St. Kilda Beach
Address: Jacka Boulevard | West St Kilda, St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria 3182, Australia
Although I would consider St Kilda Beach to be pretty average, I spent a lot of time here on a recent trip to Melbourne. It was clean, not too busy (so we could always find a nice spot for multiple people to set up towels), and there were great restaurants in the area, both to sit down at for a nice lunch or spots where you could grab food to eat at the beach. (Note, at the time I visited, it was illegal to drink alcohol on the beach, and as it was around NYE, there were plenty of police patrolling the area by foot and also breath testing drivers when leaving the beach parking area.) Plenty of washrooms as well (all super clean). Went skydiving and actually landed in the area as well so you'll likely always see people flying through the sky!
St. Kilda is not so crowded and not at all congested. It's an ideal place to commune with nature minus the noise and chaos usually associated with city beaches. Restaurants abound from fast food to fine dining. An amusement park and botanical garden add to the allure. Plus there are trams that conveniently transport you there. Good for an all day chill-out excursion.
Lovely clean beach, popular with tourists & locals walking their dogs, plenty of kite surfing taking place & people just chilling out, worth a walk just to take in the views & the glorious sunset.
We landed at Melbourne around noon and were on St. Kilda beach by 2pm. It was a great way to walk off the jet lag from our flight from the US. It was nice weather and the bonus was that there was a nice Sunday market on the Esplanade where we picked up some good wine. And the excellent city tram system made it easy to get to from our hotel in the CBD
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
Address: Birdwood Ave, South Yarra VIC 3141, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9252 2300
For a walk, a run, a great place to be by yourself and with nature OR to be with your family and friends! This is a HUGE, magnificent garden of beautiful trees, plants, flowers and places to get away from the hassle and hustle of the city. Every time I am in Melbourne I stay close so I can come back and enjoy the incredible hard work the Botanic Garden team put in to keep this place so beautiful!
The Royal Botanic Gardens is a huge park in the heart of the southbank in melbourne. Nice place for walk, jog and running. Also nice to have a snack and a tea. Very recommended if you like peacefully places
Love this place it is so well maintained and a delight to visit management should be extremely proud
I walked across the Yarra River to Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens. I had to walk quite a long way along the riverside to find an entrance that was open because some of the garden is under renovation. Once I got in, I found lovely ponds and with beautiful plants, a fern walk, and a huge variety of plants and flowers indigenous to Australia as well as areas featuring the plants of other countries. It was a lovely place to walk away from the hustle and bustle of the city and it was free!
So often when travelling you just need a quiet place to counter the stress of managing a big new city. The Botanic Gardens are just the place for a quiet stroll in a beautiful quiet environment.The Gardens are so well looked after and there are a range of exotic as well as local plant
St Kilda Pier
Address: Pier Rd, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
It is a nice walk to the pier but if you do it in the evening, you will be rewarded when the penguins return for the day after feeding. Be there just before sunset to get a good spot. The little one will be back about 30 min after sunset. They can literally come from the calm beach on one side or the rocks on the other side. The rocks are where they make home. Here, the penguins come up one, two, three or four at a time unlike Phillip Island but the anticipation is great and yes we can take photos (But NO FLASH PLEASE!)
It's a long(ish) walk out to the restaurant and end of pier, but if you decide to do it, then you will be rewarded with a decent view of Melbourne.
My granddaughter and I loved walking along the beach, then along to the end of the pier where we had lunch at the restaurant. After this we sighted the tiny penguins among the rocks out near the pier ......was such a surprise to see them
This place is recommended if you want to see little penguins for free -- and when I visited, I did see few penguins. I arrived before sunset, so I had to wait until around 7.30-8 PM to see my first penguin sightings. I was told there might be more if I would be willing to wait until later, but I was feeling a bit cold with the wind (being a girl from tropical country and all). Make sure you dress properly for the colder wind... AND REMEMBER, no flash lights!!
St Kilda Botanical Gardens
Address: 11 Herbert St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
Lovely stroll around the gardens, plenty to see with a vast array of trees & roses & various ferns in the greenhouse, little haven, worth a visit if in the area, loved the solar powered rain man on the pin with his umbrella ☂️.
A lovely park to escape the grunge and grime of the rest of St. Kilda.
Unfortunate that the backpackers utilize the restrooms and the sinks for full body showers and washing of plates and utensils. Perhaps directions to the nearby beach and the benefits of saltwater to the skin could be plastered throughout the restrooms for their benefit and ours!!
The park had well maintained gardens and plenty of spots to sit and take in the surroundings. The ducks and the pond area was lovely. The Sub-Tropical Rain-forest Conservatory was interesting to wander through - look for the carp in the ponds!
We were staying across from the Gardens and were pleasantly surprised how busy it was on a Saturday afternoon. Teeming with groups of people, birthday parties etc. Great amount of swings etc for the kids. Lovely path ways, duck pond and rose garden. A nice spot for some down time from all the business that is Melbourne.
Jewish Museum of Australia
Address: 26 Alma Rd, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
The lovely staff here were eager to assist us to make the most of our visit to this small yet significant museum. We saw much of it in our short visit, and they have us a pass to come back again. Lots of personal stories made the history come alive.
Firstly, thank you Geoff for the really warm welcome that you gave us when we arrived. We did not expect to find such an interesting museum. The collection and display are very impressive. It is only a short tram ride from central Melbourne.
When you imagine a Museum you think a big building, lots of exhibits, this museum is small in size but big in history, detail and heart! A very emotional and special place, it is a must visit for all of us. We must never forget this part of our history so we never let it happen again.
I have visited the Museum,which is a very emotional experience the exhibition shows graphic accounts of The Holocaust.We also attended the Amy Winehouse concert and exhibition there which was very enjoyable.
The St Kilda Esplanade Market
Address: The Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
We happened to be here on a Sunday so we decided to wander the market. I was so happy to see it was a market with proper hand crafted stuff. Not your typical tourist souvenirs. It opens at 10:00 but we were there around 12:30 it was great timing
Things to buy at temporary kiosks set along the beach area. If you are going to the beach, you will probably pass through here. Pleasant pass time.
We enjoyed strolling through the stalls of handmade items and food vendors. Excellent for keepsakes and trinkets of your trip. Worth a look if you're nearby.
Get your taxi or Uber to drop you off at the top of the esplanade and make the gentle walk down to Luna Park giving you the chance to view all of the canopied crafts on display. Most of the artisans are on hand to answer questions or help organise the creation of a special one off item.
Acland Street Village
Address: Acland Street, St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria 3182, Australia.
Phone: +90 365 256 418
Couldn't believe the number of cake/coffee shops on Acland Street. We tried four of them and were spoilt for choice every time. The cakes looked so good and the portions were at times huge. Most shops offered savoury treats as well. Lots of outside seating all along the street and a great atmosphere too.
My granddaughter and I loved walking along this street as we had heard all about the food shops. Great for vegans.
Great place to purchase food the service was great and if we return to St Kilda in the future we will call again.
Stayed in St Kilda for a couple of days and we were very close to acland St. Plenty of bars and really excellent restaurants. Ate at Tommy tuckers and Abbey Road where the food was excellent. The street itself is close to the beach and lunar Park. Excellent
Palais Theatre
Address: Lower Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
Phone: +61 3 8537 7677
We recently enjoyed the Charley Pride concert at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda. What a treat it was to be seated in the front row of the lounge section in the most beautifully comfortable seats enjoying a couple of hours of great music from a Country Legend.The Theatre exudes stateliness and charm.
We have been to a few concerts in this venue, it's has a very good veiw of the stage & the artist you have come to see. The only down side is the very poor design of the bar/ merchandise areas and the time it takes to get service.
One of the icons of the St. Kilda Beach area is this old huge theater where they have headliners on a regular basis. A big performing arts theater at the beach.
We were here for Belinda Carisle. I was joking previusly about the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at A Day on the Green in 38 degrees outdoors that I would be in comfort for my concert. Wow was I wrong. I don't even know how the performers survived. I don't know whether the Palais doesn't have air conditioning or whether it does and it just didn't cope with the heat. Either way, makes enjoying a concert a little harder to take in when all sweaty and sticky in your seat. Apart from that the rest was great!
Luna Park Melbourne
Address: 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia.
Phone: +61 3 9525 5033
A visit to Luna park was worth the trip. Great for kids and families but as a couple we still had a fun visit. Plenty of rides for everyone. The 106year old rollercoaster was good fun. Good location by the beach.
It's a little run down, the uniform are hideous and the entry is a bit steep BUT that aside we had a great day and the queues weren't too long and the rides were fun, we went with kids aging 6-14 and there was something for us all to do. My only real complaint is that there were copious amounts of adults filling up the queues for the little kids rides, think maybe a maximum age would be appropriate for some of them.
Does this look uncannily like a near identical park seen in Sydney? For good reason, the answer is yes, it does, and it is. Back in 1912 (before that "great war to end all wars") 5 cookie-cutter Luna Parks were built. Today, two remain. Melbourne and Sydney get bragging rights.
See that hideous mouth at the entry? Meet "Mr. Moon face" the delightful specter through which all must enter. On second thought ...
But inside is an historic treasure. The Great Scenic Railway roller coaster, which opened in 1912, still holds the record for the longest continually operating roller coaster in the world. Yup, the WORLD.
During our visit, it was not open; it opens on weekends during the school year.
Good reason to giddy-up over to Sydney!
The rides are for children but it's a nice place to walk through and get some fairy floss with friends. If you're an adrenaline junky then the rides will be disappointing.
Veg Out Community Gardens St Kilda
Address: cnr Shakespeare Grove & Chaucer Street, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
I love that these community gardens have a sandpit plus a coffee cafe .....suits all ages. Loved the chooks and the birds too ......a very organized communiyt garden . Congrats St. Kilda !!
The 100 year old former City of St Kilda Lawn Bowls Club as taken over by St Kilda's Jewish migrants for decade or so but then they moved to Caulfield and abandoned the club, including many improvements. It a derelict for a few years and the greens overgrown with weeds. Later this Crown Land was converted into Veg Out to grow plants and crops. Some of the plots are well maintained but others produce little.
Loved walking around this community garden. It is basically an allotment, but the people maintaining their areas have made this quirky and put lots of effort into making this a lovely and relaxing space
Found this quirky community garden by accident. Hopped off tram on my first visit to St Kilda and kept walking, turned corner into suburban street and then...sunflowers! Wrought iron! Statues! Sculptures! Painted timber! Brightly coloured letter boxes! Vegies! Sheds! Butterflies! All quite surreal with the backdrop of Luna Park. If you just want to wander amongst lovingly tended plants and flowers, this is the place. Delightful. All you need is 10 mins!
Catani Gardens
Address: St Kilda West VIC 3182, Australia
This space is very well laid out with good walking paths. It appears very safe and clean and green even in summer.
This park is a great place to have a picnic next to the beach at the bayside end of Fitzroy street, also hosts many public events well worth a visit
A very pretty city park along the waterfront, a very pleasant place to be in warm weather. it was a little too hot when we were there, so we lasted only a short while, but it was very pretty.
Medium sized park with exotic mature trees although unfortunately a few were blown over on a storm about 10 years ago and have not been replaced. I live nearby and visit the park regularly. In 2018 the original Carlo Catani designed rockery wall on the seaward side was restored. The walls purpose is to prevent any storm surge from St Kilda Harbour. The problem with vagrants camping in the part on the seawall side persists which leads to litter and rubbish. However most of the gardens is vagrant free.
