First constructed in 1866, the Vue Grand is a superb historic hotel in Queenscliff about 90 mins from Melbourne. With very good accommodation in modernised old rooms, the Vue Grand is the place to stay while looking over the sights of Queenscliff or visiting the Historical Museum or discovering the local area of Bellarine. The Vue Grand has a number of cafes and eating areas as well as bars but the highlight is the Grand Dining room.
Just a nice place to stay in provincial Victoria.

46 Hesse St
Queenscliff VIC 3225
phone 5258 1544
www.vuegrand.com.au/

Google map: tinyurl.com/yd6uhwj

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One of Australia's best rural restaurants is Athelstane House in the historic maritime village of Queenscliff. The dining experience we had was superb, with amazing food backed up by a very good list of local and regional wines (as well as imports from France etc) and very very good service. Dining can be done in the restaurant or on the balcony or in front of the fire. Athelstane House also provides high class accommodation as well as a very good food store. Athelstane House is the winner of many dining and good food awards. We were impressed.

4 Hobson Street,
Queenscliff 3225,
Victoria, Australia.
phone 5258 1024
www.athelstane.com.au/

Google map: tinyurl.com/y8rmd69

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On the Mornington Peninsula about an hour from the centre of Melbourne are a lot of natural hot springs and pools and 'Peninsula Hot Springs' has built a resort over some of them. With this they provide special private treatments (massages, spa treatments etc) as well as public swimming areas in the thermal pools. Rich in minerals, the warm waters (around 36-42°c) soothe and caress.

140 Springs Lane
Rye, Mornington Peninsula
Victoria
ph 5950-8777
www.peninsulahotsprings.com/

Google map: tinyurl.com/yajwb2b

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Melbourne is the place to be in Australia for clubbing. I spent a bit of time in Sydney but Melbourne is a thousand times better in my opinion.

The best places in Melbourne can be found at www.barsandnightclubs.com.au

Google map: tinyurl.com/ybehz6f

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Woodapple is in Hampton and gets its name from a strange Sri Lankan fruit of the same name (the fruit being hard skinned like a coconut but with an inner pulp like apple and berry pie filling according to our host)
So Woodapple serves Sri Lankan cuisine and does so superbly. There is a reasonable list of entrees but for mains the best choice is the hoppers (bowlshaped rice flour pancakes) filled with your choice of whatever curries are on the constantly changing menus. These are fantastic and come with some amazing chutneys. The coconut roti (bread) is also great. One thing we noticed is that vegetarians are well catered for with a surprisingly good choice of authentic dishes. The service was good, done by the either the lady owner and/or the chef.
Best of all, the prices are very nice and there is no corkage if you bring your own drinks.

Shop 1
427 Hampton St
HAMPTON 3188
ph 9598 7800

Woodapple is in the setback Hampton Village area of Hampton st shops and is about 200m north of Hampton station. Parking out front is free.

Google map: tinyurl.com/yfufnkk

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A new name, a new owner, a new chef and newly renovated is the setup for what was the 'Middle Brighton Baths'.
'The Baths' encompasses a very swish restaurant upstairs with superb views across the bay, a lounge deck and a separate cafe and bar downstairs.
We dined at the newly renovated upstairs restaurant and came away impressed with a new a la carte menu, a very interesting wine list of local and imported wines, beers and liquers topped with very good service! Overall a very nice evening out.

251 the Esplanade, Brighton
next to Royal Brighton Yacht Club
ph 9539 7007

www.middlebrightonbaths.com.au

Google map: tinyurl.com/yzqhadn

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Led by the diminutive Bernadette Alibrando, Walk to Art takes tourists to the creative front line of the most artistic city in Australia, if not the southern hemisphere. Whereas the city centre's Ian Potter Centre and the National Gallery of Victoria hold a few thousand finished works between them, this tour is more about the artistic processes going on in unnamed buildings and clandestine alleys around Melbourne. Over the course of the day you’ll visit everything from airy studios to lane installations, talking to the artists as you go.
Mostly it involves keeping pace with the little Italian as she buzzes from one place of artistic interest to another, loaded with Melbourne’s best coffee. As one of the top six cities in the world for street art, there’s also plenty of high-end graffiti, which is tolerated (though not openly encouraged) by the local council. Less welcoming of the attentions of Banksy were local artists who doused one of his works with silver paint; you can see what’s left on this tour too. It’s breathless, brilliant and unlike any other art tour in the city.

www.walktoart.com.au

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For a truly fantastic French Bistro experience in Melbourne you could not do better than "France-Soir" on Toorak Road. It has great atmosphere, divine food and a very comprehensive wine list. I ate there two of the three nights I were in Melbourne. The third one was a Saturday so I couldn't get a booking and had to have dinner elsewhere. Highly recommended!

