#urbanfamilyinmelbourne
Last Christmas we found ourselves (Katrina and Family) travelling to Melbourne.
We’ve been to Melbourne for work and play many many times over the years but we had not been there with our kids and we were determined to show them the best of what this amazing Australian city has to offer. As it turns out, you can trip over fun everywhere in Melbourne.
Accommodation
First, we stayed in Fitzroy at the Melbourne Metropole Apartments. We chose this place as our extended family were already booked in there for Christmas and we wanted to stay with them. The apartments are really decent in size but unfortunately the kitchen was not fully equipped. If you need to be in this part of Melbourne for business or because you need to be near the hospitals, they’d be perfect place to stay on a budget but I wouldn’t go back for a family holiday. Our 2br apartment cost $705 for three nights.
We took a trip south to Apollo Bay, which will be the topic of another blog soon, but upon returning to Melbourne we stayed in an AirBNB Apartment in South Melbourne. The apartment building is in a fantastic location, great for families and right near public transport (Trams, Trains and Buses), food/groceries, retail shops and has a great view. There are many AirBNB options in Melbourne and its well worth shopping around for price and location. Our tip is to read the reviews and compare prices. Its our preferred way to book accommodation in Melbourne. Our 2 bedroom Apartment cost $1547 for 4 nights over New Year.
Getting around
When in Melbourne, the very best option is to use the free tram Zone. Its worth trying to stay near or in the zone and you can pretty much get anywhere in the city for free. Trips outside the free zone are inexpensive but you’ll need to get a Miki card for travel. You can get more information here
Uber and Didi were also everywhere in Melbourne so make sure you have an app and an account.
Activities
If you find yourself in Melbourne around Christmas, there are a million things to do.
Don’t miss the Myer Christmas windows in the Bourke Street Mall. They are a Melbourne tradition. Really beautiful and creative. Last years theme was a take on the Gumnut babies story.
You should also visit Federation Square to see the Christmas Tree and the free light show projected onto the Melbourne Library each evening.
We also decided to brave the Boxing Day Sales in the Bourke Street mall. It was completely MAD!! I would suggest waiting 24hours and going on the 27th. They seemed to have re-stocked the shelves the next day so most of the offerings were still available and with at least half the crowds to contend with. That being said, if you don’t mind jostling around for a bargain with the rest of the town, you can get some amazing deals on pretty much anything! Go for it!
On a whim, took the kids to the Old Melbourne Gaol. This was the best surprise package of the trip. It was fun, interactive, a little macabre and really fascinating for all ages. Fans of Australian History will recognise many of the stories told within the Old Gaol, including the hanging of the bush ranger Ned Kelly and the last hanging in the gaol in 1927. The kids were given a quiz to complete which kept them busy and interested while we wandered through.
We also went next door to the old City Watch House, where some fabulous actors put us through our paces and showed us what it was like to be ‘arrested’ and encounter what it is like to be locked up. Also fun for the kids and a real eye opener. The Watch House was used from 1909 right up until 1994.
The Watch House is directly across the street from the site of the Russell Street Bombing in 1986. Theres a small museum dedicated to this event that you can visit as you leave the Watch House. Interesting stuff if you know Aussie History.
We spent a day walking around St Kilda. From St Kilda Pier, including Luna Park, to ‘The Block’ houses from 2018 and 2019 (the kids are fans of the show). Its a great green space on the water in Melbourne and worth the tram trip down to see the famous and infamous historical buildings and grab a bite to eat.
We had lunch on St Kilda Pier and also a fantastic dinner at the Espy Kitchen within the Esplanade Hotel. Its reasonably priced and the iconic building itself has been really beautifully renovated over the years. If those walls could talk…….
A visit to Luna Park will set you back from $5 to enter the park and up to $155 for a family pass for the day. Its worth checking prices vs budget here
We had lunch and a half day shopping at the Queen Victoria Markets. These markets are fantastic! If you are looking for fresh food to cook yourself, you can’t go past it. We were surprised at how reasonable the grocery prices were compared to home. There is also a section of the markets that made me feel like I could be in Hong Hong or Bali - lots of ‘top quality’, ‘genuine copies’ of handbags, t-shirts, socks, shoes etc. You can get some really lovely Leather Jackets at great prices in many of the stores. That would be my pick if you were in the market for one.
One of our kids, and her dad, are sports mad so we couldn’t go to Melbourne without a tour of the famous, hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground. At a cost of only $60 for our family of 4, we toured the ground with a really great man that had obviously spent many years doing so. He knew all the stories, all the history and the modern day sports and the stars. Well worth the entry and also included entry to the Sports Museum.
Our last activity (insert exhausted sigh here) was a trip to Science Works. Over this holiday period the devastating Victorian Bushfires continued to worsen and although they are some distance from Melbourne, the smoke haze increased daily so we were looking for an indoor activity. Science Works was a little like Questacon in Canberra. An interactive Science Museum. There was something there for all ages and a lot of opportunities for the kids to get involved.
Get in touch if you would like any info on our activities. We’ve saved the Great Ocean Road and Apollo Bay for my next blog in a few days.
