With many Hot Milk delegates visiting Melbourne for the first time, getting around this magnificent city will involve just about every possible form of transport.
The Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre is easily accessible by tram, train, taxi or car.
Trams - There are two tram stops outside the Melbourne Convention Centre and one stop at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
Tram routes that travel past the Melbourne Exhibition Centre are:
• Route 96 (St Kilda to East Brunswick) - travels through the city via Bourke Street
• Route 109 (Port Melbourne to Box Hill) - travels through the city via Collins Street
• Route 112 (West Preston to St Kilda) - travels along Clarendon Street in South Melbourne and travels through the city via Collins Street
Tram routes that travel along Flinders Street and pass the Melbourne Convention Centre are:
• Route 48 (North Balwyn to Docklands)*
• Route 70 (Wattle Park Park to City)*
• Route 75 (Vermont South to City)*
Trains - Spencer and Flinders Street stations are a short stroll from the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Taxis - Taxi ranks are located at both the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and the Melbourne Convention Centre as well as all major hotels, Crown Entertainment Complex and Spencer and Flinders Street stations.
Skybus - Skybus Super Shuttle is the official transit link between Melbourne Airport and the central business district.
Melbourne International Airport (Tullamarine)Melbourne Airport (MEL), located 22 km north-west of the city centre at Tullamarine, provides regular access from all major Australian cities, as well as many international destinations across Europe, America, Asia and the South Pacific region. Note that due to Australia's distance from most parts of the world, many international flights may go via an Asian hub (for example Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Hong Kong) or a Pacific Hub like Auckland, and/or transfer in Sydney.
The airport is divided into three terminals, T1, T2 and T3 which are all in the same building.
T1 (the "North Terminal") is host to Qantas and Jetstar domestic services
T2 (the "International Terminal") is host to international services. It is the middle terminal of the airport.
T3 (the "South Terminal") is host to Virgin Blue and REX Regional Express domestic services.
All arrivals are on the lower level of the terminals, with departures from the upper level. Unlike many airports around the world, all the terminals at Melbourne Airport are connected and within easy walking distance of each other. However, each terminal has separate security screening, and access between terminals is not available once in the sterile area.
Taxis between the airport and the city centre cost around $40-$45 and take about 25 minutes when traffic is no problem.
Skybus, tel 9670 7992, runs a 24/7 shuttle to and from the Southern Cross Bus Terminal on Spencer Street at the west end of the Central Business District, just north of Lonsdale Street. The trip takes 20 minutes and is the fastest way between the airport and city by road (it uses an enhanced freeway route with bus lanes). It costs $15 adult one-way, $24 adult return, $5 child one-way (between 4 and 14 years of age). There are also several family ticket options available.
There are two airport pickup locations. One is outside the Virgin Blue/REX terminal (T3), 50m from the international terminal (T2). The other is outside the Qantas/Jetstar domestic terminal (T1). There are ticket desks at both T1 and T3, and if unattended tickets can be purchased electronically or from the driver.
Frequency ranges from hourly during the wee hours to quarter hourly from about 6:30am-7:30pm (always on the quarter hour). They also run a connection service between the terminal and central hotels/hostels during the day (M-F 6am-8pm, Sa-Su 8am-6pm). Book hotel pick-up 3 hours ahead. Bookings are not needed for travel from the airport to hotels.
It is worth noting that the Skybus will drop you at Southern Cross bus terminal, which is connected (albeit not very well) to Southern Cross train station, where you can board all suburban trains and country/interstate trains.
Avalon AirportAvalon Airport (AVV), is Situated in the Geelong outer suburb of Lara. The Airport is located 55 km to the south-west of Melbourne. Sun Bus Australia operates a shuttle service to Melbourne's CBD at $19 per adult one way. The Avalon Airport Shuttle provides a service to other areas of Victoria from $12 per adult one way. Avalon Airport is serviced by Qantas subsidiary low-cost airline Jetstar which services destinations such as Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth.
Note that Avalon is quite a distance from Melbourne city (about 50 minutes drive), although only 10 minutes from Geelong. Avoid a taxi as this will cost around AU$100. Consider arriving at Melbourne Airport if possible for convenience.
By trainAll intercity rail services from interstate and intrastate destinations operate to and from Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station), located on the western edge of Melbourne's central business district. The station has recently been renovated and has excellent links to the rest of the city's public transport network as it is part of the City Loop.
