The Boys from the Bush are Back in Town

Three months ago, I first set foot on Australian soil. Since then, so many wonderful things have happened that I can hardly remember life in The Hague. And honestly, once you had a taste of the “Melbourne experience” you’d rather not think about anything else except what your next day in southern Australia is going to be like.

Let me propose to you a few activities you can undertake on such a day:

• You might want to start off by exploring Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) near Yarra river. Make sure you don’t spend too much time in the laneways where you will see so many great coffee places that you might just end up spending your dollars on nothing else (yes, Melbourne is incredibly expensive…).
• Make sure to check out Fitzroy, Brunswick and Carlton, three trendy neighbourhoods just a ten-minute bike ride from CBD. You will find the most stylish/alternative Melburnians in Fitzroy, having lunch at the Veggie bar (most amazing pizza!), strolling down the Rose Street Artist Market, spending their evenings in the Cider House or dancing to salsa gigs in random fashionable cafes. For some downright alternative folks, ride on to Brunswick, where you might find me watching a Footy (aka Australian Rules Football, better than soccer!) game at The Sporting Club. Then grab some Lebanese food (24/7) on Sydney Road. You will find that most Italian migrants have settled in Carlton, opening up dozens of chocolate venues that are all too good to be true. Once you’re all filled up, pay a visit to the Queen Victoria Market for a wine tasting in the moonlight.
• By then you’ve probably figured out Melbourne is all about the food. This is the time to pay some more attention to sports. Melburnians are the craziest sports people you’ll ever meet. Footy is more than huge here, as are horse racing (the Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday) and cricket. Discount tickets available for students!
• Visit one of the major art galleries for a different taste of culture. The NGV displays beautiful works of contemporary Indigenous art (I especially admire the work of Tjuruparu Watson, http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvschools/TraditionAndTransformation/artists/Tjuruparu-Watson/
•  If the city is not big enough for you (or you just want a weekend out of town), there are plenty of great escapes in Victoria. Rent a car with some friends to drive the Great Ocean Road where you can enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery, see whales and kangaroos (the first one is exiting, but the next 200 are rather similar…), camp on a stormy beachside and yell along to some Australian bush music while driving through a rainforest, check out:

 

Speaking from experience, all the above ventures are highly recommended!

This was written by Wendy