Australia’s second-largest city, Melbourne boasts great festivals and shopping, a passion for food and wine, and fabulous arts. With myriad restaurants and a colorful tapestry of Eurasian ethnicity, Melbourne is a culinary and cultural heaven, situated on the Yarra River. The gay scene spreads over two distinct queer neighborhoods: Collingwood in the north and Prahran/South Yarra/St. Kilda in the South. Outside Melbourne, you’ll find a host of regional attractions, from the Little Penguins to the spectacular Great Ocean Road.

Flying from Los Angeles to Melbourne takes 14 hours. It is a long way and one of the best uses for those frequent flyer miles, since first and business class fares are sky-high. In economy, package airfares are frequently available and air/land packages can actually cost less than air alone. Affordable business class upgrades are sometimes available, as well. Even if you are planning an independent itinerary, you can still get package rate airfares from large consolidators in the market. We recommend that you only buy these from a reputable travel agency. Air New Zealand, Qantas and United offer frequent service, and various routing/stop over options.

If you are going to visit other cities in the Australian continent, you will do much better by buying your tickets from the US. Qantas has sales where you can buy two or three legs for under $200 to which you may add Sydney, Perth, or Cairns.

Time Zones

There are three time zones in Australia Eastern Standard Time (EST) which operates in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland; Central Standard Time (CST) in South Australia and Northern Territory; and Western Standard Time (WST) in Western Australia. CST is one half hour behind EST, while WST is two hours behind EST.

Australian States except Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland have daylight saving during the summer months.

Victoria is on Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT +10 hours). Melbourne is 16 hours ahead of Chicago, 15 hours ahead of New York. Check the "Time Ticker" for current time in Melbourne.

Passport and Visa

U.S. citizens may travel to Australia on a valid U.S. passport with an Australian visa or, if eligible, on a valid U.S. passport and an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), which replaces a visa and allows a stay of up to three months. The ETA is free of charge and is available from airlines and many travel agents. American citizens who overstay their ETA or visa, even for short periods, may be subject to detention and removal. More information about the ETA and entry requirements may be obtained from the Embassy of Australia at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, telephone (202) 797-3000, via the Australian Embassy home page on the Internet, or from the Australian Consulate General in Los Angeles, tel (310) 229-4840. If you have any trouble with your electronic visa you can call the Australian Embassy at 202-797-3145. They are quite hard to reach and you must leave a message. For emergencies try 202-797-3161.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.

Vaccinations are not required unless you have come from or visited a yellow fever infected country or zone within six days prior to arrival. Information on vaccinations and other health precautions may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via CDC's Internet site.

Importation of fresh or packaged food, fruit, eggs and egg products, vegetables, seeds, cultures, plants and plant products are strictly controlled. There is up to 6 months quarantine for pets and other domestic animals. Anyone carrying any of these items on arrival in Australia must tick the appropriate box on the Customs, Quarantine and Wildlife statement. This is handed to you before arrival and must be presented with your passport upon arrival.

Airports

Melbourne International Airport (MEL) is the main international and domestic airport. Melbourne Airport is located about 25 kms from the City Center, under 30 minutes by car. Melbourne Airport is easily accessible, with many public and private transport services available. Information regarding getting to and from the Airport can be obtained at the Information Desk found in the International terminal.

Taxis are available from the ground floor level of Melbourne Airport. Expect to pay around A$32 to A$35 for the 30 minute trip into the center of Melbourne.

A $1.00 taxi parking fee now applies at Melbourne Airport. This $1.00 per vehicle fee only applies to passengers leaving Melbourne Airport from a taxi rank. A $2.00 per vehicle pre-booked taxi fee also applies for passengers catching a taxi from the Premium Parking area opposite the International Terminal.

SkyBus offers a shuttle bus service from the airport to Melbourne CBD and city hotels.

This service operates 24 hours, 7 days.
Buses run every 15 minutes throughout the day and every 30-60 minutes overnight.

