here.

Myer and David Jones are two leading departmental stores , selling quality local and imported merchandise which are quite expensive. They are famous for their unique display of Christmas decor during the festive season.Opening hours 10.00 am till 5.00 am all days except Thursday and Friday from 10.00am till 10.00pm. For fragrance lover, try out the various perfume in Myer, for free! A chart on display in the fragrance section will inform you the best selling perfume for the month in the city.

Target is another chain departmental store, a favourite among the locals for mechandise which are of moderate and affordable prices.

Facial and fragrance lovers - You'll have a lot to choose from. Body Shop, Red Earth and Priceline are favourite among the locals. These shops are located opposite Myer and David Jones.

Melbourne's Central(behind Myer) - Daimaru the first Japanese departmental store in Melbourne, located on the first level and second level, which offers mostly Made in Japan goods and souveniers. Do not miss it as it will be closing down by May 2002 .

If you are on a budget, then try out the $2 shop in the basement of Melbourne's Central. All products are of a AUD 2.00 each, some of them of good quality. On the second level of Melbourne's Centre, you can shop for Australian souveniers at Body Map,one of the popular shops around.And yo! don't forget to obtain your Visitior Guide and travelling brochures from the Information Counter on the first level of Melbourne's Central.

Happy shopping in Melbourne.

It is not the ordinary market but a wonderful and unique market. It is best to visit Queen Victoria Market in the mornings. Wow! The first time I came here, I was delighted with the wonderful smells of fresh fruits and vegetables. In the morning, you will find more varieties of produce and they will be at their freshest. And experience the buskers and singing stall holders selling their fruits and vegetables.

In the covered deli section, which is an old building with its original stalls, you can buy and try its famous spicy sausage dripping in mustard and sauerkraut at one of the many stalls there! Mouth watering!

And in another section of this huge market, you can choose from a variety of Aussie souvenirs ranging from kangaroo and koala keychains to the famous boomerangs. Prices are moderate and you can bargain for them.

I love the stall in the middle of this section which sells paintings. Wo la la! Moderate prices but excellent masterpieces. Prices start from AUD 5 for a small painting.

And my little niece loves the performers outside the market space. She loves the little 'tumberlina girl'.

The Queen Victoria Market is opened from 6am till late afternoons except on Sunday, it starts at 9am.

And if you're interested in the history of the market, you can take a guided tour of this famous market. I have not tried any, so I can't give any comments. I guess it is worth trying for this tour by calling 9320582.

It is indeed a market place to inspire you to create a culinary masterpiece with its great atmosphere.

It is the most beautiful place in Melbourne city with a grand expanse of sloping green lawns. The lakes are full of swans and ducks. I can't express to you how lovely the garden is in spring with more than 5200 varieties of plants and flowers gracing the huge space. And in autumn, I love it most with golden red leaves falling to the ground. Photographers will love this part of the season.

My favourite pastime here? Just nature watching and take in the fresh air! I have yet to have a picnic here, but my god!, almost everywhere in the garden during summer, you will see people having picnics, or they will bring a rug and settle in for an evening entertainment.

One of my favourite sites here is the National Herbarium which houses dried species of plants. When you are here, do not miss this.

And yes. I love jogging here too. I just parked my car outside the garden during spring and summer and jogged around the huge garden and admire the beauty of the nature here.