The metropolis of Melbourne is best described by the words infrastructure, environment, education, culture, stability, and healthcare, making Melbourne the most livable city in Australia and the third most livable in the world. The city was founded in 1835 during the reign of King William IV. Melbourne's stunning architecture and vibrant arts scene make it comparable to New York and Paris, even though it is so unique, illustrating a community of 140 different nations with diverse cultures. Since the beginning of the British settlement, the culture of the city has been influenced by European culture, particularly Victorian culture from the British Isles. Australia's cosmopolitan city is packed with cafés, bars, restaurants and galleries, all based on the European model of the Victorian era and the architecture of the time. Find out why you should travel to Australia's Melbs Vegas with practical tips for travelling to the Eastern continent of Australia.
Melbourne was chosen as an Australian city by the Governor of New South Wales, Richard Bourke, in 1837 and named after William Lamb, then British Premier of the 2nd Viscount Melbourne, from the English Midlands village of Melbourne, Derbyshire, after his visit in March. When the new Melbourne City Council was established, the city acquired a meaningful motto, which is incorporated into the Melbourne coat of arms. The shorter motto "Vires Acquirit Eundo", or "She Gathers Strength As She Goes", was proposed to the Mayor by the city's first District Judge, Judge Willis. He took the motto from Virgil's epic Aeneid IV 175. In the first half of the 20th century, after the unification of Australia, when the capital Canberra was being built, Melbourne was the temporary seat of government of the new country until 1927. The newly built Canberra becomes the national capital of the Australian Capital Territory.
Melbourne's festival scene is a year-round source of excitement for fans of good music, film and gastronomy, so there is always a good atmosphere and fun to be had in the city. With all these types of festival events, there's also the culture of Australia's Aboriginal people, celebrating the most popular festival of lights, Parrtjima, which has been connecting visitors with the culture of Australia's indigenous people since 2016. Festivals are intended for different age groups, with a varied cultural program for all tastes. You can choose between:
The Melbourne suburb of Pearcedale, a rural coastal district, is a green environment where Moonlit Sanctuary, a 10-hectare wildlife park, is home to 60 species of Australian animals, such as kangaroos, dingoes, koalas, Tasmanian devils, as well as other endangered species. Another choice is the Koala Wildlife Park on Phillip Island, which offers the experience of seeing koalas and penguins on the shores of the island, as well as relaxing on one of Woolamai's beaches, such as Woolamai Surf Beach. The Koala Wildlife tour includes a visit to the site of a colony of Australian fur seals. Great Ocean Road, a panoramic tour of the limestone formations The Twelve Apostles shows the coastline outside Phillips Harbour on a day trip. The offer includes a ticket to Port Campbell National Park, which offers a range of sports and leisure activities that will make you want to repeat your trip to the park.
Torquay Beach on the Great Ocean Road, with its surfing facilities, teaches you how to tackle the waves in a Quiksilver wetsuit in two hours of surfing basics and gives you the cues you need to take your surfboard out on the water. Kayaking has never been easier than on Melbourne's Yarra River, where you will paddle with the help of a local guide through the heart of downtown to the Docklands area. Your kayaking experience lasts about two hours and includes all the equipment for the best descent down the river. To see the Melbourne metropolis even from above, take a balloon flight at sunset. The whole tour will take 3–4 hours, while you will be able to see the metropolis from the air for an hour with highly experienced pilots. Before you fly over Melbourne, you will take part in a variety of interesting and fun tasks to learn and master the skills needed to fly a hot air balloon.
Continue your exploration of the metropolis with a cruise through Melbourne Harbour on the Yarra River to Hobson's Bay, where you can take time for a cup of tea and coffee while enjoying the magnificent views of the horizon. A one-hour cruise introduces you to the history of settlement, development and flourishing of the city in the 19th century. You can also explore the Yarra River on your own and go on a river cruise with friends with an environmentally friendly electric boat, where you will be your own captain with an independently organised picnic. Just an hour and a half outside Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula, recharge your batteries at the Peninsula Hot Springs Thermal Baths, which includes 70 well-equipped relaxation spots such as mineral baths, hot pools and saunas. Here, in a well-maintained natural environment, you can better connect with yourself, relax and, last but not least, revitalise your senses with a geothermal bath.
Access to Melbourne is much easier with YHA Melbourne Central Hostel and Hostelling International's values, which encourage guests to live a sustainable lifestyle as sustainable green values with a mission to reduce their carbon footprint. Read the article Melbourne Central YHA on Flinders and its service offering on Flinders to find out how they have chosen to build and use resources in order to implement a sustainable way of operating a service facility. And despite all the hostel activities, take the free Accessible Melbourne travel guide with you to create a unique experience on your journey around the Melbourne metropolis and plan your day in a special way with Lonely Planet. This will make your trip to Victoria and the Melbourne metropolis unforgettable.