11 Toorak Road | South Yarra, Melbourne 3141, Australia, (03) 9866 8569
www.france-soir.com.au/

Google map: tinyurl.com/y9wsu3d

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Victoria is a great course ... for us golfers. Victoria is rated in the top five in Melbourne and hosts many tournaments.
After golf, there is the superb dining room located upstairs overlooking the course. For the serious golfer and anyone wanting somewhere to stay, Victoria offers accommodation in the clubhouse, all rooms have views of the course and grounds.

Park Road, Cheltenham 3192
Ph: (03) 9584 1733

www.victoriagolf.com.au/

Google map: tinyurl.com/yddtjcd

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Superbly located on the riverfront walk outside the Crown Casino and accessed via the Crown Promenade inside Melbourne's world class casino, the Waterfront does not disappoint.

With a name like - Waterfront Fish Market, the emphasis is obviously on seafood and to that end, Waterfront provides an elegant dining experience as the seafood is sublime.

For those who prefer something different, a variety of steaks done by weight is offered; anything up to 900gms of ribeye is for the carnivores in us.

Side dishes of salads are for the vegetarians or the hungry and to finish, a nice choice of desserts is available including their famous Belgian Chocolate Fondant! Yum!

A very good beverage menu also provides diners with an excellent choice of Australian and mainly French wines (red, white and sparkling).

Waterfront should be visited and enjoyed. Not cheap but well worth it.

Riverside (Shop 19)
Crown Casino Complex
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, Victoria 3006

ph 9686 9766

waterfrontfishmarket.com.au

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Melbourne has retained a lot of its history, and no better way of seeing that is to stroll along the many arcades (almost all have now been restored) in the centre of the city and also take off down the small laneways and alleys branching off the main city streets and arcades.

The city's network of arcades is Australia's most extensive, with Block Arcade between Collins and Elizabeth streets, built in 1891, its crowning glory. Royal Arcade (between Bourke Street Mall and Little Collins Street), is Melbourne's oldest, built in 1869, and features Gaunt's clock and the two folklore giants of the ancient Britons, Gog and Magog, who strike the hour.

The various lanes and alleys in the city centre all hold their own interest and most have a specific history. The group of back alleys famous (or infamous) for having all Melbourne's brothels in the 1880s or the lanes either side of the Chinatown strip are a rich source of authentic Asian eateries. Hardware Lane, one of the first laneways to be restored in the 1980s, now has a fine collection of outdoor cafes and bars. The local interest in these lanes and alleys has recently seen one named in honour of one of our best known rock bands... AC/DC

Melbourne city centre
go to Flinders Street station and start from there or use the City Circle tram to get around

www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.000C5064-831F-1A72-B0C880C476A901A1/

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Brighton...? Not as in the UK or the island across the ditch (in Unzud), Brighton beach in Melbourne is the real McCoy.

Split in the middle by Middle Brighton Baths (see other Been There tips) and the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Brighton beach runs from Brighton (obviously) to Brighton Beach - there is a place called that, with a pub and train station.

All along the way is a broad strip of bright yellow sand (NO stones here in Oz) with brightly coloured beach bathing boxes. Pics of these are in Melbourne's gallery.

Laze on the beach in the warmer weather or when it gets cooler in winter and the wind whips up the waves, join the surfers or windboarders on the waters of Port Phillip Bay. Watch out for the dolphins or penguins!

Brighton Beach is bayside Melbourne
12-15 kms from the CBD

take the bus or a train to ..Brighton Beach (its a real train station 20 mins from the city)

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Wunderkammer?
What is it? It's a cross between a fun house, museum and a shop.
This place in Melbourne is full of collectables, fossils, old antiques, old scientific curios, natural history items (taxidermy anyone?) and even has a perfume library. Amazing, crazy, eclectic, eccentric ... that's Wunderkammer!

