Welcome! International Student Guide Welcome Welcome to Melbourne – The guide contains lots of officially known as the world’s information to help you discover most liveable city. Melbourne – and provides advice on the best way to travel around Our population of nearly 100,000 our great city. includes people from more than 200 cultural backgrounds. While If you need help with services or some are recent arrivals, others – advice, the City of Melbourne is such as the Chinese who arrived here for you. If you can’t find during Melbourne’s 1850s gold what you need in this booklet, rush – helped shape Melbourne's visit melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson history and contributed significantly to the city's identity. On behalf of the City of Melbourne, we sincerely hope you enjoy your We are very proud of what our time in our city. cosmopolitan city offers. Students play a big role in creating a buzz in our city and we want you to feel safe, valued and supported. Robert Doyle Cr Jennifer Kanis Lord Mayor Future Melbourne (People and Creative City) Committee Chair GettinG around toWn It’s easy to find your way around Melbourne, as the main streets are laid out in a grid. Some of the laneways weave, turn or become dead ends, so you might want to carry a map if you’re being adventurous. We recommend public transport, bikes and walking as the best ways to get around the city. All three keep you close to the action and you’ll get more out of every visit. Public transport • Not sure how to get from A to B? Trams, buses and trains are a cheap The Metlink Journey Planner can and easy way to get into and around help: www.metlinkmelbourne. the city. com.au, phone 131 638 or go to the TheMet Shop: Melbourne Myki or Metcard? Town Hall, 120 Swanston Street, • You’ll hear people talk about Melbourne. Also check out the a ‘myki card’ – it’s a reusable Sunday Saver five-trip Metcard plastic smart card that pays for weekend travel savings. your fare on public transport. You can buy the card online – • Always validate your ticket after www.myki.com.au – or at the you get on the tram – authorised MetShop at the Melbourne officers check tickets regularly. Town Hall. You risk a hefty fine if you don’t have a ticket. • Until December 2012, you can also travel with a Metcard; but if you • Wondering how to get home after haven’t bought a ticket before a big night out on the week-ends? you travel on a tram, remember Metlink provides the ‘NightRider’ the machines are coin-only. bus from the City Square after The Metcard is due to be phased midnight on Saturdays and out at the end of 2012. See Sundays. You can use your myki www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au or Metcard and the driver will stop for the latest information. where you request along the route to your outer suburb. More info on www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au GettinG around toWn Free tram and bus tours Bikes The City Circle tram travels around Melbourne is one of the best cities the edges of the central city, in the world to ride a bike around. providing an audio commentary The city is mostly flat, with fairly explaining what’s located near each wide streets and plenty of bike lanes. stop. The City Circle is free and a But it is compulsory to wear a good way to find your bearings. helmet in Victoria – and you get a Every 10 minutes between 10am and $146 fine for not wearing one. 6pm, from Sunday to Wednesday, and extended hours, 10am to 9pm, Even if you don’t have your own bike, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. bring your helmet into the city, and keep an eye out for the racks of blue The Melbourne City tourist shuttle bicycles stationed in key locations. takes passengers to many different Swipe your credit or debit card and city attractions – no fare required. you’re set for wheels for a couple of The shuttle also offers an audio hours or a full day. You can also buy commentary. It operates most weekly or annual subscriptions, with days of the year, running every fees calculated according to how 30 minutes between 9.30am and long you ride and charged directly 4.30pm. from your credit card. Visit melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson for details and changes to these Bike pod – City Square Car Park, services. 202 Flinders Lane, Lower Ground Floor. You will see many locals riding to work as there’s a free bike pod at the City Square with showers, and changing facilities. Bike parking is also available. For more information about cycling around the city, visit Bicycle Victoria on www.bv.com.au Walking Safe City taxi ranks Self-guided walking tour maps Safe City taxi ranks operate on are available at the Melbourne Friday and Saturday between 11pm Visitor Centre at Federation and 5am. These ranks are staffed Square – or via our website, by security officers and are located melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson within the central city. Safe City taxi ranks are located at: Alternatively, many tour companies offer themed walking tours 55 King Street (shopping, chocolate, history and 8 King Street bars) if you have a particular passion. Flinders Street Station Fees apply for these tours. 