The Melbourne Supremacy

Bundled up in my circle scarf, a faux shearing lined biker jacket, my socks pulled up, Chelsea boots on and my hands wearing fingerless gloves that dragged my luggage in tow at the Tullamarine airport, I arrived in the dead of winter in a country known for its beaches, boat parties and surfing. But that doesn’t happen until December, when the summer solstice sends its rays Down Under. It was late July in 2010, and as I stepped out of the airport, my tropical body immediately reacted to the discordant temperature it experienced seven hours earlier in humid Manila.

It didn’t matter to me that I came to Oz supposedly at the worst time of the year, when most Melburnians hibernate. As I made my way to the city, I looked out of the car window and already the city had captured my heart. I have rhapsodized about visiting Melbourne for many years, and seeing the beautiful architectural structures that contrast from Victorian to art deco amidst the leafless winterless trees and murky skies made it hauntingly beautiful. In the next two weeks of my stay, I discovered how the vibrancy of the city prevails even in the coldest of months. 

Shop here: The GPO (or General Post Office) building at left is a haven for serious shoppers.

Whether it’s your first time or you are a regular visitor, Melbourne has an inexhaustible number of haunts and events that perpetually attract even the most seemingly blasé locals. Here, I present to you a few of my favorite sites and sights that blend with some culture, cuisine, and of course, shopping into the itinerary.

Rose St. Artist’s Market

A weekend market located in Fitzroy, young artists set up stalls to sell their masterpieces that range from modern framed graffiti-like art, handmade jewelry, to crafty homeware. Most of these artists concurrently showcase their work at the Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces in the same area. 

Degraves St.

Located close to the Flinders St. train station, this busy laneway is the perfect place to grab a quick healthy lunch at one of the many cafes, my favorite being the TOFWD (The Organic Food and Wine Deli) that serves a mostly vegan menu of healthy meals and guilt-free sweets. Continue to walk through this alley and you’ll find an intriguing mix of students, rebels, yuppies, fashionistas and hippies back- dropped by little boutiques, precious cafes and lurid vandalism.     

Chapel St.

Perhaps the best shopping destination for both commercialized chain stores and vintage boutiques can be found in this long stretch of shops and cafes. And though this now-touristy strip has seen better days, the charm of seeing one of the few remaining vintage trams that runs on this line maintains its quaint spirit.

Not at all boring: Find one-of-a-kind pieces at The Rose St. Artist’s Market.

The Australian Center For The Moving Image (Acmi)

For film buffs and regular moviegoers alike, ACMI devotes their exhibitions to screen-based culture. During my visit, I was thrilled to see the Tim Burton Exhibition, first shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Curated by Burton himself, his eerie yet poignant works of unreleased short films and childhood sketches were showcased in true Burton-esque style: nightmarish displays with a bit of childhood whimsy. 

National Gallery Of Victoria

Slightly diagonal across the street from ACMI is the NGV, or the National Gallery of Victoria at the Federation Square. With an impressive collection of over 60,000 works of art, ranging from ancient, indigenous to modern collections of unearthed antiques, paintings, photographs, furniture, this museum is the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. 

Brunswick St.

Not quite cold: The NGV maintains its grandeur on a wet winter day.

The young and the beautiful can be spotted in Fitzroy, and Brunswick St. is the popular place for hipsters of fashion, music and art to see and be seen in this trail of galleries, cafes, bars, restaurants, and shops. Come on a Thursday night, when most exhibit openings take place, to see live art installations accompanied with flowing alcohol and underground indie music.

General Post Office

Don’t let its appellation fool you, because the old General Post Office, or GPO, now houses fashion heavy-hitters and young designer labels that can send most into a shopping delirium in this three-floor upscale arcade. Its beautiful renovation after a fire in 2001 still preserves much of its Renaissance Revival style that gives a Euro feel to the shopping experience.

St. Kilda

Biting welcome: The gaping mouth of Mr. Moon marks the entrance of Luna Park in St. Kilda.

A trip to Melbourne would be incomplete without a junket to St. Kilda. The bay panorama, palm trees, salty air and flocking seagulls make for an awe-inspiring spectacle. The Luna Park built in 1912 still maintains its old-style ornate carnival rides still makes for an amusing spin for 21st century kids.

Bourke St.

One of the city’s best known streets where only pedestrians and trams can cross, this is sure to be one of the busiest and liveliest places to be with shoppers going in and out large department stores like Myers, David Jones and Target as well as smaller shops like those at the Royal Arcade. You’ll also find buskers of all sorts, from those playing the traditional didgeridoo, classical violinists and modern aspiring rock artists.

Festival Hall

On Dudley St. in West Melbourne is one of their largest concert venues accommodating an audience of more than five thousand. Truth be told, it’s not much to look at both from outside and inside. In fact, most locals describe it to be one of the most run-down arenas, and for this reason it is also known as “Festering Hall.” Despite that, many famous international acts have performed here, including The Beatles, The Ramones, Pink Floyd, The Strokes, and Vampire Weekend. 

Really fast food: Grab a quick bite before you catch a train in an outdoor cafe on Degraves St.

As I bid “hooroo” to the Big Smoke, I vowed that I would return in the summer, a time of barbies and drinking amber fluid in the arvo, spotting sheilas in bathers, blokes in budgie smugglers in Torquay, raging on with my mates and having a rip snorter of a time.

And trust me when I say that being called a rip snorter is actually a very good thing.