Lifestyle and Leisure
The crown jewels
Andrew Collier, a former resident of Melbourne, picks out his own personal favourites among Victoria's leisure-time gems
Evening options:
After a day at work, the night can take one of two routes: sit at home and relax, or hit the town in search of something to take your mind off the daily grind. I often opted for the latte – whether that was at trip to Crown Casino, the cinema, or a short train ride to Prahran.
Walking down Chapel Street in Prahran, I used to feel as though I had entered another era: the buildings were shabby and fronted with dark, gothic features. The shops ranged from trendy boutiques with minimal products to adult bookshops with the windows bathed in red light. People walking past me were wearing grungy retro clothing or sharp tweed ensembles picked up from the many vintage shops along the street. A fantastic place for lovers of the alternative, Prahran's vintage shops and flea markets are some of the best I have ever seen.
Closer to the centre of Melbourne is the Crown Casino and its vast entertainment complex. All bases are covered: food, drink, film, shopping, and of course, gambling.
Those who fancy a mid-week flutter are spoilt for choice by the slot machines and roulette tables. A friend and I would occasionally walk down to the casino, located on the Yarra River, and spend some money on the slot machines, whilst people watched and soaked up the highly charged atmosphere. We even had the occasional win - AUS$20 for me and AUS$40 for my friend, which is the perfect end to a day at the 'office'.
For film lovers, Melbourne has plenty of places to get a celluloid fix. The casino and the Westfield have the multiplex cinemas for all the blockbusters, and Prahran has the smaller art house cinemas.
Evening retail fixes can be found at the large Westfield Shopping Centre in the centre of Melbourne, which has a large number of shops to suit most tastes and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. Finally, take a trip to Melbourne's Chinatown, near to Bourke Street, if you want to treat yourself to an evening meal.
Weekend options:
If the credit crunch is restricting your weekends away, look no further than St Kilda.
A little rough around the edges, St Kilda more than makes up for this with its faded seaside charm. A popular weekend day out for young and old alike, St Kilda is home to the Luna Park fairground, great little bars and a high proportion of fancy cake shops with stunning window displays. Spend the day munching a cake, strolling along the esplanade, and then catch a live band in the evening at one of the lively pubs.
Alternatively, a trip along the coast could be the perfect getaway. Philip Island is home to a colony of tiny Fairy Penguins that emerge from the sea and waddle up the beach to their burrows in the reeds, much to the delight of the large crowds that gather to watch the spectacle every night.
Continuing with the outdoors theme, a one-hour drive south from Melbourne is Mornington Peninsula, a spit of land jutting out into the Tasman Sea. Mornington Peninsula is a popular weekend getaway for Melbournians, and many have beach huts along the coastline. The nearby national park protects the secluded bays and areas of marine interest.
Closer to Melbourne, there are plenty of art galleries and museums to whet the appetite. Melbourne Museum is vast, and took me a whole day to explore. It features extensive Aboriginal history, a mini outside garden and, best of all, the original set of Helen Daniel's kitchen from Neighbours, which offers the perfect opportunity for over-enthusiastic enactments of classic scenes.
Lastly, no weekend would be complete without a trip to watch some sport. The Commonwealth Games were held whilst I was living in Melbourne so I got the chance to watch the Rugby 7s at the Telstra Dome, west of Bourke Street. I found that the atmosphere was enough to make up for my lack of interest in sports and it was a great way to spend a Saturday.
Lengthier options:
The Grampians are located to the west of Melbourne and are easily accessible via the Great Ocean Road after a few hours of stunning scenic vistas scrolling past the vehicle windows.
The drive itself is the main reason for visiting the area – remote, beautiful, haunting and packed with country roads that go on for miles. I personally recommend a stop off at Apollo Bay to watch the sunset over the ocean with a beer – perfect!
Upon arrival at the principal town of Hall's Creek, a friend and I set off exploring the forests, rocky hills and winding streams before barbecuing as the sun set over the mountains.
Mornings in the Grampians are punctuated by the high-pitched squawk of the parakeets that live in the trees acting as an alarm clock.
The rest of our time was spent exploring the vast lakes close to Hall's Creek, including one that was the colour of tea, surrounded by thick forest and home to large kangaroos that were prone to jump out of the trees right in front the van we were driving.
Ballarat is another great place to spend some time. Once a grand reflection of the gold rush, courtesy of its colonial buildings, today's Ballarat still has plenty of colonial character and the nearby gold museum is a fun day out for young and old.
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Grab a copy of Emigrate magazine, February 2009 edition, to read Andrew Collier's full overview of Victorian leisure options.
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Photo courtesy of Live in Victoria