- Adult one way tickets cost $13/Adult open return tickets cost $23
- A family ticket costs $26 one way
- A child ticket costs $5 one way

Taxis

Melbourne has over 3200 taxis available for hire within the Metropolitan area. Taxies can be hailed, caught at designated taxi ranks or booked by telephone. The drivers are courteous and helpful. Credit cards are accepted. While a tip may be appreciated it is not compulsory or expected.

Currency

Forget traveler's checks, cash, or personal checks. All you really need is a valid ATM and credit card. Charge as much as you can, thus ensuring the best exchange rate at all times and only take out cash from an ATM machine as needed. Avoid exchanging back to US currency by paying your hotel bill with excess cash and charging the rest. Keep enough cash to get you to the airport. Remember your cab fare on the way down and keep that much for the return. At printing you could get 1.3689 AU$ per USD.

Dollars and cents. Notes: $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. Coins: 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, $1 and $2. The Australia dollar is floated on the world currency market and is presently fluctuating at around 75 cents to the US$.

Banking Hours

Banks are open from 9.30am till 4.00pm Monday to Thursday and open till 5.00pm on Friday. Some Banks and Building societies are open Saturday Mornings. Twenty - four hour automatic teller machines are very common throughout the city and suburbs

Climate

Current Melbourne Weather

Australia's seasons are the opposite to those of the Northern Hemisphere.

• Spring: September-November
• Summer: December-February
• Fall: March-May
• Winter: June-August

Melbourne enjoys manageable summers, glorious springs, mild autumns and crisp winters.

With its variable climate, Melbourne is warm to hot in summer (December to February), mild in autumn (March to May), cold and damp in winter (June to August), and cool in spring (September to November). For the city as a whole, the warmest months are generally January and February, which are often dry and prone to hot spells, although some respite is provided by the cooling sea breezes of Port Philip Bay. June and July are the coldest months, while October is the wettest. The annual average rainfall for Melbourne is around 600mm, which is substantially less rain than Sydney receives.

Health

Melbourne, like most parts of Australia, presents no real health risks for foreign visitors. Tap water is good, restaurants and eating-places are required by law to maintain a high standard of food preparation, and the city is generally clean. Smog is less of a problem than with cities such as London, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Exposure to the sun can be a problem for those who are fair-skinned. Australia's medical services are among the best in the world. Under reciprocal arrangements, citizens from UK, New Zealand, Malta, Italy, Finland, Sweden, and The Netherlands are entitled to free hospital and medical treatment by the National insurance plan. Citizens from other countries (such as the USA) may wish to buy complementary insurance to avoid stiff medical bills. Arrangements for adequate medical cover should be made before leaving home.

Travelers Aid Offers assistance for stranded travelers. Located at 169 Swanston Street Walk in the city. Telephone 9654 2600. Lockers are also available for hire at Traveler's Aid

Essentials

• Australia's electricity voltage for domestic use is AC 240 volts, 50 cycle. The standard plug is a distinctive three pronged - type. Adapters are available from travel shops and hardware stores. Most hotels have voltage adapters for AC 110 volts in the rooms.
• Australia operates on the Metric system. Temperatures are given in degrees Centigrade (oC), liquids in litters, distance in kilometers and weights in kilograms .
  • Co to Fo add 15 and multiply by 2
  • Litters to Imperial Gallons multiply by .22
  • (US gallons multiply by .26)
  • Kilometers to miles multiply by .62
  • Kilograms to pounds multiply by .45
• Public phones: 40-cent local calls Telephone calls made from public pay phones in Australia costs a minimum of A$0.40 (40 cents). If you are making a local call you will not need to pay any more than 40 cents. Most pay phones in Australia now except prepaid phone cards. This are available from Post Offices, News agents and many other outlets in denominations A$5.00, A$10.00, A$.20.00 and A$50.00 . Phone Cards can be used for local, STD, and international phone calls
• International Direct Dial (IDD) telephones calls can be made from public pay phones. Some public pay phones except credit cards. To make an International call, dial the International access code (0011), then the Country Code, Then the Area Code, Then last of all the telephone number. If the Area Code begins with '0', for example London (0171). you should drop the '0' from the number you are dialing.
  I.e.. 0011 + 44 + 171 + (Telephone Number
• Useful Telephone numbers
  • Directory Assistance - Melbourne 1223
  • Directory Assistance - Australia 1223
  • Directory Assistance - International 1225
  • Operator Assisted calls Reverse Charge calls - Australia 12550
  • Time 1194
  • Weather 1196
• Telephone Interpreting - This is a free Service, operating 24 hours a day offering advise on communications in a hundred different languages. Telephone 13 1450
• Emergency phone number for police, ambulance and fire is 000

