Bus terminal, tram interchange point for two lines, and close to a train station, this is a major…read morepublic transport hub of the inner-north-west. Highlights include proximity to Moonee Valley Racecourse, Puckle Street and the Ascot Vale bar/restaurant strip of Mount Alexander Road. Downsides include limited shelter if the rain blows from the wrong direction.

Absolutely sign up for a guided tour to view this building. You start the tour at the museum next…read moredoor and then walk over to the Royal Exhibition Building. You get to walk in and take as many pics as you'd like. Then, you go down stairs into the basement. And then, on the way back you go up to the rooftop. The rooftop has great views of the city and surrounding areas. I took a ton of pics up there and we had a great time. After that, you'll walk back down to the 2nd floor and take more pics inside. I can't believe how much original stuff is still here. Great way to spend an hour.

Beautiful Heritage listed building that ins now over 140 years old. Great for photos. The…read moreMelbourne Museum is nearby, and there are many excellent cafes and restaurants just short walk away, Garry Image by Aspect Property Photography https://www.aspectpro.com.au/

The Public Purse is a huge granite and stainless steel sculpture. It was created after a contest to…read moredesign unique seating in Melbourne. It is a quirky place to have a seat for weary shoppers or tourists in the Central Business District. So fun!

I'm not really all that sure about this particular thing, though I guess it does serve to give…read moreMelbourne a bit of character. Mind you, I wouldn't go as far as calling it an icon, because it isn't as if people come to Melbourne just to see 'The Public Purse'. Yet, it is one of those places that could serve as a meeting spot, if it wasn't for the fact that there happen to be some clocks on Flinder's Street Station where people do the exact same thing.

I'm impressed by this weekly event. We have a similar monthly event where I grew up, but the one in…read moreMelbs is every single week! You can sample various delicious foods, check out the local artwork, watch performers on the stage, or even watch a movie with some hot apple cider. There are a lot of vendors selling jewelry and clothing. I bought a very cute bracelet with custom charms and amethyst stones. I also got to try on some kimonos. Kimono stylist Sala Okabe will personally fit one for you. Just bring a smile and a camera. If you want to purchase, a kimono is only $20 -- cheaper than what I paid when I ordered mine online.

The Night Market is a mid-week cure for the winter hibernation blues. Imagine Mamak chefs…read morestretching paper-thin roti dough, young women decorating Taiwanese pancakes, and burley men pushing sugar cane through a press while touting the juice as a remedy for various ailments. The market combines food, crafts, and entertainment to brighten up the long winter nights. After you've selected a tasty treat, you can grab a seat at the pop-up cinema, check out the live music, or snap a picture with one of the roving performers. (On the night I visited one of these "performers" was a goat in an onesie. While I suspect he wasn't one of the official acts, he was the most popular.) There are plenty of hearty Melbournians out and about to create a festive atmosphere and it's not nearly as crowded as its sister, the summer Suzuki market. This makes it an easy place to meet up with friends and have a chat while browsing the stalls. Be sure to rug up! Fires and heat lamps keep the cold at bay, but it's an outdoor venue. If you're still feeling chilly, then wrap your hands around a toasty cup of mulled wine - it will warm you up inside and out!

No matter what I write here, no matter how well I describe it, nothing will ever EVER prepare you…read morefor Bobby McGee's. Bobby's used to be a club back in the 90's, but now operates simply as a function and event space. I was lucky enough to attend a function here and I won't be forgetting it in a hurry. The venue is set up as a small but very bright town of a bygone era with a sunken dance-floor in the centre. Around the outside area are different 'stalls with each 'stall' acting as a different bar including; a Beach bar, a diner, an automotive repair joint and even Roxy Nightclub. Confusing, yeah? Check out the website to get a better grasp of what I'm trying to say! Capacity is around 500 which is perfect for that big function you're holding. The staff are fantastic and incredibly helpful, they'll make your event extra special even offering dancers on podiums (the cool kind, not the skanky kind) and other little extras can be added to this already extraordinary venue. Like I said, I can't explain Bobby's well enough to give it the glory it deserves, it really is something you have to see for yourself.

It seems as if some people had some rather pointed things to say about this little park hidden away…read morebehind all of the Footscray shops. So, being the rather daring person that I am I decided to go and check it out. Well, it actually wasn't all that bad, and in fact the street art around the area gives it a lot more panache than maybe the older days when it was pretty much avoided.

Maddern Square is our favorite haunt on the way from Cheaper by Miles to the Footscray Market. The…read moresquare is perfectly designed to catch all of the free flowing litter and collect a fine assortment of broken glass and wine cask bladders from a Thursday night to Sunday arvo. Since the closure of the Rotunda in the Railway Gardens, Maddern Square has become the defacto home of late night parties out of the spotlight of the world class Mall that it funnels into and a hot spot to take the kids to see what drugs can do. Maddern Square is full of potential, don't get me wrong. It's a (well known) secret car park if you're going to the market and a great place to rinse a syringe or two before urinating behind the old Godfreys Cleaning store. Sure, it has real grass instead of asto turf, trees that have been pollarded by aspiring gardeners and concrete seating to whittle the time away reading the walled wisdoms, but what it needs is a bottle shop, public toilet and an army of large garbage bins with basketball hoops for incentive. So if you want to see a mall without the shops, but with all of the charm of the Nicholson St showcase (whilst having cars drive at you), Maddern Square is your heaven.

I know, I know; I am 3+ months behind on my reviews... It's…read morejust that my travel schedule has been super busy and I am about to take off again. Thanks for your patience. Quality/Quantity - So many good places to eat and drink. Monthly pop-ups, market days. Many malls also. Next time I will visit the Museum of Chinese Australian History. Address: 22 Cohen Place Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Tel: (03) 9662 2888 E-mail: info@chinesemuseum.com.au Atmosphere - Good size Chinatown, way bigger than Sydney. Beautiful cool decor, see pictures. Service - Good. Price - Depends on what you do, buy, eat, or drink. Owner Comment - Cut and pasted from website: "Chinatown is a distinctive and well-known area of Melbourne which dates back to the gold rush days of the 1850s. Chinatown Melbourne is the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world. Chinatown's essential character and the main focus is along Little Bourke Street with alleys that link the area to Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street."

This Chinatown is like a throwback but in all the best ways. I love the integration of new and old…read moreand the preservation of what used to be, while trying to stay modern. The gates flanking the main thoroughfare are gorgeous and seem to have been kept up pretty well. There are a lot of "issues" with the idea of these gates from the past but I love to see them today, not as gates to keep in but as gates to welcome all people. There are so many good looking food options, both high and low price range. There are quite a few "hidden" gems that are in side streets and what look like defunct shopping centers. There's plenty of shopping here as well, from major name brands to small businesses.

THERE'S AN ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YARRA! And yes, it is awesome…read more There's a BBQ area and it has been developed as a sculpture park - with a mock helm at the front of the island ensuring you delight in the opportunity to play Titanic with your loved one. A punt boat runs on Saturdays and Sundays from early December until the beginning of April, but as the pictures attached can attest - we paddled in our own rowboat from Richmond.