Archive for June, 2010

Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria and also it is the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city center is the hub of the greater geographical area. During 1850s, it was transformed into one of the world’s largest and wealthiest cities. Melbourne has been ranked as one of the top three World’s most livable cities.
Geography:
Melbourne is situated on the southeastern part of Australia. Melbourne stands in a region of alpine forests known as the High Country. The Melbourne city limits extends along the Yarra valley towards the Yarra River. It covers an area of 8,694 square kilometers approximately. Melbourne’s major beaches are located in the south-eastern suburbs along the shores of Port Phillip Bay.
Climate:
Melbourne consists of a moderate oceanic climate. Its weather conditions always changes. It has warm to tolerably hot summers, pleasant autumns and springs and cool to cold winters. It is also prone to isolated convective showers. Summer season will be from December to February with an average temperature of 28 o C and winter starts in June and continues till August with an average temperature of 8o C. the city won’t receive much snowfall and autumn is the best season to visit Melbourne.
Culture:
Christianity is the religion which is followed by the maximum people of Melbourne. Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs are also present with small percentages.
Melbourne is an international cultural centre, with various cultural endeavors. The city celebrates a wide variety of annual cultural events and festivals like Melbourne International Film Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Fringe Festival.
The Victorian Arts Center, State Theatre, Palace Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Forum Theatre, Regent Theatre, Hammer Hall, and the Australian Center for Contemporary Art are some of the famous theatres and performance venues.
The National Gallery of Victoria is one of the oldest and largest galleries. And there are more than 100 galleries present in Melbourne.
Melbourne has hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1956, the first ever held in Australia. It is a home to three major annual international sporting events: The Australian Open (Grand Slam tennis tournament), Melbourne Cup (Horse Racing), and the Australian Grand Pix (Formula One).
Melbourne Trams, Queen Victoria Markets, National Gallery of Victoria, Parks & Gardens, Melbourne Zoo, Museums, Monuments, Botanical Gardens and many more are some of the tourist attractions.
Transport:
The tram and the rail networks in Melbourne are one of the largest in the world which hosts 15 lines. The trams operate on many of the major roads in the inner suburbs. Melbourne’s trams are recognized as iconic cultural assets and a tourist attraction.
The rail network in Melbourne consists of 16 railway lines. Flinders Street Station is Melbourne’s busiest railway station, and was the world’s busiest passenger station in 1926.
Melbourne’s bus network consists of almost 300 routes which mainly service the outer suburbs fill the gaps in the network between rail and light rail services.
Melbourne depends highly on car transport. The largest number of cars are bought in the outer suburban area, while the inner suburbs with greater access to train and tram services enjoy higher public transport patronage.
Melbourne Airport is the primary serving airport and the 2nd busiest in Australia. The airport is 23 kilometers (14 mi) from the city center. The airport features direct flights to destinations in all states and territories of Australia. The airport comprises four terminals: one international terminal, two domestic terminals and one budget domestic terminal.
This airport offers duty free shopping. Shops related to accessories, books, gifts, health, beauty, technology are available. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, snacks are also found in the airport.
The car rental companies available at the airport are: Avis car rentals, Hertz car rentals, Budget car rentals, Europcar car rentals, Thrifty car rentals, Red Spot car rentals.