Language

The Queen's language is spoken. It will take you a bit to familiarize with their charming accent. It does not help that the Aussies have a wonderful slang that can be confusing. For instance, if you are told you have a great lunch, they are referring to your package.

Holidays

Tipping

Tipping while appreciated, is not required or expected in Australia. This includes taxi cabs. If you feel you have been given superior service, a gratuity would certainly be welcome. In that case, ten percent of the bill in restaurants is considered correct. If you tell a taxi driver to "keep the change", it is doubtful you will receive an argument.

Getting Around

When visiting Melbourne, make the information center at Federation Square your first stop. It has everything you need to get the best out of your stay – information on events, advice on the best things to see and do in Melbourne and Victoria, assistance with itinerary planning, and an insider’s insight into the local lifestyle and culture.
Open seven days from 9am to 6pm, the Melbourne Visitor Information Center also has multilingual facilities, interpretive multimedia, Internet access, and an accommodation and tour booking service. Corner Flinders Street and St Kilda Road
Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia Tel: +61 3 9658 9658. Email

Public Transport

Victoria’s capital, Melbourne has an integrated system of trains, trams and buses, known as The Met. A range of tickets covering three metropolitan zones can be purchased from vending machines at train stations, on trams or buses, or pre-purchased at selected shops such as newsagents. One ticket also allows you to travel on all three services. You may buy a single ticket, a day pass, or a two hour ticket. If you buy a two hour ticket after 6pm you can use it until the end of service that day (around midnight).

The main components of the Melbourne Public Transport System are the train and tram networks. The network was privatized in 1999 and has been split into the following parts:

• Yarra Trams run the east/west services in the CBD.
• Connex Trains (formerly Hillside Trains) run the northeastern suburban train lines (Cliften Hill and Burnley groups).
• V/ Line V/Line train services operate to and from Melbourne on the Geelong line in the south-west, Ballarat in western Victoria, Bendigo, Swan Hill and Echuca in the north, Seymour and Wodonga in the north-east, and Traralgon and Sale in the state's east.

Things to see

There's nothing like exploring a city on foot to help you get your bearings, and Melbourne's Golden Mile is an ideal way to see the historic city at its very best. The marked trail makes the 4km walk easy to follow. It passes by some of the most significant buildings in the city, including General Post Office, Parliament House, St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne Town Hall, Royal Arcade, Block Arcade , Regent Theater, Chinatown, and the Royal Exhibition Buildings.

The Queen Victoria Market is a bustling fresh-produce market, and it's at its best early in the morning. Don't miss the wonderful smells of fresh fruits and vegetables and the antics of the lively stall owners. The covered deli section is a beautiful old building with original stalls and is a fabulous place to pick up locally made cheeses, cured meats and dips – perfect for a lunchtime picnic.

Federation Square Following an international architectural design competition conducted by the State Government in 1997, Lab Architecture Studio in association with Bates Smart Melbourne were selected as the designers of Federation Square, a new cultural and civic precinct in Melbourne. The Ian Potter Center: NGV Australia is the largest building on the square and contains 20 galleries with generous circulation spaces and the latest multimedia technologies to enhance the visitor experience. The NGV’s collection of Australian art is perhaps the most comprehensive in the country. The collection comprises over 20,000 items of indigenous and non-indigenous art covering a wide range of media and time periods.