439 Lonsdale St
Melbourne (city)
Open Tue - Sat
p: 96424694

www.wunderkammer.com.au

Google map: tinyurl.com/qg52p5

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Melbourne is getting a collection of great little restaurants along its bay and Vincents is another one. It has fantastic views across Port Phillip Bay and the surrounding bayside suburbs from the upstairs dining room.
The menu is mediterranean based and of course offers lots of fish choices.
The pastas were great as were the home made dips. Service was smart and efficient. BYO and also licenced, Vincents is just a nice place to go and have a meal

468 Beach Rd
Beaumaris
ph 95893161

www.vincentscaferestaurant.com.au

Google map: tinyurl.com/oezpl9

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Another outstanding find in one of our inner city suburbs is Olives. Situated in the busy strip of Martin St (highway end) Olives was a great place for us to have a family dinner for Mothers Day last Sunday.

Olives' menu gave us a large number of choices for dinner, with most of the menu seafood/mediterranean based. Us meat eaters (and vegetarians) are also well catered for with special menu offerings.

A reasonably priced wine and drinks list is also offered for diners. Service was efficient and friendly with wait staff able to offer menu recommendations when asked. All in all, a nice evening out was had by all.

162 Martin Street
Brighton 3186
Ph: 9530 8884
100m from Gardenvale Station

www.olivesrestaurant.com.au/

Google map: tinyurl.com/ps6xf5

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The most amazing road trip i have ever done. Driving across the nullarbor plains from Melbourne to Perth, stopping off in road houses, dressing up in 60's dresses making up tales to tell of our journey to the miners. Meeting amazing interesting people and seeing heads turn as you walk into a roadhouse - a rare visitor.

The drive varies through scrub, desert, beaches and lush forest. Sleep in the car, watch amazing sunrises, look out for kangeroos and roadtrains and play spot the windmill.

The first real cafe you hit and the first food that you eat that isn't a cheese sandwich makes the drive seem even more alien. Another world entirely - beautiful empty and fulfilling.

Make sure your radio works, or you'll end up like us - doing endless crosswords and singing!

Melbourne - Perth

Google map: tinyurl.com/opopmn

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The Grand Ridge Road is one of the best drives in Australia. Not really well known out of Victoria, the Grand Ridge is a drive that goes through the rolling hills of East Gippland and the Strezlecki ranges and extends into the Latrobe Valley.
It passes thru one of our states national parks and in the middle is the quaintly named, Mirboo North. Singed by the recent fires, Mirboo North is an ideal place to take a break while motoring along the Grand Ridge Road. A word of warning ... the views along the road are distracting but the road requires concentration from drivers and care and skill to navigate in parts.

East Gippsland
www.promcountry.com.au/grand-ridge-road

Google map: tinyurl.com/pggv2l

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A small town nestled at the base of the Strezlecki ranges , Yarragon has a range of speciality shops covering arts and antiques, bookshops and places to taste the local cheeses and wares. We stayed at the Yarragon motel, a small neat and tidy place just off the main highway (it was cheap accommodation too.)

about 130km SE of Melbourne on the Princes Hwy

www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/yarragon-20081113-5zus.html

Google map: tinyurl.com/pf36vv

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Melbourne is Australia's secret city. Visitors from abroad are awestruck by Sydney's habour and opera house, but often fail to see Melbourne's charm. Melburnians however, all know that if you know where to look, the city is full of secret hidden spots.
Murmur bar is a fine example of a truly hidden secret Melbourne bar. Tucked away at the back of an alley way, off a small side street, up a flight of stairs and you find an atmospheric cocktail bar where you can while away a pleasant evening sipping new and innovative cocktail creations.
Think dim lighting, jazz music and attractive thirty-somethings drinking quirky cocktails.
Bit on the expensive side, but worth it!

Murmur bar is on wharburton lane in the Melbourne CBD. From the junction of Little Bourke st and Elizabeth Street walk west on Little Bourke (towards the Telstra Dome), Whatburton lane if off Little Bourke on the left side. (03) 9640 0395.
www.murmur.com.au/

Google map: tinyurl.com/pdnkff

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Maris is a small restaurant in the inner south eastern suburb of Malvern that produces some amazing food with a mediterranean flavour and does so very well in a low key french bistro atmosphere. Run by a husband (chef) and wife team (front of house) team, Maris provides food that makes dining out a joy. Something is there for the carnivores (suckling pig or steak tartarè) or the vegetarians of this world (smoked beetroot for entreè!) Desserts are to kill for, with our choice being the pannacotta (can't recommend this dish highly enough). Home made sourdough is presented when you are seated and that is just the start of an enjoyable evening out. Service is slick and attentive. We thoroughly enjoyed our recent dining experience there.

15 Glenferrie Rd
Malvern 3144 VIC
Phone: 9500 0665

Maris is only a short walk from Malvern railway station
(parking is out the front)

Google map: tinyurl.com/pnhadn

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