Thank you to Gayl and DownUnderGirl2 for their Melbourne Information.

Melbourne is the capitol of the state of Victoria and the second largest city in Australia. It is renowned for its parks, clanging trams, football and its cosmopolitan outlook. Melbourne is located on a bay so there are many beaches close to the city, but the best beaches are further out of the city and there are some beautiful drives along the bay or the ocean side to get to these beaches. Some of the best shopping in Australia is to be found in Melbourne with lots of local designers and cosmetic brands mixed in with the best from overseas. Australian fashion has been comparable with the best of overseas labels for many years now and local cosmetic brands have really come into their own over the last few years. Melbourne has a full availability of all these brands as well as any overseas brand you could want.

Because our state is so far south we experience a variety of weather types. We have a wonderful summer with not much humidity from 1^st December to the end of February and a cold but not freezing winter from 1^st June to 31^st August, with the snowfields about 2-3 hours drive away. These snowfields have pretty villages with many lodges and hotels to stay at. You can stay on the mountain or down the mountain. But our ski season is very limited unfortunately with the best months being July and August. You can also visit and stay at these resorts at other times of the year when you can go on some wonderful bush walks or bike rides.

Because of the large mixture of cultures now living in Melbourne there are some wonderful restaurants to be found. You can find any food type you like such as Greek, Italian, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, etc. You can even dine on one of the tramcar restaurants if you want.

Shopping in Melbourne is an eclectic affair – you can choose from large department stores and sprawling markets to snazzy basement boutiques and edgy hole-in-the-walls. And whether you’re searching for designer labels or vintage clothing, children’s toys or high-tech gadgetry, beaded pumps, Jurlique skincare products or sparkling chardonnay, Melbourne has it all.

Store hours in Melbourne vary, but are generally Monday to Wednesday, 9am to 5.30pm. Thursday and Friday are late-night shopping, when most shops stay open until 7pm or 9pm. At the weekend, many traders open their doors, although you might not get inside until 11am or noon. In summer, most shops outside the city centre stay open longer during daylight-saving months (November to March).

To get around Melbourne you can use all forms of public transport including trams, trains, and buses. Walking is the best way to shop, especially along Melbourne’s delightful arcades and laneways. Outside the city centre, visit shopping precincts like Chapel Street and Toorak Road in South Yarra, Acland Street in St Kilda and Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, especially on weekends. Here you’ll find everything from retro homewares to funky shops selling cult-in-the-making jewellery. These strips also have stacks of streetside cafes, where you can re-fuel between sprees. Travelling between Melbourne’s suburbs is best done by tram (trolley), although you’ll need a car to visit larger suburban malls like Chadstone, where many of the major retailers are found. Myer (called Grace Bros. In Sydney) and David Jones have large deparment stores in the center of the city, and in the suburban malls.

A new funky up and coming neighbourhood is Hawskburn. There are some great boutiques here, which also double as coffee shops and homeware stores. Check out Husk for their fabulous hand painted sarongs, chunky knits, candles, cappuccino’s and muffins. Then strole across the street to Studio MG for a serious hit of up-to-the-minute must have items for your wardrobe.

For your Australian beauty fix, you must check out Napoleon Cosmetics, the Australian MAC. There is a store on Toorak Road, and you can also see his amazing array of products at David Jones.

Bargains
For bargains, head for Richmond (especially Bridge Road and Swan Street), where designer outlets and factory seconds sell jeans, swimwear, trainers, tops, bags and shoes at heavily reduced prices. Big savings can also be made during sale times (normally at the end of summer and winter, and some public holidays) held by David Jones, Myer and other department stores.

MALLS.

There are many shopping malls now located around Melbourne, including Chadstone Shopping Centre, Southland, Highpoint, Doncaster Shopping Centre, Knox City, The Glen, etc. But I will concentrate on Chadstone Shopping Centre as it is truly the best one of these to go to. It is located at 1341 Dandenong Road about 20-30 minutes from the city centre and you will find a complete range of stores from the lower end brands to the highest. It has been called the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere with over 330 retailers including exclusive designer boutiques, gourmet food suppliers and fine art shops, children’s wear, gifts and homewares.

(a)Fashion Stores.

• Myer and David Jones are the main department stores at Chadstone and carry Australian and overseas brands of clothes for all the family. DJ’s, as it is called, is more exclusive than Myer with more top end brands.
• Kookai/Morgan: Trendy, mainly young, French clothes stores.
• Jigsaw: A trendy, but a bit more conservative, English label of clothes.
• Saba/Marcs/Lisa Ho: Some of our top Australian designer labels that all ages can wear. Trendy but classic.
• Atelier: Australian leather fashion.
• Country Road: Well known Australian fashion store selling smart office wear as well as smart, classic casual wear. (Their smart simple lines also carry over into their homewares store).
• Other Australian brand stores with a nice line of modern clothes: Maestro/Ojay/ Portmans/Dangerfield/JAG/etc.
• Well known overseas brands: A/X Armani Exchange/Guess/Esprit /Diesel/ DKNY/Laura Ashley/ Polo Ralph Lauren/etc.
• Shoe stores: Midas/Mollini/Wittner/etc.

(b)Cosmetics Stores.

• Mecca Cosmetica: This store sells the biggest selection of popular brands of cosmetics such as Nars, Urban Decay, MUFE, Vincent Longo, Shu Uemera, etc.

• The Body Shop: English brand of cosmetics, skin care, bath products. All natural ingredients.
• Red Earth: Australian brand of cosmetics, skin care, bath products, etc. (Australian version of the Body Shop)
• Aveda: Hair products, skin care, and cosmetics. All natural ingredients.
• Myer Department Store: Sells large range of local and overseas cosmetics and skin care brands. Overseas brands include MAC, Chanel, Clarins, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Versace, Ella Bache, Stuf, Crabtree and Evelyn, etc. Local Australian brands include Bloom, Ki, Sanctum, Sun 2000, Napoleon, She, etc.
• David Jones Department Store: Also sells large range of local and overseas cosmetics and skin care brands. The main difference between this store and Myer is that it doesn’t sell MAC but it does sell Bobbi Brown. Also, the David Jones brand of skin, sun and hair care is very good and reasonably priced.

(c)Other Stores of Interest.

• Australian Geographic: Great store to find Australiana products. Money from this store is put back into the environment.
• Made in Japan: Interesting selection of products from Japan.
• Tea Too: Sells an amazing selection of teas, tea pots, jams, etc. Also has a tea bar where you can sample teas with fresh made tarts or Turkish Delight.
• Greg Norman Collection: Big selection of Greg Norman’s range of clothes.
• Disney Store/Sharper Image/Superstars and Legends/Franklin Mint.

CITY CENTRE.

Fashion Stores.

• Myer and David Jones department stores: Major Australian department stores. Both have main entrances next to each other on Bourke Street. Here you can find most labels from here and overseas.

• "Australia on Collins" mall at 260 Collins Street: More than 60 quality stores providing the best in fashion, food, homewares and gifts in a spacious, open, multi-levelled design. Fashion stores include Country Road, Charlie Brown, Christopher Chronis, Jigsaw of London, Nine West and Kookai.

• "Sportsgirl Arcade", also on Collins Street and just up from Australia on Collins, has some trendy Australian designer labels including: Indigo, Saba, Alannah Hill, Bettina Liano.
• Little Collins Street has some interesting stores such as Australian designers Scanlan and Theodore, Zomp [shoes].
• "Melbourne Central" is a mall that is built around Daimaru, the Japanese department store, and has walkways over the road linking it with Myer department store. Daimaru has one of the best selections of designer brands in Melbourne. The centre is built on the site of an old shot tower and has a giant fob watch that plays Waltzing Matilda every hour. Many designer stores and gift stores from here and overseas are situated here.

(b)Cosmetics.

• Myer Department Store: All overseas and local brands of cosmetics and skin care are found here, including MAC, Origins, Anna Sui, Club Monaco, plus popular brands such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Versace, etc.
• David Jones Department Store: Has popular brands like Myer has, but also sells Bobbi Brown, and houses Mecca Cosmetica which sells Nars, Urban Decay, MUFE, Vincent Longo, etc.

OUTER SUBURBS.

(a)Queen Victoria Market.

Located on the edge of the City Centre the Queen Victoria Market is more than just a shopping mecca of Melbourne, it is a historic landmark and a tourist attraction. It has been serving Melburnians’ consumer needs for more than a century.

The market is divided into two distinct sites – upper and lower. The lower market is dominated by the Meat Hall which is a colourful, stately enclosed building selling meat, fish and game. The Dairy Hall is a gourmet’s paradise featuring delicatessens, bakeries, patisseries and confectionaries. Here you can also get ready-to-go food to eat while shopping. The upper market is dominated by a vast stretch of open-sided sheds renowned for their endless variety and quality of fresh fruit and vegetables. In more recent years it has also become highly regarded for its amazing and impressive array of general wares. Here you can buy clothing, leathergoods, manchester, fabrics, fresh flowers, indoor plants, fashion jewellery, compact discs, handicrafts, authentic Australian artefacts and souvenirs.

(b)St.Kilda.

This diverse, bayside suburb especially comes alive on sunny weekends and has some interesting areas such as Acland Street, which has a mixture of continental cake shops, bohemian buskers, art galleries, cool cafes like the Dogs Bar and Harley Court, great restaurants of all nationalities, retro second-hand clothing stores, record stores, book stores and florists.

Just round the corner on the Upper Esplanade there is a street market on the weekend that sells gifts and paintings by local artists. The Upper Esplanade also has the Espy Bar where you can listen to wonderful local bands any night of the week.

On Fitzroy Street you will find many restaurants, hair salons, and bars. And along the bay itself are some popular restaurants from casual to silver service. You will find many people calling into the casual restaurants on a break from their walks along the bay or their rollerskating. Luna Park is also found here. This fun park has been around since 1912 and is a St.Kilda icon with its scenic big dipper ride and sidewalk fun.

The St.Kilda area also comes alive at night and you can go to Luna Park at night on Fridays and Saturdays.

(c)Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.

This area is just minutes from the City Centre and is alive with bohemian atmosphere. Mainly known for it’s interesting selection of restaurants, cafes and bars, you will also find many interesting stores, including new and second-hand fashion, books, alternative medicine, jewellery and accessories, antiques and gifts.

Stay on into the night when it comes alive in the bars and clubs.

(d)Bridge Road, Richmond.

Also just minutes from the City Centre, this street is famous for its factory outlet shopping. Many a bargain can be found here in clothes accessories, shoes, and homewares. You can also find some wonderful restaurants and cafes, and some of the best European and Asian restaurants in Melbourne (especially Vietnamese) are found spread around here and its neighbouring streets such as Victoria Street.

(e)South Yarra and Prahran.

Toorak Road, Chapel Street, and Greville Street comprise Melbourne’s premier retail fashion district. Just south of the city over the Yarra River.

Toorak Road runs from Toorak Village to South Yarra and offers some of the most exclusive stores in Melbourne. Some of the wealthiest people in Melbourne live around this area and you will find every top designer from Australia and overseas represented along Toorak Road. Mixed in together you will find fashion, lingerie, shoes, art galleries, homewares, jewellery, beauty parlours and restaurants. There is also a Mecca Cosmetica store here with its vast range of cosmetics.

Chapel Street crosses over Toorak Road about halfway along. There is an incredible range of stores here with over four kilometres of shopping. And about halfway down Chapel Street you will find Greville Street. Whereas Toorak Road is very exclusive, Chapel Street and Greville Street concentrate more on the younger, trendier, designer fashions. There are many bars, cafes and restaurants here along with hair salons and cinema complexes ranging from arthouse to latest releases. Interesting book stores and record stores are also found here as well as some interesting jewellery and accessories.

The areas of South Yarra and Prahran are also renowned for their great nightlife.