Guide to Melbourne
My trip to Australia all started with checking off my 4th Major Tennis Open, the Australian Open. I began my research in Jan of 2019 while watching the matches. What were the stands like in the first few days? Was it crowded? Where was the sun? All things I wanted to take into account when buying tickets. I spent the next several months planning accommodations, activities, restaurants, and other cities we wanted to visit on our journey. Since I did a lot of research, I'm sharing all my findings of what I would or wouldn't do again.
Melbourne, Australia
We hopped on a quick flight from Sydney over to Melbourne for the first few rounds of the Open. If you're going to the tournament, I'd suggest staying at the Double Tree Hilton on Flinders Street. It's in a great location and you can hop on the FREE public transportation or walk to the grounds. Just know that once you are inside the grounds you will also be doing a good bit of walking, so comfy shoes are a must.
We bought tickets ahead of time for the first two days of the tournament. I've always preferred going during the early rounds so we can see tons of great tennis on any court. While going to a championship match would be amazing, all the tennis matches are awesome! We bought grounds pass tickets for each day so we could walk around and see all the courts and night session tickets for Rod Laver Arena one night and Margaret Court the other.
My advice for anyone going is to purchase a stadium court ticket during the DAY! We learned the hard way the prime time matches are played during the day. Think about it - the day matches aired in the US are always to top players so people worldwide can watch, while the night matches aren't as commonly aired because of the time change. Another reason is poor weather - this way if it rains you will be inside and still able to watch matches. Lastly, a day ticket gets you access to the grounds for all other courts, AND once you are in the gates for the day you can stay all day and night for viewing on the outside courts and all the entertainment.
There is so much to do entertainment wise in addition to tennis - concerts, food, shopping, drinking and socializing - you name it! We met several groups of people who would come into the grounds to eat dinner and drink as a social event. There are also dozens of vendor displays to interact with and tag on social media.
While in Melbourne, if you're not there for tennis, there are many other things to do and see! Our hotel was great for location and very reasonably priced, but if you want something a little more high end, I'd suggest The Crown. The Crown is a popular hotel (where many players stay) and has several bars, restaurants, luxury shopping and a casino. The property reminds me a lot of Las Vegas hotels and is fun to visit even if you aren't staying there. (My tennis fans will appreciate that when @IzzyHortman and I perused through the casino and bars we saw Thiem, Tsitsipas, and Wozniacki)
Food & Drinks
Melbourne is an awesome foodie city and is known for their Asian flare cuisine. One of the best meals I've ever had was at Chin Chin, in the heart of the city and open late night! I saw they also have a Sydney, AUS location as well! The food was incredibly fresh, bursting with flavors and the atmosphere is so fun! There is a very artistic vibe inside with neon signs and bright lights. Their website describes it as "chaotic, relentless energy that affects everyone who comes in" and I couldn't agree more! We got several dishes to share across the table and nothing disappointed us!
In addition to the fantastic restaurant, underneath is GoGo, a hidden bar with great cocktails and a dark and mysterious vibe. You can grab dinner down there as well for a more intimate setting. If you are in Melbourne, don't skimp out - this is a must try!
Another hot spot for drinks is Peaches, an open rooftop bar. The views of the city, natural light and picturesque décor make for the perfect spot for an afternoon cocktail! Since we were there in the summer, a cold frozen drink hit the spot!
Even though I'm always a sucker for a rooftop or patio bar, Peaches is great for any weather and also has a beautiful indoor space as well! Since it was a gorgeous summer day, everyone opted for outdoor drinking!
Flinders Street & Degraves Alley
Flinders Street is the main drag in the part of town we were staying in. It's the primary road that leads to most places you'd want to go. There is a train station, public transport and several restaurants. One alleyway in particular has tons of little shops and restaurants. Craft doughnuts are also a big staple in Australia so small doughnut or pastry shops are on every corner.
One place I wasn't able to visit is Lune Croissanterie, famous for their flakey croissants and cruffins - a cross between a croissant and a muffin.
If you're looking for something outside of eating and drinking, Graffiti Lane, a popular tourist spot to view colorful art is a fun and free activity in the city. We were in Australia right around the time of the 2020 Wildfires, so koala bears and fire safety were top of everyone's minds.
Another great day time activity was visiting the Melbourne Zoo. As an adult with no children, I haven't been to a zoo in years and let me tell you, it was so cool! I thought hey, when in Australia, go pet a kangaroo or koala bear! Kangaroos are super interesting and pretty friendly, though I don't know if I'd be testing that out in the wild. Here we're feeding them corn kernels which they love as a little treat and keep them occupied while us tourists watch and take pictures.
We purchased the Kangaroo Excursion to get up close and personal with the furry lil guys, however, it is also a full zoo and would be great to explore all the animals with kids. To my surprise, kids under the age of 16 can visit for free on the weekends and holidays so stop by and say hey to a joey while you're down under!
That's all I've got for Melbourne. If you're looking for other Australian cities, check out my Sydney Guide here!
Cheers, mate!!
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