A well packaged agenda of food, wine, sports and arts is your introduction to the best of Melbourne – from its creative, exciting city centre, to its buzzing neighbourhood hub. Melbourne is Victoria’s gateway to world-class wineries, d’decor natural springs and spectacular coastline.
Here are 8 alluring reasons to include Melbourne in your 2020 travel plans:
1. Culinary Experiences
Melbourne is recognised on globally for its restaurant, bar and café scenes, each one defined by the pursuit of creativity, quality and innovation. Reimagined rooftop bars serve an ever-changing selection of craft beers and indulgent cocktails in the form of drinkable art. During the day, cosy cafes beckon passers-by with interior design as delicious as the soy chai lattes, and popular markets sell rainbows of organic ingredients grown by local farmers.
2. Coffee culture
Not many cities take their coffee as seriously as Melbourne does. Here, the bean and beverage are almost as sacred as footy (football), which is good news if you’re in the mood for the perfect caffeine hit. At the city’s best cafes, professional baristas will happily talk beans and machines while carefully tending to your brew. Next to an old-school Gaggia these new coffee machines look more like Beaker’s lab equipment but promise a perfect drop. Need your special single origin at home? Specialty roasters are springing up faster than ever and most of the best cafes sell their supplier’s coffee, so it’s easy to bag locally roasted beans to take home.
3. Cricket mania
Melbourne has a unique and unwavering reverence for sport. Regardless of whether it’s the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or a glamorous day at the Flemington Racecourse, the city is perpetually energised by the wealth of athletic spectacles that fill the calendar. With the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup and ICC T20 Men’s World Cup finals are taking place in Melbourne there are plenty of chances to get your slice of the action in 2020. The Women’s finals will be held at International Women’s day & the men’s finals on the 3rd of November both at the Melbourne Cricket Ground- don’t forget to support your favourite teams.
4. Wineries
Get a taste for top drops on a journey through the best wine-growing regions. With more than 800 wineries and 600 cellar doors across five outstanding wine regions, Melbourne has the perfect grape style to suit every palate. You can enjoy award winning cool-climate wines on Melbourne’s doorstep at Yarra Valley or the world-renowned Muscat in a rural Australian setting in Rutherglen. Enjoy a glass of your favourite wine with spectacular views. Make space for wine time in Victoria and discover your favourites.
5. Nature & Wildlife
One of Melbourne’s greatest allures as a destination is the wealth of natural experiences available just outside of the city. Whether you’re after relaxation or adventure, compact, easy-to-explore Melbourne, has the place for you. Melbourne is the perfect gateway for a nature and wildlife adventure: it’s easy to hit the open road and explore the state of Victoria. In the diverse landscapes of regional Victoria, charming sights, inspiring adventures and incredible wildlife experiences exist in great abundance. Visitors can swim under crystalline waterfalls, spot koalas in the wild, take a dip in open-air mineral springs or hike through leafy forests. And those looking for a more indulgent getaway can spend their time in day spas offering luxury treatments or rustic restaurants with beautiful vineyards and rich wines.
6. Design, Fashion & Retail
Melbourne’s love affair with fashion is palpable all year round. Authentic local styles and bold foreign designs collide to stunning effect, setting new global trends and driving the sustainability movement within fashion. Shopping the look is easy in a city with high street brands, eclectic op shops, quaint boutiques and the glamorous end of Collins on your doorstep – not to mention Chadstone, one of the biggest shopping destinations in the Southern Hemisphere.
7. Buzzing Nightlife
If you like a late night and want to be in the thick of it, Melbourne is the place to be. Sports pubs, gastro pubs, early openers, late night dives, pubs with beer gardens and live music…whether you’re looking to watch the game, indulge in a hearty meal, catch a band or settle in for a Sunday session, Melbourne has your needs covered. Thursday through Sunday is the best time to catch up with Melbourne’s buzzing nightlife. Variety and energy characterise entertainment and nightlife here. Melbourne features an ever-changing number of clubs, bars and live music venues. If you are staying in town for an evening, make it a really special one. Have a drink with the manager, get behind the scenes and really see what makes these Melbourne stalwarts tick.
8. Events & Festivals
In Melbourne, you’ll find a galaxy of great clubs and bars – ideal places for a convivial drink, social catch ups and DJ sessions, late into the night. Melbourne also boasts Australia’s largest concentration of live music venues, where local and international bands cover everything from grunge rock and techno, to jazz, blues and avante-garde performance. See a Hollywood blockbuster, catch a cabaret or comedy show starring local and international talent, or visit Crown Entertainment Complex – home to Australia’s largest casino, cinemas, discos and designer stores.