St Kilda Ferry
Address: St Kilda Pier, St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria 3182, Australia
Phone: +61 412 320 315
I was running late and I had never been to Williamstown before. They waited for me and helped me with the parking meter while I was freaking out. Truely loving, amazing people. So friendly and happy to help. The trip too was amazing, so calm and the scenery was beautiful
I take as many of my friends and family (local and visiting) as often as I can. I always take us on the 11am from St Kilda to Williamstown (via Port Melbourne) - takes around 35-45 mins and pick a place for lunch, do the small walk, have an ice cream and then catch the 2pm return. They have new pre-pay on their website which I took advantage of and used. Definitely can purchase on the boat and they have a card machine - so they take all payment types. They have started a new "commuter" service as well.
They are very active on social media (Instagram and Facebook) - they are great in their communications on these if they can't travel due to adverse travel conditions OR if they are booked out.
This little ferry is a great way to get to the CBD without the hassle of working out how to get and use a Myki card on public transport. We took the whole trip across to Williamstown and back. A couple of hours wandering Williamstown were enough and the tourist info were really helpful with short walk ideas.
We took overseas visiting family to Williamstown on the ferry. The staff were friendly and explained the sights. We passed the cruise ships and it was a smooth trip. It ran to time, highly recommend.
F1 - Australian Grand Prix
Address: Aughtie Dr, Albert Park, Port Phillip, Victoria 3206, Australia
The city of Melbourne put on a fantastic event and what a great setting with the city skyline as a backdrop.
The organisation was superb to get over 300,000 people in and out of Albert Park so efficiently was great.
The track entertainment between races was wonderful with some great acts appearing on stage in the Heineken Village.
The only criticism would be the price of beer and refreshments, it's a captive audience so there's not much alternative.
Well done Melbourne.
The Albert Park Street circuit is one of the greatest street circuit in the world. The turns and straight speed is just amazing.
My husband is a huge F1 fan and we have been to a number of races over the last few years - this, by far, was the best. The views (both from stands and in general admission) are great but for people like me who enjoy F1 but are not hard core fans the facilities and the scenery around Albert Park made it extra special. In between races I would walk around to admire the views and read a book whilst enjoying the sunshine, the food and drink on offer. The GP is run smoothly and we were both impressed. We would definitely recommend to all, not just the F1 fanatics!
This was my first Grand Prix and will not be my last. I'm not a real enthusiast but my son is, we went together and enjoyed 4 action packed days. On average we spent 10 hours every day at the track, plenty of things to do, good food options and bars, the quantity of toilets available were sadly lacking, at times queues were excessive.
If you can only go for only one day, the Friday is the best for families, Formula ones, Supercars, qualifying and other races, inexpensive compared to race day, you can take your own food and bottled water. The atmosphere was electric.
Alma Park
Address: Dandenong Road, St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9209 6777
Love love love the Hank Marvin food vans here on a Saturday! Great food, nice people and relaxing atmosphere.. bring a ball for the kids and you can spend hours doing things. I'd highly recommend for families with kids up to about 9 or 10 years old. The flying fox is a hit with my adult children as well as the littlies.
The park is fun, specially for kids as there is a play area. It's easily accessible and really nice to just take a stroll if you're nearby or have kids
Well-kept park with lots of footpaths and beautiful plants. Great spot to get out of the hustle and bustle around that area. Would recommend for a picnic or just a nice stroll.
Alma Park is divided in two. one side is for events and sporting activities and the other is more like a garden with lots of open parkland. The second park, closet to Chapel Street, has a beautiful pathway that leads through the middle of lush vegetation exhibiting a wide variation of plant types.
St Kilda Town Hall
Address: 99A Carlisle St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9209 6777
It is a grand old building set among lawns and trees. The trees are a bit exotic and are now at a very large size. Some seats are available in the shade. Many cafes and other eating places are nearby, plus a few tram routes and a nearby railway station (Balaclava).
Nice building to walk past and look at whilst walking down Carlisle Street which has lots of nice bars and restaurants on it.
The St Kilda Town Hall is a grand building, one of Melbourne's finest civic structures, Dating from the 1890s. it has been cursed by lack of funds and worst of all, the fire of 1991, which burnt out the inside of the Hall. The Hall was refurbished and it resumed its role as the social heart of St Kilda. It is now the headquarters of the City of Port Phillip, formed by the amalgamation of the Bay Area suburbs in 1994. The grand portico and the refurbished hall are amongst Melbourne's most famous sights, making St Kilda Town Hall a Melbourne icon. Rooms with a variety of dimensions, including the Council Chamber, are available for hire.
Great venue and of significant historical importance. Always something going on and a host to a variety from Spooktober to local festivals
Albert Park
Address: Albert Park, Port Phillip, Victoria 3206, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9695 9000
Fancy watching the Grand Prix live? Well you have just missed it this year 2019, but the fast and furious cars love driving around this park! In the mean time weather you are on your bike or taking the family for a picnic or stroll, this park is very pleasant with a lake you can walk around and enjoy the view.
Albert Park provides a great path to either cycle or walk around. It is about 5km around the lake and provides a flat track in a lovely environment. There are many places to sit if you need or to have a picnic if you're organised.
The Albert park better known for F1 is just amazing it's very clean and tidy you should not miss this venue in your list.
They were setting up for the Grand Prix, so not looking at its best, but still humans playing various things and much wildlife, particularly near the lake.
St Kilda Public Library
Address: 150 Carlisle St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
St Kilda has always had a diverse community. The St Kilda Public Library has a large section with books devoted to languages other than English There's also a diverse range of newspapers, including the Jewish News and Eastern European publications. In the music section, there are hundredes of CDs, ranging from rock to classical. For the ankle-biters, there's a large section devoted to children's books. Computers are welcome. The St Kilda Library is quite large, if you have connections with the area, it's worth joining; The St Kilda Library always has a hum of activity..
Glad there is still a local library people can use! Great place to take kids to get them reading and the outside of the building is a nice interesting building architecturally
St Kilda Public Library is a microcosm of the suburb it serves, it is used by everyone from labourers to lawyers. The building is in Brutalist style, which was popularised by Le Corbusier (the Crow). It's not usually a style of architecture that appeals to me, but I must say that here I find it attractive. The library took over 100 years to get off the ground, and was eventually opened in 1973. Some users find the noise of children playing in the library annoying but the days of the "hush" library are long gone. The mixture of young children and down-and-outs is typical of St Kilda, which has always been regarded as an "edgy" sort of place, even though now it's expensive to live.there.
The only thing I can fault re this library is it charges more when you use the printer-20 cents instead of 15 cents where my local libraries interstate charged me to do print-outs & photocopies.
Alex Theatre St Kilda
Address: 1/135 Fitzroy St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
For any theatre the important thing is seating and view. The Alex seating is well spaced apart and comfortable. We had a great view of the stage. The foyer is nice. Like anything in this area, parking is the main problem but there is the Metropol car park opposite which is reasonable. Just make sure you pick the public side, not the resident side
Visited St Kilda just for the night to see this show and was not disappointed. The theatre was transformed into the Puffs common room with the foyer and most of the public spaces decorated with all things Puff.
Great show, talented cast, wide selection of beverages to enjoy at the bar and clean facilities led to a great night out at the theatre.
I love these smaller community theatres that really have an intimate feel to them and really bring a show to life.
located on the site of the old george theatre is this amazing performance space. great historic old theatre that puts on amazing productions. easy to get to on a tram and located on the vibrant fittzroy st
Saw the wonderful Courtney Act here on Fri 13th Nov 2015. Great place for an intimate independent show like this one. easy place to find, taxi from city less than $20. Lots happening in St Kilda so plenty of places to eat and drink before or after a show. Few steps to 1st floor though there is a lift, just a bit hard to see when you first walk into foyer.
Point Ormond
Address: Marine Parade, Elwood, Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia
Local lore has it that there is a helpful ghost of a young boy at Point Ormond, a legacy of the initial site being used as a cholera quarantine station and field hospital for passengers of ships arriving flying the yellow cholera flag during early settlement. The point used to be much higher with a cliff face, before being used as a quarry to fill in the Elwood swamp, now canal. Anyway the story goes that a young mother dozed off while looking out for her playing child, to be awoken by a young boy in old style clothes who warned her to call her child back away from the cliff. She headed the warning and, called her child back, just before a large section of the cliff where her child had been playing collapsed. She looked around for the boy to thank him, but he's disappeared. Later, using her description of the boy, he was thought to be the ghost of one of the cholera victims.
Point Ormond is one of the best lookout points for the city and south to the bay. There are sheltered areas behind the point for picnics and communal bbq's and tables are provided.
Much of the hill of Point Ormond was carted away in historic times to fill in the Elwood swamp, but enough remains to give views of the weather coming in and of the city skyline. It also catches the breeze from the sea. The Reserve also has a playground, BBQs, picnic seats, some native vegetation, and much lawn. A shared path takes a coastal route from the city a long way down the Bay. The bus #246 stops nearby.
A great spot to take a picnic or use the bbqs and tables/chairs. Lots of open grass land for kids and dogs to run free plus a great view from the marker. A great place to watch the sun set.
For those who enjoy views, this is a good spot.
I've never really ventured past St Kilda's main areas until a photo on a friend's Instagram feed peak my interest. What a joy Point Ormond was. A nice little hill with a beautiful view of Melbourne CBD, I am a little sad I never explored this area past St Kilda until this trip. Plus, when I visited it was New Year's Eve and plenty of people are setting up for the night for an amazing display of fireworks. Certainly one of the most romantic spots in the city to enjoy a view.
Red Stitch Actors Theatre Company
Address: Rear, 2 Chapel St, St Kilda East VIC 3183, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9533 8083
Melbourne asset for innovative theatre I highly recommend seeing their latest production Joanna Murray-Smith writing is excellent American Song is a powerful work insightful and dramatic around the gun issue in America Joe Petruzzi 's performance is outstanding Well done Red Stitch Susan Sims
This is a must for anyone wanting to get a feel for original,local and overseas playwrights. A small-scale theatre nestled behind a church. With a glass of wine in hand, sit back in a compact intimate theatre, feel like you are part of the play becoming immersed in the seriously talented acting. I have been seeing 2 to 3 productions at the theatre a year and it never fails to deliver...Long may independent theatre rebuff, disrupt and question society norms as Red Stitch is the place to visit
We joined up as members of this theatre company a few years ago. It is cheap, professional and very intimate. The theatre has about 70 seats which means you always get a good seat. The plays are really interesting, usually Australian or world premiers from up and coming playrights. My favourite all time play was called Grounded; performed by one person... it was captivating. Tickets are under $40 and let's face it, you can't do much for that these days. They have a good website and some other interesting events during the year that you can attend
Small theatre so we were really in amongst the show. The actors are brilliant! The two shows I have been to were excellent! Hope to get back there again soon
Christ Church St Kilda
Address: 14 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
A very impressive Gothic style building, which is supposed to be as attractive internally and externally. However, sadly it is closed to the public except when services are being conducted. However, the exterior is fascinating enough to enjoy the details and perhaps get the camera clicking.
Christ Church St Kilda is over 160 years old. This fine sandstone building has stood the test of time since 1854.. The Church is involved in the community, but now it needs the community to return the favour for urgently needed restoration. Estimated cost is $2.6 million, and it is conducting an appeal to raise the money. Christ Church St Kilda is an Anglican Church, On Sunday sung Eucharist is celebrated at 9:00 am and informal Eucharists at 11:00 am.
Beautiful old church situated in a beautiful spot in St Kilda. The church does service on a Sunday and the inside is very interesting definitely worth a visit.
You can catch up with fellow Anglicans, take in a Eucharist and share some morning tea whilst away from home. Be aware the advertised events and opening times may change without notice.
