36 Hours in Melbourne, Australia

36 Hours in Melbourne, Australia - New York Times http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/travel/06hours.html?scp=1...

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AUSTRALIA AND PACIFIC > AUSTRALIA > MELBOURNE

36 Hours in Melbourne, Australia

Edwina Pickles for The New York Times

Gallery-approved graffiti in an alleyway.

By FINN-OLAF JONES

Published: January 6, 2008

Correction Appended

IT’S hard not to feel some sympathy for

Melbourne. Often overlooked by

travelers as they sprint their way through

Australia’s Big Three tourist

attractions — the dazzling metropolis of

Sydney, the startlingly beautiful

Great Barrier Reef and the historic Aboriginal site of Uluru — this

laid-back city is a place that takes some time to appreciate. But Melbourne

slowly grows on you as you stroll around the immaculately preserved Victorian-era downtown

or along the revitalized Yarra waterfront, or linger over a cup of “flat white” in one of trendy

cafes on Chapel Street (where the very mention of the name Starbucks is greeted with horror).

And in January, at least, it has something that Sydney and those other places don’t: the

Australian Open. This is a country that loves its tennis, and for two weeks, this city feels like a

nonstop party, one in which the chances that a local hero may finally take the title are debated

each night in the pubs and where even a doubles match played on an outside court and

featuring unranked players from the former Eastern Bloc will draw a capacity crowd. Who

needs the Opera House?

Friday

5 p.m.

1) RIVERFRONT OZ

Say g’day to old and new Melbourne at the Docklands, a

once-neglected shipping yard that has been transformed into a

minimetropolis. For a sculptural blend of curvy office

buildings, slick apartment towers, outdoor

art and street

theater, stroll the New Quay precinct, where the city’s young

professionals and artists gather in the evening to enjoy a beer

or two on the lively promenade.

7:30 p.m.

2) BEYOND THE BARBIE

New Quay has also bloomed with extraordinary restaurants,

strung along the waterfront like an international food court.

Especially popular is

Mecca Bah, (55A New Quay Promenade,

61-3-9642-1300;

www.meccabah.com) a casbah-chic

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Melbourne, Australia

restaurant in a glassy waterfront pavilion where Melbourne’s

glamazons nibble on Middle Eastern fusion dishes like pizza

with roast pumpkin, feta and pomegranate jam (16.30

Australian dollars, or about $14.25, at 1.17 Australian dollars

to the

United States dollar) and swordfish kebab (20

Australian dollars), while waiting for the dusk to light up the

sparkling skyline across the river.

9 p.m.

3) DON’T CALL IT GRAFFITI

Lose yourself in Melbourne’s laneways, the mind-boggling network of narrow alleys where

mainstream culture takes a back seat to art installation light boxes, fake windows and

gallery-sanctioned graffiti. Then there are the laneway bars. Hidden along dark side streets,

often behind unmarked doors, many of these bars are so outrageously decorated that they

could pass for conceptual art, were it not for the great drinks. Among the funkier places are the

Baroq House, a neo-dix-huitième-siècle salon (9-13 Drewery Lane, 61-3-8080-5680;

www.baroqhouse.com.au); Sister Bella, which looks like a 1970’s country store (Sniders Lane);

and Section 8, which is furnished with shipping crates (27-29 Tattersalls Lane,

61-4-3029-1588).

Saturday

10 a.m.

4) ABORIGINAL ART

Regain your bearings in Melbourne’s new gathering point,

Federation Square

(

www.fedsq.com), which looks like a giant theater set lined with glass and zinc. After grabbing

a “tall blonde” — Australian for latte — check out the

Ian Potter Centre at the National Gallery

of Victoria (61-3-8620-2222; www.ngv.vic.gov.au), which features one of Australia’s best

collections of Aboriginal folk art. And if the weather cooperates, which it often does, hop over

to the Golden Mile, so called for the wealth of Victorian manors and offices built during

Melbourne’s gold rush in the mid-1800s.

12:30 p.m.

5) PUB GRUB

Thirsty? Make a stop at

Mitre Tavern (5 Bank Place, 61-3-9670-5644;

www.mitretavern.com.au), a storied watering hole where you can rub shoulders with

Melbourne’s young professionals over a pint or two of local ale (3.40 Australian dollars),

along with some outstanding bar food. Try the lamb salad (18 Australian dollars) or flathead

fish and chips (18.90 Australian dollars).

2 p.m.

6) PRISON BREAK

The

Old Melbourne Gaol (the Australian spelling for jail) was built in the 19th century out of

volcanic rock and is so austere that it could have come out of a

Charles Dickens novel. It closed

as a jail in 1929 and is now a grimly fascinating museum (Russell Street, 61-3-8663-7228;

www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au) depicting Australia’s early history. The gallows in the main

cellblock is where Ned Kelly, the free-spirited bushranger who became a folk hero in the

nation’s emerging identity, was hanged in 1880.

3:30 p.m.

7) SOHO DOWN UNDER

With its converted warehouses, scrappy galleries and cool shops, Flinders Lane is often

compared with SoHo in New York. Craft Victoria (No. 31, 61-3-9650-7775,

www.craftvic.asn.au) sells designer housewares and jewelry by local artisans, including a

plastic basket that looks like delicate woven grass (320 Australian dollars). And for mod

Australian fashions, check out

Christine (No. 181, 61-3-9654-2011). Popular items include

clunky rings made of Baroda pearls (4,000 Australian dollars) and cashmere-soft sweaters

made from fine New South Wales wool (550 Australian dollars).

8 p.m.

8) EAST MEETS SOUTH

For a taste of Melbourne’s multicultural splendor, weave through the narrow blocks of

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Chinatown and prepare to be wowed by the Flower Drum Restaurant (17 Market Lane,

61-3-9662-3655), widely considered one of Australia’s finest restaurants. Settle into the

elegantly minimalist interior and explore rarefied Cantonese dishes like fried giant deep-sea

oysters and braised green lip abalone. The tasting menu is 150 Australian dollars. If you’re on

a budget, you can’t go wrong with the no-frills

Supper Inn (15 Celestial Avenue,

61-3-9663-4759), a dank, wood-paneled diner that serves cheap and delicious fare like pork

giblets (15 Australian dollars), live clams (18 Australian dollars) and crispy pigeon (14

Australian dollars).

11 p.m.

9) NIGHTCLUBS, UNITE!

Not sure if you to want hang with fashionistas or art-house poseurs? Head to the Curtin House

(252 Swanston Street), a former Communist Party headquarters that is now home to three

night-life zones. On level one, you’ll find stylish young professionals at

Cookie (61-3-9663-2015

www.cookie.net.au), a Thai restaurant and giant bar covered with antique books. One floor up

is the

Toff in the Town (61-3-9639-8770; www.thetoffintown.com), a set of private

compartments and a

music hall that feels like a swank opium den. The indie bands run the

spectrum from electronic Gypsy accordion music to ambient heavy metal. The top floor is home

to the Rooftop Cinema (61-3-9663-3596;

www.rooftopcinema.com.au), where you can catch

movies as classic as the bar’s cocktails and admire the towering skyline from plastic lawn

chairs.

Sunday

10 a.m.

10) BEACHSIDE WALK

Jump on the No. 96 tram for the half-hour ride to St. Kilda Beach, a worn-at-the-edges

seaside haven that suggests

Coney Island. If you have kids in tow, take them to rusty Luna Park

(61-3 9525- 5033;

www.lunapark.com.au), an old-fashioned amusement park with a big

Ferris wheel. Or just wind down on the calm, sandy beach on Port Phillip Bay. But before you

put down your towel, swing by the beloved

Monarch Cake Shop (103 Acland Street,

61-3-9534-2972), famous for its plum and Polish cheese cakes and chocolate kugelhopf. It’s a

Sunday tradition.

2 p.m.

11) ENTER THE THUNDERDOME

Australian rules football isn’t for the faint-hearted. Players can’t be ejected, so everything from

the fouls to the brawls is more blood-curdling. Top clubs are from surrounding towns, so fans

of both sides often display a home team fervor. If you’re visiting between March and August,

head for the Melbourne

Cricket Ground (Jolimont Terrace, 61-3-9657-8888, www.mcg.org.au)

where the big games are played. And if you miss the season, drop by the Australian Football

League Shop (292 Swanston Street, 61-3-8660-5555) for your piece of this sports-mad city.

THE BASICS

Flights between New York and

Melbourne require a plane change, usually in Los Angeles

(American Airlines and Qantas) or

Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific). A recent Web search found

fares on an American flight (a Qantas codeshare) from Kennedy Airport starting at about

$3,300 for travel in late January.

From Melbourne Airport, take the Skybus (

www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au), which leaves for

central Melbourne every 10 minutes during peak hours and costs 15 Australian dollars, or $13

at 1.16 Australian dollars to the American dollar. Otherwise a cab into town starts at about 40

Australian dollars.

The

Adelphi Hotel (187 Flinders Lane, 61-3-8080-8888; www.adelphi.com.au), in a former

warehouse, has a translucent rooftop pool that extends over the artsy sidewalk. The modern,

colorful doubles start at 240 Australian dollars.

Victoria Hotel (215 Little Collins Street, 61-3-9669-0000), once one of Melbourne’s grandest

hotels, is now a cheap and cheerful spot popular with tour groups. Doubles start at 120

Australian dollars.

The Prince (2 Acland Street, St. Kilda, 61-3-9536-1111; www.theprince.com.au) is a stylized

hotel near St. Kilda’s beachfront with minimalist décor and a

spa. Doubles start at 250

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