Train rides from major cities take about 10 hours. CountryLink operates a twice daily service from Sydney (10½ hours away), a faster alternative to driving. Great Southern Railway run four services a week from Adelaide (10-11 hours away).
Services from cities within Victoria are operated by V/Line. These services operate from regional centers such as Geelong, Ballarat, Albury, Bendigo, Bairnsdale. Note that V/Line also operates bus services which connect with these trains.
VicLink is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria. Regional Victoria's public transport is controlled by VicLink.
By carFrom Sydney, the quickest route is the Hume Highway, which takes about 9-10 hours (non-stop). A more popular, longer route is along the coast on the Princes Highway. This adds several hours to the journey as it is longer in distance and there are fewer bypasses.
Adelaide is slightly closer, and can be reached in 7 hours. Once again, it is possible to go inland or along the coast - the coast is very scenic, but will add a couple of hours to the journey.
Although not often travelled, a direct journey from Brisbane takes around 24 hours (non-stop) and takes you further inland through areas not commonly visited (along the Newell Highway). This makes an interesting alternative to the more common Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne coastal route.
By busBus services to Melbourne from out of state are provided by Firefly Express and Greyhound (incorporating McCaffertys).
Bus services within Victoria are operated by V/Line, and operate from most major and many minor Victorian towns. VicLink is a handy website to manage your state-wide travel on trains and buses across Victoria.
By boatMelbourne can be reached from Devonport, Tasmania by car/passenger ferries run by Spirit of Tasmania. The journey takes 10 hours and runs every night (in both directions), departing at 9pm and arriving at 7am. During the peak of Summer, there are also day sailings (departing 9am, arriving 7pm) on many days - check in advance.
Ticket prices depend on time of year and your sleeping accommodation. A seat (no bed) is the cheapest, starting (in off-peak season) from $108 for adults and $82 for children. Bear in mind, the seat is most uncomfortable, equivalent to a cinema seat. Cabins with bunk beds start from $187 adults, $97 children. Peak season costs are about 25% higher. Cars cost $59 all year round.
Getting AroundBy footMelbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD. It is a very large metropolitan area, but most areas of interest can be reached within about 20 minutes from the CBD on the train or tram. Maps can be purchased from bookstores such as Angus & Robertson, taken from Federation Square or viewed online. If you're planning on taking the train to a specific area and walking the rest of the way, a combination of the afore-mentioned site and a decent printer will serve you well.
By public transportMelbourne has an extensive network of public transport making private vehicle travel unnecessary for most trips around the city and regional Victoria.
Melbourne’s public transport system, known as Metlink, comprises of trams, trains and buses: trams service the central city and inner suburbs, trains service the suburbs, and buses where there are no tram or train tracks. A single ticket (called a "Metcard") allows travel on all three modes of transport.
The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (open 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday). The Metlink Information Centre, ph 131638 (131MET), every day 7am-9pm, provides information and the Metlink website also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. Metcards are also available from:
many retail businesses (especially 7-Eleven stores)
train stations - less than one-quarter of Melbourne's suburban train stations are staffed. At unstaffed stations, Metcard vending machines are provided.
All ticket machines accept coins and will issue a maximum of $10.00 in change. Most stations will also have at least 1 machine that will take notes but little-used railway stations may have just coin-only machines.
trams - all trams have a coin-only ticket machine that issues a limited range of tickets (up to a day-ticket).
Metcards are divided into "Zones", with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and consequently almost the entire tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle suburbs and some outer suburbs. Until recently Zone 3 covered the remaining outer suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula however this has now been incorporated into a 2-zone system. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it. The following are the most useful tickets (and some indicative costs) for travellers (fares as at 3/06/2007):
two-hour (adult Zone 1 $3.30)
daily (adult Zone 1 $6.30)
weekly (adult Zone 1 $27.60)
Sunday Saver (travel across all zones, all day Sunday; $2.50 but the ticket is not available at automatic ticket machines)
City Saver (a single trip within the CBD only; adult $2.40)
Concession Metcards are available for all children aged under fifteen years, but concessions for older students are only available to Victorian residents who are eligible and have paid for a student concession card. Concessions are also available to holders of Victorian Seniors Cards, Victorian Health Care Cards, and Australian Pensioner Concession Cards. A concession Metcard costs roughly half the price of an adult Metcard. Children under 4 years old travel free.
Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. Note that a two-hour metcard that is validated for the first time at 6:01pm (18:01) or later is valid for the rest of the night, so if you’re heading out after 6pm for an evening’s entertainment, don't buy or validate a day ticket. Note that you will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train.
Services generally operate between 6:00am and midnight Monday to Saturday, and after 8:00am Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs. Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3:00am - if you're boarding a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you don't alight until after it expires.
Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom.
The free City Circle trams run around the CBD perimeter, covering Flinders St, Spring St, Nicholson St, Victoria St, La Trobe St and Harbour Esplanade. They run in both directions every 12 minutes every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 10am-6pm, and until 9pm Thursday-Saturday during daylight savings. Several of the trams on this service are equipped with recorded commentary about attractions passed. They are geared to visitors and are a great introduction to central Melbourne.
The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle bus service stops at key tourist destinations in and around the city. The buses run at 15 minute intervals between 10am and 4pm every day. A complete circuit takes 45 minutes, and there is onboard commentary.
By bikeMelbourne has an excellent network of bike paths, making pedal-power a great way to take in the city. Most paths are "shared footways" under the law, although the majority of users in most places are cyclists. This means cyclists should expect to share the path with pedestrians, dog-walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, prams and tricycles. Some trails contain on-road sections (in marked bike lanes). It is legal to cycle on footpaths only when supervising cycling children or when the path is marked or signposted as allowing bikes. Helmets are required by law, and care should be taken when cycling near slippery tram tracks.
The main paths of interest to travellers are:
The Yarra River Trail runs from the mouth of Melbourne's iconic Yarra River, through the city and onwards to Westerfolds Park in the outer suburbs.
The Capital City Trail runs a circuit through Melbourne's inner suburbs, the Docklands precinct and the city. It's a good way to see a slice of day-to-day life.
The Bay Trail is a pleasant trek aroung Port Phillip Bay, running from Port Melbourne, through the bustling beachside precinct of St Kilda, past the famous bathing sheds of Brighton, all the way to Carrum. A punt operates under the West Gate Bridge allowing a start at Altona Meadows along the Williamstown Trail, across the punt, and joining with the Bay Trail.
Detailed maps of the bike path network can be found here.
Information about cycling rules can be found at Bicycle Victoria.
Bikes can be hired from Hire-a-Bike near Federation Square at Vault 14 Princes Walk, Federation Wharf on the north side of the Yarra, ph 0417 339 203.
By carThe cheapest car rentals are from places like Rentabomb but use may be restricted to the Melbourne metropolitan area.
Mid-range rental companies give good value. Try:
Snappy, 225 Franklin St, Central Melbourne or 79 Matthews Ave, Airport West
Crown, 371-379 King St, Central Melbourne or its affiliate Abel, 247 Mickleham Rd, Tullamarine.
The more pricey major chains are well-represented. These include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty.
Be aware of rental car insurance conditions in Australia. You will pay an excess on damage even if it is not your fault.
Driving in the city shouldn't be attempted without at least a basic map! You can buy a very detailed 'Melways' or 'UBD' directory of the metro area from most bookstores or petrol stations.
Drivers should watch out for "hook turns" in the inner city areas. Normally, a driver would have to be in the right-most lane of a multilane street in order to legally perform a right turn. When a hook turn is indicated by a sign "Right turn from left only", the driver must go as far as practicable into the intersection, staying on the left. When the light of the street you are turning into turns green, you complete the turn. Lots of Melbournians are confused about this, but you should not complete the turn until you get a green light on the street you are turning into. The point of hook turns is to keep all turning cars away from the tram tracks, as it is an offence to delay a tram by trying to turn right across traffic. Check out Wikipedia's hook turn page.
Check out CityLink's site for details of Melbourne's T-shaped tollway which links the Westgate, Tullamarine and Monash (formerly South-Eastern) freeways. It is a fully electronic road with no manual toll gates. You can buy a day pass in advance, or within 3 days of having driven down it, giving your registration and car details. You can do this by phone, internet, or at some Shell petrol stations. The registered owner of the car will get a fine in the mail if you do not buy a pass within 3 days. The tolled sections are indicated with purple and orange signs, rather than the standard green and white. CityLink can cut a worthwhile amount of time from your journey, especially if you are driving from, say, the south-eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport. Motorcycles are free, cars are around $11/day. Larger vehicles are more.
In progress is the EastLink tollway. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it will link the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways
source: Wikipedia. Information is offered as a guide and is correct at time of publishing. Delegates should confirm details before their visit.