Elwood Beach
Address: Ormond Esplanade, Elwood, Port Phillip, Victoria 3184, Australia
Elwood beach has a long expanse of sand so one can relax on the beach or play frisbee or beach cricket or meditate on the rocks
Sailing boats glide past catching the wind
There is a rotunda cafetaria which makes the best coffee and sells light snacks
A good place to read the paper or catch up with locals
There is public toilet facilities
There is a lifesaving club that watches over swimmers in summer
There is a restaurant next to club and a pizza cafe behind it near the tennis courts
A great way to spend a day
After visiting Dandelion I walked out to the smell of sea air it was awesome I walked down to Elwood beach at night it's different peaceful tranquil the air is great just being on this awesome beach
This can be a busy beach on a hot day. The life saving club at the far end of the beach will set out the flags, but being a bay beach, there is little chance of difficulty swimming.
From St Kilda Beach to Point Ormond, the beaches disappear. At Elwood they recommence with the usual Port Philip beaches that are clean, wide, and sandy. Facilities such as public toilets and car parking can be found and there is the long distance cycle/pedestrian path linking them all.
Albert Park Lake
Address: 3 km south of the Melbourne CBD, Albert Park, Port Phillip, Victoria 3206, Australia
Albert Park - great place for the Grand Prix,easy to get to, nice sense of freedom, good vantage points along the track, prices not too crazy - one of the better places to see the GP. Trams make getting around a breeze, as does the rail system..
The F1 host park is just amazing I mean the lake is visible from F1 stands. The view was very stunning.
Attended the 24th running of the Australia Grand Prix (998th ever Grand Prix) in Melbourne. What a great place to set up the track around a large lake. Accommodating over a 100,000 people was done very efficiently.
Most of all parks in Melbourne are stunning, they are all clean, peaceful, contemplative, there are many people practicing any kind of sports. I just love them.
The National Theatre Melbourne
Address: 20 Carlisle St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9525 4611
My friend and I saw Les Miserables here for my birthday weekend. It's a lovely old theatre and it really felt like an occasion to be going to a show here. The only drawback was that the acoustics where the audience sit meant that we could hear every creak of seats, every rustle of sweet paper, every whisper.
Fantastic old style theatre 🎭 the staff were great. Importantly for me they have a disabled toilet which was spotlessly clean.
The National Theatre, 20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda, Victoria 3182
There were 39 of us in the group and we had booked for an early evening meal before heading to the National Theatre in St Kilda. The restaurant was 50m from Brighton Beach Metro Station and provided that all-essential car park that we would not easily find near to the theatre. It was an easy place to meet, to exchange the events of the day and, moreover, to eat together. It was an evening out with our local dance school and where better than enjoying a production of that rumbustious Australian theatre 'Strictly Ballroom'.
We'd hopped the train to Balaclava where a convenient tram connection dropped us off in front of the theatre; it was cold and wet and we joined several hundred other theatre-goers slowly funnelling into the foyer and up the wide open stairs of this iconic 1920s theatre. This was dense humanity in all its tolerant best climbing into the Gods.
Check out the information available and you'll find that the theatre has had a mixed background of use - theatre, cinema and now live venues - with seating for >750 in comfortable, if small seats (by modern standards). Your typical theatre-goer is a deal bigger now. We had seats one row back from the central walkway across the Victoria dress circle. Everyone sits here - the original stalls have been converted into studios. You get this great uninterrupted view of the stage - perfect. Notwithstanding changes in use, the interior décor throughout has maintained its originality
The stage is large too - and more than sufficient to present most routine dance performances; we had come to see just that: dance production - National Theatre venue - comfortable seat - and that musical production of 'Strictly Ballroom' - it was spectacular. We all knew the story from the movie of the same name that swept the world during the mid-90s. It was eventually to become one of the most successful Australian-made movies ever with box office takings of AU$80M. The movie had cost >AU$3M to make; and had struggled to find funding at the time.
Theatre and cinema projected images of the 'Cinderella' story with the lead partnership of pending champion Scott Hastings paired with the novice Fran dancing their own steps at the Pan Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Competition. On the way to success the story-line encompasses all kinds of larger-than-life characters - parents Shirley & Doug Hastings, dance supremo Barry Fife and others; and a galaxy of supporting second tier characters.
