Melbourne Laneways

One of the hidden sights of Melbourne are definitely the laneways.  They're tucked neatly in between buildings and they are usually filled with small cafes.  We love walking through these laneways, and just enjoy being in the midst of the activeness of people walking and people sitting down on the sides sipping coffee having a chat.  The one in the photo here is Centre Place.  Centre Place is located between Swanston St and Elizabeth St, between Flinders Lane and Collins St.  If you walk from Flinders St, you can go through these laneways: Degraves St - Centre Place - Block Place - The Causeway - Royal Arcade - and exit at Bourke St.  When you visit Melbourne, make sure you don't miss visiting these laneways.



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Saturday Sights of Swanston St

We never seem to get bored of walking in the city.  We go to the city everyday, and sometimes when we have to go to the city on weekends, there's still something to see and experience.  Most of the sights are pretty much the same, but there's always a different 'feel' to them each day.

If you walk along Swanston St on weekends, like a Saturday, you're bound to experience a more active street life.  Most of the times, there'll be the 'regulars', but somehow, they still manage to get crowds to stop and have a look.

You might have stumbled upon the guys who spray paints their painting:

The riders, the horses and the coaches:

And the guy with the mohawk who plays chess!

My personal favourite has got to be the couple who sing and play guitar at the corner of Bourke St.  Maybe next time I'll get a snapshot of them, or maybe record some bits of their singing.

Check out the Waterwall at Collins St!

This is a wall that we always keep our eyes on - waiting for the next feature.  The current wall feature is pretty awesome.  From far, we thought it is a digital screen of moving water.  We went close to touch it. It is water!

green green grass

We always find this type of temporary installation fascinating, although it's a very simple gesture of putting fake grass on a square.

Here's our take on it: "square + artificial grass + people = instant pocket park" (well, given that it's a nice weather outside, and the fact that QV courtyard is surrounded by cafes, restaurants and a busy-enough pass-through square for people to go to the other shops).

It's always nice to see greens.

Suzuki Night Market @ Queen Victoria Market

If you haven't been to Suzuki Night Market (or miss the overcrowding ambiance of Malaysian pasar malam) then you should plan an evening to visit this night market. We haven't been to this night market yet this year, but these are photos from our visit last year. It was surprising at first to see this much crowd concentrated within one market place. The crowd was the only thing that reminded us of pasar malam. Other than that, the market is still different from pasar malam, from its layout, how the stalls are arranged, how the products are displayed, and one major difference was that they provided tables and chairs for people to eat food that they purchased from the vendors. From last year's experience, you can find Halal food here, but prepare to queue the long lines! Massive crowd, and you won't believe you're in Melbourne (at least we didn't for the first few minutes upon arrival).

You can find a range of things at Suzuki Night Market, from craft, artist's products, food & drinks, general merchandise, music, activities for children and more.

The Suzuki Night Market opens every Wednesday from 25 Nov 2009 until 24 Feb 2010, from 5.30 pm to 10.00 pm at Queen Victoria Market. Entry is FREE.



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Shirt & Skirt Market at Abbotsford Convent

Another art market in Melbourne! The Shirt and Skirt Market is held every 3rd Sunday of the every month, from 10 am - 4 pm. Here, you'll find the similar range of artists' works and products such as clothing items, accessories, jeweleries, bags, t-shirts, baby apparels and more.

Shirt and Skirt Market is located on 1 St. Heliers St, Abbotsford.



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Christmas at the Art House Meat Market - Photos

Since it's near Christmas, there's quite a number of markets being held around Melbourne, one of which is this Christmas market at the Art House Meat Market in North Melbourne. The market operated on Saturday & Sunday of 12 & 13 Dec 2009, from 11 am - 8 pm. In markets like these, you'll find a good range of crafted works from bags, cards, paper products to skirts, scarves, women's dresses, baby clothings and t-shirts. It's a great place to see what local artists have to offer.

Docklands Sunday Market

Docklands Sunday Market is held every Sunday at Docklands Waterfront from 10am to 5pm. This market is pretty small, compared to other Sunday markets in Melbourne. Products sold are crafts, local products/arts, and a couple of stalls selling used items.



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Melbourne Design Market @ Federation Square Parking Lot

The Melbourne Design Market was held at Federation Square indoor parking lot (such an interesting venue for a market, isn't it?) It's not a market that operates regularly, but sort of like an event. It's a great place to see the range of designed products such as paper/print products, t-shirt designs, and a mix range of things at this type of market.


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The Melbourne Design Market @ Federation Square Car Park

More cool markets in Melbourne! If the Arts Centre holds part of its Sunday Art Market under the bridge, and if Flemington Market is on a racecourse, then the Melbourne Design Market will be inside the Federation Square car park. This would be a great scene to check out.

The Melbourne Design Market will be this Sunday, 6 December 2009, from 10am-5pm at Level 3 of Federation Square Car Park.

Hosier Lane @ Melbourne CBD

You can find graffiti pretty much anywhere (or everywhere) in Melbourne, but one which is often talked about or noted in blogs or sites about Melbourne is Hosier Lane. At this lane, building walls on both sides are covered with these graffiti, which overtime, are repainted and updated with new works. Although it is at an alley, it's a pretty safe area to go during day time, considering that it's adjacent to Flinders St, and next to Nando's and some other small bars.

Hosier Lane is located in Melbourne CBD.



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Geelong Waterfront

If you want to get out of Melbourne for a day, there are several places that you could go. One of which is Geelong Waterfront. During this trip, we drove to Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens, then off to Sorento, and crossing the bay by a ferry, then stopping by at Geelong Waterfront before driving back to Melbourne.

Geelong is located west of Melbourne, and is about 1.5 hours drive.



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Yarra River @ Melbourne CBD

Whether you're visiting or temporarily residing in Melbourne, we feel that taking a walk is a definite must. Along the Yarra River, you can enjoy the Melbourne CBD edges, while immersing yourself in the various pocket spaces, bridges, and places to sit all along the river. If you're an energetic walker, you can start walking from Birrarung Mar all the way towards South Wharf. For a shorter start, you can begin from Southbank or Flinders Street Station. Either way, take your time to stroll along this promenade.

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Melbourne Pictorial Map

Melbourne Pictorial Map by Anthony Harvey features a collection of buildings and architectural elements around Melbourne. The map is priced at only AUD3.95, and would add a good collection to your other Melbourne maps. It also makes a good souvenir for those who like to collect classic-looking maps and drawings of buildings. We bought this map from a book store called Readings on Lygon St. Try looking for this map at other book stores or at the visitor info centres.

Readings Books & Music is located on 309 Lygon St, Carlton.

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Docklands

Docklands is rather newly developed compared to the CBD. So, if you want to see more contemporary urban design or waterfront design, Docklands would be a good place to visit. In Docklands, some of the main attractions are the Custom Building, where the building facade has been designed with geometrical patterns that create an optical illusion; and several other buildings with eye-catching facades. Walking along the waterfront is relaxing, and you can walk to or from Dockland's Harbour Town - a street mall with retail outlets such as Esprit, Cotton On, Rebel Sports and some eateries.

Docklands is located on the east side of Melbourne CBD.

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If you're from the City, catch the City Circle Tram on La Trobe St or Flinders St to go to Docklands. The City Circle tram is free.