50 Bourke Street 131 Queens Street 200 Queens Street Call a taxi 13CABS 13 CABS (or 13 2227) Arrow Taxi Services 13 22 11 Embassy Taxis 13 17 55 Black Cabs 13 22 27 North Suburban Taxis 13 11 19 Yellow Cabs 13 19 24 Silver Service 13 31 00 Wheelchair Accessible Taxis 03 9277 3877 Silver Top 13 10 08 Food and Groceries ALDI, 8 Franklin Street Halal food There are many restaurants, cafes Safeway, QV, lower ground level; and retail shops around the Merchant Street, Docklands city offering halal food. We Coles, Melbourne Central, lower recommend you phone before you ground level; corner Elizabeth and go to make sure, but last we checked Flinders streets all the below were halal: Costco, 381 Footscray Road Gaylord Indian Restaurant, Docklands (membership required, 4 Tattersalls Lane, 03 9663 3980 products generally sold in bulk.) Little Malaysia, 26 Liverpool Street, Champion's SUPA IGA Foundry, 03 9662 1678 399 Bourke Street Norsiah’s Kitchen, Queen Victoria Market, http://www.theage.com.au/news/ Corner Victoria and Elizabeth streets, restaurant-reviews/norsiahs-kitch open Tuesday to Sunday (closed en/2007/07/03/1183351172977.html Mondays and Wednesdays). A night Nelayan Indonesian Restaurant, market operates on Wednesday 265-267 Swanston Street, evenings during summer. 03 9663 5886 Laguna Oriental Supermarket, Sawasdee Thai Restaurant, (QV, 221 Little Lonsdale Street) a Level 1, 139 Little Bourke Street, huge store with a great range of 03 9663 4300 Asian grocery products – including Indonesian specialties. Abla’s Lebanese Restaurant, 109 Elgin Street, Carlton, Great Eastern Asian Groceries, 03 9347 0006 (183 to 189 Russell Street) is a busy store carrying all your basic Asian sauces, Jakarta Seafood Restaurant, noodles, vegetables and vegetarian 118 Elgin Street, Carlton, 03 9349 3118 packaged and frozen goods. Excel Food Mart, (140 Peel Street North Melbourne) is an Indian grocery and spice store carrying ingredients for Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Pakistani cooking. on a BudGet Beer DeLuxe Corner Flinders and Crossways 123 Swanston Street Swanston streets, Federation (Upstairs on first floor), 9650 2939 Square, 9663 0166 Situated in the heart of Melbourne, From the relaxed, Beer Salon, on Swanston Street, Crossways Beer Garden, and Espresso Café, provides wholesome hearty to the cool Hamburger Grill or the sanctified vegetarian lunches with more casual Hamburger Bar in the discounts for students, the elderly outdoor square, Beer DeLuxe is and other concession card holders. the perfect place to chill out with Many come for the friendly warm friends. ambiance. Café Vue 430 Little Collins Street, Don Don Japanese takeaway 9691 3899 321 Swanston Street, 9662 3377 The menu is wonderfully diverse Affordable Japanese meals serving the very best coffee and a and super fast service, eat in or daily, changing menu of breakfast takeaway. and lunch treats with a French flair. Gopal’s 139 Swanston Street, Camy Shanghai Dumpling 9650 1578 & Noodle Restaurant 23 Tattersalls Lane, 9663 8555 Tasty vegetarian meals for the health conscious, served buffet Fast and affordable authentic style. For a reasonable amount, eat Chinese dumplings. as much as you like from the large selection of dishes. Mekong 241 Swanston Street, 9663 3288 Excellent bargain-priced Vietnamese food from handmade spring rolls to pho (rice-noodle soup). on a BudGet Red Pepper Indian Restaurant Old Town Kopitiam Mamak 14 Bourke Street, 9654 5714 Level 2, Shop 11, QV Square, QV Building, 9654 2682 Sister restaurant to Green Pepper. Cheap Indian cuisine with daily http://www.oldtownkopitiam.com. specials. au/contact Nam Loong 223 Russell St, Stalactites 177–183 Lonsdale Street 9663 4089 (Corner Russell Street), 9663 3316 http://www.melhotornot.com/ Open seven days a week, hot-nam-loong-223-russell-st- traditional Greek cuisine, it is a melbourne/ virtual institution for dinner, early breakfasts and late night eating. other useFul thinGs www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson Melbourne Day Directory assistance: On Monday 30 August 1835, the first 1223 (free call) European settlers landed on the north bank of the Yarra River and a International directory assistance: modern city was born. Melbourne 1225 (free call) Day celebrates the founding of Reverse charge calls the city and acknowledges its 12 550 importance as a meeting place for traditional Aboriginal owners: Banks the Kulin nation, including the The majority of bank branches Wurundjeri, Boonerwrung, open weekdays from 9.30am.