It was the galaxy of colours, dance choreography, music and vocals - live dance theatre that you don't capture on film - that immerses you entirely in this unlikely love story. Theatre and show come recommended for a highly entertaining evening - you'll leave with the music resonating in your head and that classic 'life is good feeling'.
And, on the way out and for our evening 'champagne & chicken' were offered across a range of tables set up in the foyer and upstairs in the bar. Close on 23.00, it was raining outside and easy to stand-around and enjoy that snack/drink before everyone left to find their way home - brollies at the ready.
Peter Steele
17 May 2018
Elwood Canal
Address: Marine Parade, Elwood, Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia
A lovely place to walk or ride, by yourself or with others. Shaded in places on a hot day. The only downside is that some lamps work at night and a whole section appears to be in darkness.
Elwood canal drains into port Phillip bay, so that it is tidal
It has a menagerie of bird life enjoying it
There are ducks, seagulls , egrets and sometimes swans migrate there from Albert park for short periods of time .
Of an afternoon parrots fly into the gumtrees lining the canals
There is a pedestrian walkway shared with a cycle track along the length of the canal
The shared path extends to Elwood beach
A quiet alternative to the beach road, which is always noisy with cars and motor bikes, the canal path runs parallel to the Elwood shops.
Not isolated, you can stroll along the canal and pass joggers, people walking leashed dogs and other walkers. There are a few benches to stop and rest if you need.
The canal is the focal point of a lovely round walk from the beach, inland for six to eight hundred metres up to where it turns into a small stream. You can continue further up, say 1 km in total, then the same back. The architecture along the path is really interesting with a mix of styles, old and modern houses. Helpful hint- take care re cycles as they also use the pathways.
ArtYarramunua Art Gallery
Address: 2/112 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
the place to go if you want to check out aboriginal art. great location in lovely st kilda. run by a great aboriginal artist.
Owned by an aboriginal artist with family members helping to run the gallery. A wide range of authentic aboriginal works of art available at reasonable prices. Art works range from small to large paintings, wood carvings, didgeridoos, hand made coasters and other smaller items. Prices range from around $100-$1,000's depending on what you're looking for. Something for all. Great just for a browse too. Conveniently located at the top end of Acland Street near Last no 96 tram stop. Go check it out.
The gallery owners are aboriginal and proud of the traditions of aboriginal art but are showing work by artists who tell the story in a contemporary style. My biggest regret is that I didn't buy the picture I liked. Really recommend this if you would like to own some true Australian art which has moved on from the traditional.
Early Morning Coffee
Address: Bay Trail, St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria 3182, Australia
Some outdoor art outside a cafe/restaurant, sort of depicts the cafe experience but with animals. Information about the artists.
I love the Gillie and Marc sculptures! They are my favourite and these are beautiful! It's great to stop for a picture!
Found these bronze statues on the St Kilda foreshore at the rear of Republica reastraunt. Interesting, very well done, Lifesize cast. Anatomically correct! Interesting if in the area
O'Donnell Gardens
Address: St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
A patch of grass with a non functioning fountain placed in its center commemorating St Kilda's centenary, it now appears to have become a home for the homeless. Unattractive in many ways, it is not a place to put on your "Must See" list (unless you have a penchant to be a Social Worker).
After walking through the Sunday market, we get some take away and sit in the park to eat it. It's next to Luna Park so you get a lot of amusement park background sounds
O'Donnell Gardens are next to Luna Park, not far from the Beach, and right at the start of the Acland Street Cake Strip. You might need a rest between activities and the Art Deco water feature is worth a look while planning the night.
A patch of grass with a non functioning fountain placed in its center commemorating St Kilda's centenary, it now appears to have become a home for the homeless. Unattractive in many ways, it is not a place to put on your "Must See" list (unless you have a penchant to be a Social Worker).