Feast your eyes on Melbourne
Melbourne is a favourite Aussie destination for Kiwis, but it is more than a top place for a weekend shopping trip. Juliette Sivertsen checks out some of the exciting events held in this vibrant city.
Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos Muse
I can hear the strut of a model in heels walking down the runway to the beat of the music. Photographers are busy, their cameras clicking loudly. Dazzling outfits inspired by different eras – from Roman gladiators to bleak Scottish history – are on display.
You would think I was watching a live runway show.
I am actually in the National Gallery of Victoria, within one of the most impressive, immersive exhibitions I have experienced. This is a showcase of creative genius Alexander McQueen, the British designer who died in 2010.
The NGV, with the help of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has created a remarkable showcase of McQueen’s work, pairing more than 120 garments and accessories alongside curated art the galleries already owned, to complement and help visitors understand his inspiration and creative process for each collection. The resulting show is a multi-room sensory exhibition with light and audio projections, mirrors and vibrations.
McQueen wanted his models to feel empowered in his clothes, and it is empowering being in the space showcasing the work of a master designer.
The exhibition runs until April. ngv.vic.gov.au
Time – Rone
Down the road from the NGV at the iconic Flinders Street Station, you will find one of the most intricate and detailed exhibitions, which will stop you in your tracks.
Melbourne-based artist Rone has transformed an abandoned wing of the station, which hasn’t been used since the 1980s, and turned it into an incredible exhibition space for his latest work.
You will walk through several rooms, each with a different theme, but set in a fictional post-World War II era; a glimpse of mid-century working-class life in Melbourne. Half-typed yellowing letters on dusty typewriters, abandoned sewing machines and a mailroom full of lost correspondence.
The cobwebs and dust look so real that you will feel transported to another time. The background music and stunning murals add a haunting beauty to this surreal exhibition. The artist used 3D imaging to plan the space, furniture and items, before working with a stylist to refine the detail.
It has to be seen to be believed and is considered to be the artist’s most ambitious project to date. On until April 23. https://rone.art
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
The culinary capital of Australia, one of the biggest dilemmas Kiwi travellers often face in Melbourne, is which restaurant to choose?
Head over for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival next month, and you will sample some of the city’s finest and most creative cuisines, matched with its wine and other alcohol producers.
Enjoy a suckling pig feast, take a gin-soaked walking tour, try your hand at ceramics or, if you are brave enough, go to an offal party. There are events to suit all tastes, from the mega adventurous to those who prefer familiar Australian tucker.
The annual flagship event, the World’s Longest Lunch, will see a feast laid out over 600 metres of table through Melbourne’s Treasury Gardens. This year, there will also be its new sibling event, the World’s Longest Brunch.
Just make sure you bring your stretchy pants. melbournefoodandwine.com.au
Australian Grand Prix
One of the most significant events on the Melbourne calendar is the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Even if you are not much of a motorhead, this heart-pumping event promises all sorts of spills and thrills at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.
As well as the on-track adrenaline to witness, there will be live performances, concerts and offtrack entertainment, including stalls offering some
of the best of Melbourne’s coffee, food and cocktails.
Held over four days, Melbourne has been hosting the event since 1996, so it is a well-oiled machine.
Grab a selfie with the drivers at the daily Melbourne Walk, where they take time to meet fans, pose for photographs and sign merchandise. grandprix.com.au
Fifa Women’s World Cup
Enjoy Melbourne at its finest – hosting a major international sporting event. Jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 will see 64 matches held across 10 venues, including in Melbourne in July and August.
Be inspired by some of the best footballers in the world and soak up the electric party atmosphere. fifa.com
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Inspired by one of Baz Luhrmann’s best-loved movies, Moulin Rouge! The Musical returns to Melbourne in August after a sold-out premiere season.
Showcasing 70 songs credited to 160 songwriters, the extravagant glitzy show set at the famous French nightclub will run at the Regent Theatre from August.
You will recognise many of the tunes from the movie, but there are also additions from the likes of Adele, Katy Perry and Beyonce´ for a true musical mashup. Expect glamour and sparkles, bold musical numbers and in-your-face extravagance, with choreography designed to dazzle. moulinrougemusical.com/australia
Bledisloe Cup
Let the trans-Tasman battle begin once more.
It doesn’t take much to convince a Kiwi to turn up to a rugby match, especially if it is an All Blacks match against the Wallabies.
The Bledisloe Cup will kick off in Australia this year, ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France, and Melbourne’s famous MCG will host the All Blacks in July for only the fourth time in history, and the first time since 2007.
The event will attract thousands of fans from both countries in a game that promises to be full of peak trans-Tasman rugby rivalry. mcc.org.au
Australian Open 2024
Tennis was in full swing in Melbourne last month, but if you missed it, put the Australian Open on next year’s calendar.
It is one of the easiest sporting events I have travelled to. Melbourne’s trams, which are free in the central city, will take you directly to the arena.
Depending on what pass you buy, you will have access to different courts for the games.
The buzz at the Open is invigorating, and you could happily spend a day wandering around the grounds, exploring fan zones, stocking up on official merchandise or sitting out in the gin garden – and that is before you have even watched a match.
There are premium experiences and hospitality packages available, so you can be wined and dined to enjoy the finest of Melbourne’s foodie scene, such as a sophisticated four-course menu with wine matches at on-site Penfolds Restaurant.
Even if you are not at all the games, you can find a seat at Melbourne’s Federation Square where key matches are played on a big screen, making tennis available for all, for free.