One of the loveliest things to do in Melbourne is to explore the many leafy parks and gardens that surround the city. The magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens (Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, Victoria, 3141, Australia. Tel: (61 3) 9252 2300)
are a must for visitors in any season and a picnic by the lake is a delightful way to spend a lazy afternoon. Make sure you visit Stanford Fountain, The Treasury Building, Parliament House, and St Patrick's Cathedral.

A slightly more elegant way to pass an afternoon is to take a traditional afternoon tea at the Windsor Hotel. This magnificent Victorian building is one of the grandest hotels in the country.

Riverside Southgate is the perfect place for an evening meal. Score a table on the balcony or by the window and watch the lights of the city twinkle on the other side of the Yarra. There are many first class restaurants to choose from and, with just a short walk to the Victorian Arts Center (home to the Australian Ballet and Melbourne Theater Company. The 115 meter or 375 ft spire is a Melbourne landmark), it's the perfect place to dine before or after a performance. Adjacent to the river is the Flinders Street Station, Melbourne's main railroad station.

Southbank is also the place to catch a ferry to Williamstown, a former fishing village on the western side of the bay which has been transformed into a bustling port full of fashionable restaurants and bars. It has the best view of Melbourne's skyline.

Just because you're on holiday doesn't mean you have to be lazy, and for those who want to head out for an early morning jog, you can't beat the running track around the Royal Botanic Gardens. Affectionately known as the Tan, the picturesque 4km track passes by the Yarra River, the Shrine of Remembrance, the Observatory and the National Gallery.

A great place to boost those energy levels by strapping on a pair of roller blades, hiring a bike or simply walking along the foreshore is the Albert Park Beach. And there are plenty of cafes along the way to stop for refueling!

Further along the foreshore is St Kilda Beach. It is a Melbourne tradition to walk along the pier to the historic building (now a café) at the far end. There are penguin tours and ferry tours available for the willing, but most people enjoy simply watching the boats in the harbor and the view of the city from the far end. A traditional snack of fish and chips eaten on the edge of the pier adds wonders to the experience.

Parks and Gardens

• Victoria is widely regarded as the garden state of Australia and it is not too hard to realize why. There are hundreds of parks and gardens around Melbourne and throughout Victoria. The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is considered to be one of the most significant botanical gardens in Australia. Established in 1846, the Royal Botanic Gardens cover 36ha. The gardens are home to over 12,000 different species of plants and are a natural sanctuary for native wildlife. There are a number of other regional botanic gardens in Victoria. The public gardens of the Dandenong Ranges are at their best in spring and autumn, but are well worth visiting at any time of the year. The National Rhododendron Gardens are host to a variety of brilliantly colored blooms, such as:
  • rhododendrons
  • azaleas
  • camellias
  • daffodils
• Of international reputation, these gardens attract 50,000 to 60,000 visitors annually.
• Around Melbourne, a number of gardens are within minutes of the city center, including:
  • Fitzroy Gardens
  • Treasury Gardens Cnr Spring Street and Wellington Parade, Melbourne
  • Flagstaff Gardens
  • Carlton Gardens of the Royal Exhibition Buildings
  • Queen Victoria Gardens opposite the Victorian Arts Center in St Kilda Road
  • Alexandra Gardens
  • King’s Domain

Churches

• St Paul's Cathedral Corner of Swanson and Flanders Streets, Melbourne. St Paul's Cathedral is built on the site where the first public Christian services in Melbourne were led by Dr Alexander Thomson in 1836. Soon afterwards a small wooden chapel was built elsewhere, and the area became a corn market until 1848, when it was made available for the building of the bluestone St Paul's Parish Church. Consecrated in 1852, that was used until 1885, when it was demolished to make way for the present Cathedral. The decision to build on the site of the existing church was made because of its proximity to the railway and soon to be completed cable tramway service. The Swanston Street and Flinders Street corner remains one of Melbourne's busiest intersections today, ensuring the Cathedral a place at the heart of city life.
• St Patrick's CathedralCnr Gisborne St & Cathedral Place, East Melbourne VIC 3002. Tel: 03 9662 2233. St Patrick's Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Centenary of its official opening and Consecration was marked in 1997; however, the first Mass was celebrated on the site in February 1858 in a former partially completed church, some of which was incorporated into the south aisle of the present building; by 1868, the completed nave of the Cathedral first served the needs of the community for regular worship and prayer.
• St James Old Cathedral 8 Batman Street, Melbourne (opposite Flagstaff Gardens). St. James Old Cathedral looks out of place and out of time. It is both. It looks out of time because it is one of the only major buildings in Melbourne that dates from before the 1850s gold rush. The church with its fortress mentality would look quite at home sitting amongst companions of its own age and attitude in The Rocks in Sydney. But it looks more like a lonely ancient relic in 'modern' (i.e. 1880s) Melbourne. It is out of place because in 1914 it was moved several city blocks from its original location, rotated through 90 degrees and reconstructed stone-by-stone on its present site. It now sits next to a busy arterial traffic route well away from the peopled heart of Melbourne's CBD - exiled outside Robert Hoddle's mile by half-mile grid and opposite.
• St Francis Church 326 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. Melbourne's busiest Roman Catholic Church. Built between 1841 and 1845.
• Scot's Church 99 Russell Street, Melbourne. Completed in 1874, it was designed to be the most beautiful building in Australia.

Museums

• Museum Victoria Museum Victoria, Australia's largest public museums organization, is the State Museum for Victoria (Australia), responsible for the care of the state's collections, conducting research, and providing public access. Museum Victoria has a proud history of scientific and cultural research and collection development. The organization operates three public campuses and one of Australia's major education and research-based web sites, and is custodian of the State's immense museum collection.
  • Royal Exhibition Buildings Today, the Royal Exhibition Building flourishes as one of the world's oldest and largest exhibition pavilions, symbolizing the great 19th century international exhibition movement. A guided tour of the Royal Exhibition Building operates daily from the adjacent Melbourne Museum unless the venue is under hire
  • Melbourne Museum Situated in Carlton Gardens and next to the historic Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum is an exciting and innovative attraction - including permanent and touring exhibitions, dynamic performances and events, cafés, IMAX Theater, gift shop, and undercover parking.
• Immigration Museum The Immigration Museum is located in the Old Customs House on the corner of Flinders and William Streets, Melbourne, Australia. Here you'll discover stories of people from all over the world who have immigrated to Victoria, brought to life through moving images, computer interactive, voices, memories and belongings.
• Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo is an historic zoo with an innovative master plan that displays a representative sample of the world's fauna and flora in a series of bio climatic (or habitat) zones. Melbourne Zoo is clearly one of the world's great zoos. Melbourne Zoo is located only minutes from the city center, within Royal Park. Car parking is available or visitors can take the tram or train to reach the Zoo. Tram 55 from William Street Monday-Saturday and Tram 68 from Elizabeth Street run on Sundays. Trains run from historic Flinders Street Station on the Up field or Gowrie lines Monday through Sunday, stopping at Melbourne Zoo's own Royal Park Station.
• National Gallery The NGV’s collection of Australian art is perhaps the most comprehensive in the country. The collection comprises over 20,000 items of indigenous and non-indigenous art covering a wide range of media and time periods. It is presently part of the Federation Square
• Science works Museum 2 Booker St Spotswood, Vic Australia pH: +613 9392 4800. Open every day 10.00am - 4.30pm

Scene

There are mainly two gay neighborhoods in Melbourne.

Prahran/South Yarra, which is south, can be easily accessed from the Flinders Street Station by taking the Sandrigham Train Line South to Prahran station (three stops). You may also take the 72 Tram from the east side of Flinders Street Station on St Kilda Road that goes to Commercial Road where the venues are located. Corner of Commercial and Chapel Streets is the center of the activity. Very well lit area with lots of businesses.

The other gay area is northeast at Collingwood. With far less businesses, is a bit scary, if you do not know your way. Victoria Parade and Smith Street is the center of the activity, but bars are even more distant and streets are not as well lit. From Flinders Street Station you can take either the Epping or Hurstbridge Lines north four stations to Collingwood Station (four stops). The Laird Hotel is just south of the station on Gipp Street (first street south of the train stop). Glasshouse Hotel is just a few blocks east.

There is some activity at Geelong, but this area is about 50 minutes to one hour southwest of the city.

We would recommend you go to the Melbourne Community Voice website for an update list of the gay scene in Melbourne.

Beaches and Pools

• City of Melbourne Baths 420 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000. Phone: (03) 9663 5888. First Public bath in Melbourne.
• Fitzroy Pool Alexander Parade, Fitzroy, VIC 3065. Tel: 03/9417-6493. Outdoor heated 50 meter Swimming pool.
• Kerferd Road Beach Located at the end of Kerferd Road, South Melbourne, it is famous for its nickname "Screech Beach". The boys tend to congregate at the west of the pier.
• South Melbourne and Port Melbourne Beach South Melbourne and Port Melbourne Life Saving Clubs patrol a 1.5km section of beach between the Kerferd Road and Lagoon piers. The reason for having two clubs is that the boundary of South and Port Melbourne Shires crosses the beach midway between each club. The low beach is backed by Beaconsfield Parade, as well as a low seawall and promenade. The western end of Port Melbourne is the gayest section of the beach.

Magazines and Organizations

• The ALSO Foundation 1st Floor, 6 Claremont Street, South Yarra VIC 3141 AUSTRALIA. Tel: (03) 9827 4999. Email ALSO's founders had the vision to create an organization which would make philanthropic grants to the community; address the health, welfare and social needs of the community as well as promote community development projects.
• Australian Lesbian Medical Association (ALMA) P.O. Box 4042, Norwood South, South Australia 5067. Email The Australian Lesbian Medical Association grew out of the personal need of individual lesbian doctors to connect with each other for professional support.
• Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Inc Locked Mail Bag 5057, DARLINGHURST NSW 1300. Phone: 61 2 9368 2700. Email
• Bent P. O. Box 476 Darlinghurst, NSW 1300. Email New monthly magazine.
• The Carlton Clinic 88 Rathdowne St, Carlton VIC 3053. Tel +61 3 9347 9422. Email The Carlton Clinic has always prided itself on providing excellent medical care to Melbourne,s queer community, with almost twenty years, continuous service to our clients, many of whom are gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals. The Carlton Clinic has been vocal in support of the rights of our clients, both within the queer community, and throughout the broader community. We have been involved in the struggle against HIV/AIDS from the beginning of the epidemic, taking a leading role among Melbourne,s medical community.
• Fellow Traveler PO Box 2849, Fitzroy MDC 3065. Tel: 03 9429-6110. Email
• The Gay and Lesbian Immigration Task Force GLITF P.O. Box 2387,Richmond South, Victoria 3121. Telephone 03 9853 0435. Email
• Gay Net The web portal
• GLOBE Melbourne GLOBE is a non-profit organization formed to provide GLBT business, professional and like-minded people opportunities to further develop their business interests and network with other professionals and business persons. Lemons with a Twist & Fruits in Suits
• Joy Melbourne PO Box 907, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3205. Tel: 61 (03) 9699 2949. Email Australia's only gay and lesbian radio station - 94.9 FM.
• Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus GPO Box 813F, Melbourne 3001 Victoria Australia. Tel: 61 3 9517 6538. Email
• Melbourne Spikers Inc. Volleyball Club PO Box 1511, Collingwood, 3066 VIC. Tel: 0500 577 453. Email
• The Pink Sofa Email Australia's friendliest Gay and Lesbian meeting place
• Pride March Victoria P. O. Box 1027, Brighton Road LPO, Elwood, VIC 3184. Tel: 03/9510-3054. Email
• Q Pages
• Queer Film Australia The Melbourne Queer Film Festival has now settled into our new office at 6 Claremont St, Sth Yarra, 3141. Tel: 03/9827 2022.
• VicBears Inc. P.O. Box 1408 Collingwood Victoria 3066, Australia. E-mail VicBears is a club for bears and bear fanciers.
• Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men's Health Center (VAC/GMHC) Peter Knight Center- 6 Claremont Street
  South Yarra Vic 3141. Phone: (03) 9865 6700 0r 1800 134 840. Positive Living Center (PLC) - 51 Commercial Road , Prahran Victoria 3181. Phone: (03) 9863 0444 or 1800 622 795. The Center Clinic- Rear 77 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda Victoria 3182. Phone: (03) 9525 5866. Founded from a public meeting of the Melbourne gay community in 1983, the Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men’s Health Center (VAC/GMHC) has grown to a community health service using the multidisciplinary skills of approximately 800 volunteers and 45 paid staff and an annual budget of $3.2M. Thousands of individual members of the community and hundreds of companies and organization also contribute to the success of our work.

Theater

Half Tix

Bourke Street Mall opposite Myer. Booth selling discount theater tickets on day of performance only. Recorded information: 9650 9420

Booking Services

Best available seats for theater tickets and sporting events performances in Melbourne. Telephone: Ticketek 132 849 or Bass 11 500.

Shopping

Shopping Hours With the removal of the trading hour law that restricted retail outlets trading hours, customers now have almost complete flexibility. Many convenience stores, supermarkets and fast food restaurants are now open 24 hours a day. Most city and suburban stores are open until 5.30pm on weekdays, 9.00pm on Fridays and 4.00pm on Saturdays. Weekend shopping is now commonplace, with major city department stores and shopping centers (Shopping malls) open on Saturday and Sunday. Many pharmacies are open for 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Duty & Tax Free Shopping Melbourne's Duty and tax free prices are amongst the cheapest in Asia. There are a wide range of stores selling luxury items such as cameras, perfumes, watches, jewelry, opals and souvenirs free of Australian Customs Duty and Sales Tax. These shops are located throughout Melbourne City, as well as Melbourne Airport. Goods purchased on a duty or sales tax free basis are for export use only and may not be used prior to departure.

Shopping in Melbourne is an eclectic affair – you can choose from large department stores and sprawling markets to snazzy basement boutiques and edgy hole-in-the-walls. And whether you’re searching for designer labels or vintage clothing, children’s toys or high-tech gadgetry, beaded pumps, Aesop skin care products or sparkling chardonnay, Melbourne has it all.
Walking is the best way to shop, especially along Melbourne’s delightful arcades and laneways. Outside the city center, visit shopping precincts like Chapel Street in South Yarra, Acland Street in St Kilda and Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, especially on weekends. Here you’ll find everything from retro homewares to funky shops selling cult-in-the-making jewelry. These strips also have stacks of streetside cafes, where you can refuel between sprees. Traveling between Melbourne’s suburbs is best done by tram, although you’ll need a car to visit larger suburban malls like Chadstone, where many of the major retailers are found.

DAY TRIPS

Williamstown

On the 10th April 1837, the town of Williamstown was proclaimed.

Established as the port of Melbourne, the town flourished through the years of the gold rush. The people of Williamstown value their heritage, & amongst the buildings of this era of prosperity which remain intact, is one of oldest Post Offices in Victoria.

Isolated on its small peninsula from the main growth of the city, Williamstown has a sense of community which is rare in a modern city. The opening of West Gate Bridge lessened the isolation but despite a renewed interest from the rest of the world, this historic seaport retains its distinctive character.

References

• About - Australia
• Dreaded Ned
• Melbourne Community Voice
• Citisearch Melbourne
• Visit Melbourne

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