CRISS-CROSS MELBOURNE BY TRAM FOR FREE (SOMETIMES)
MELBOURNE IS ONE OF the easiest cities in the country to navigate, thanks largely to its network of trams that crisscross the city, ferrying passengers around the CBD, and delivering them to compelling neighbourhoods and suburbs far and wide. No wonder Melburnians have a cat-that-ate-the-cream satisfaction about living in their very liveable metropolis.
But the good news is that visitors can bask in this reflective smugness by mastering the tram system themselves. It’s as easy as ducking into any 7-Eleven you pass by and purchasing a myki card, the tap-on, tap-off payment system used there. Even with a myki card tucked into your back pocket, chances are you won’t have to use it if you are travelling in the CBD or out to the Docklands area: the city’s Free Tram Zone allows you to jump a tram without having to pay as long as you are within a (slightly wonky) rectangular grid bound by Queen Victoria Market, Docklands, Spring Street, La Trobe Street and Flinders Street, and which encompasses the likes of Bourke Street, Collins Street and Federation Square.
Once you have fine-tuned how to use the tram system, it’s time to decide where to go on it; may we suggest these five top spots:
• With a thriving cafe culture, sparkling waters and funky late-night drinking spots (and penguins, of course) it’s little wonder the inner-city suburb of St Kilda is a perennial favourite with locals and out-oftowners alike. Browse the abundance of its cake shops on Acland Street, sink a schooner and listen to live music at Hotel Esplanade (or the Espy as it’s affectionately known to locals), and then spend the night at the sleek, recently revamped Prince Hotel. 96 TRAM ROUTE:
• Melburnians love to shop and High Street Armadale is where they come to do it. Often described as Melbourne’s answer to Rodeo Drive, the shopping strip here is lined with stylish boutiques from a who’s who roster of Australian labels from Zimmermann to Jac + Jack to Dion Lee. And as you’d expect, the area is well stocked with cafes, restaurants and bars too. 6 TRAM ROUTE:
• The residents of Collingwood will never go hungry. The hipster suburb is powered by its stomach with a profusion of destination eateries serving up interesting fare, from the Japanese influences at CIBI to chef Shannon Martinez’s recently relocated vegan emporium Smith & Daughters (including Smith & Deli). Bolthole bars, art galleries and one-of-a-kind boutique shopping keep things interesting. 86 TRAM ROUTE:
• Cafes, cool bars, fine diners and street art (with a side of graffiti) clash and collide to brilliant effect in Fitzroy. Locals converge on Gertrude, Johnston, Smith and Brunswick streets to shop for vintage, listen to live music, meet up for drinks and chow down on everything from crabs to croissants to cookies and cream gelato. 11 TRAM ROUTE:
• Prahran is a mecca for vintage hunters who have enough to busy themselves for hours along Greville Street and Chapel Street, the home of the brilliantly dishevelled Chapel Street Bazaar. Prahran Market, stocked with fresh cheeses, produce, meats and flowers, is a vintage find in itself given it is one of the oldest in Australia. 72 TRAM ROUTE: