







 



<rss version="2.0" xmlns:beenthere="http://ivebeenthere.co.uk/beenthere-rss">
    <channel>
        
                
        <title>Been there | Tips</title>
        
        <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/</link>
        
        <description>
            Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love,
            live in or have just visited - are what make this guide.
        </description>
        
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Melbourne Aquarium</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34248</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[The best penguin display I have ever seen although I am sure Antartica is better. Well worth it, was located just near the casino which was also really good]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34248</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Vincents Cafe Restaurant</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22972</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[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.<br>The menu is mediterranean based and of course offers lots of fish choices.<br>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]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22972</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Olives Restaurant  Gardenvale/Brighton</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22743</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[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. <br><br>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. <br><br>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.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22743</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Yarragon Village</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21770</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[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.)]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21770</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Maris</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21709</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[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.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21709</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>The Wet Fish Restaurant</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19143</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Strange name... nice restaurant. The Wet Fish is a small intimate place that serves excellent mezze, tapas, great Turkish food and other Mediterranean fare. Seafood is a speciality. The range of Turkish dips and bread is rather nice. Also nice too are the prices, this is a cheap eating experience. The service is excellent.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19143</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Vic's market</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17645</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Great for lunch. Go to the deli section, order a pie, sandwich, coffee etc. They have Greek, Italian, Vietnamese - you name it. Then find a seat in the alley out back and they will bring it to you. It is a sunny spot if the weather is fine. Afterwards you could stock up on bargain souvenirs to take back home. There is often some kind of street theatre going on too. It is a lively, vibrant place and definitely should be included on a visit to Melbourne.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17645</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Sarands</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17327</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Another nice little find in my local neighbourhood... Sarands presents a Mediterranean-based menu of seafood or meat dishes. The restaurant itself is light and airy (with an upstairs private dining area for functions), service is pleasant, the wine list small but well chosen and the (mains) servings huge. The prices are reasonable too. Coffee is excellent.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17327</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Sealer's cove</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16463</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[It's a two hour hike to this little bit of Thai splendour a couple of hours from Melbourne. A forested swamp meets the sea in a golden crescent of sand hemmed in by mountains. Granite headlands keep the warm, clear waters nice and calm; continue on to Refuge Cove (2hrs) for a more exclusive swim before a long walk out.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16463</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Flinders Hotel</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16298</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Recently renovated inside, the Flinders Pub has moved to improve its eating areas with a formal dining room in addition to the bistro.<br><br>The pub is a favourite of motorcycle riders (it's a great place to start or end a ride) who frequent the bistro but the dining room is a nice place for those wanting something more formal... nice thick linen and quality tableware. It's a nice place to eat for those who have been tramping the wineries in the area or having a hit at Flinders Golf Club.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16298</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>The Royal Melbourne Show</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16054</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[The 'Show' - where city and country get together! Once a year, the country invades the city at the showgrounds and lets city families see what the country has to offer. <br><br>In addition, there are quite a few competitions where our farmers and country folk can show off the best bull, pig, horse or who can cook the best sponge or grow the best pumpkin.<br><br>Sheepdog and poultry competitions are favourites. City kids also have a chance to see new lambs or piglets or chooks. There are enough circus rides, face painting areas and handicraft stalls to keep everyone happy. <br><br>Adults have flamenco, hip hop, capoeira performers, belly dancers and others to keep them entertained. <br><br>And of course, there are fireworks at night. Everyone should go and don't forget to grab a ShowBag.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/16054</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Cafè Callooh</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15974</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Or, so it said in Lewis Carrol's Jabberwock!<br><br>Cafè Callooh is a new cafè in Hampton with an unusual interior, great coffee and snacks. Soup of the day and other eats are great. Kid-friendly too. Tucked away from the main part of Hampton's High street, Cafè Callooh is well worth a visit! Enjoy the wall writing....]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15974</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>The footy</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14315</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Melbourne is the home of footy. The game was devised here, was first played here in a paddock (on what is today part of the MCG) and, despite it branching out to be played, spectated on and barracked on in all corners of Australia, Melbourne still rules the footy. <br><br>The 'footy' is aussie speak for football, which is played under the rules of the Australian Football League. <br><br>However, this football is like no other on earth. It is uniquely Australian and uses some of the skill sets from Gaelic football (but not use of their round ball), some of the tackling skills of the two rugby codes and the use of the oval Rugby ball  but none of the hassles of 'offside', 'own goal',   or 'handball' which taint the rules of soccer. <br><br>It is a 'winter' game played by both sexes and is very much a sport where the entire family can attend and barrack for their favourite team (or player). It is a game with history going back to the early 1850s and with its rules and first clubs pre-dating even the setup of other major football codes.  Some of the rules even relate to age-old aboriginal sports which featured jumping to catch a ball made of possum fur, today reflected in the rules related to 'overhead marking' <br><br>Our great game results in a Grand Final (after 22 matches between 16 national teams) traditionally held on the last Saturday in September.<br><br>The rules? Too many and complex to list here so I suggest a visit to the AFL website or, if in Melbourne between March and September, go to the footy! It's a Melbourne institution!]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/14315</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>The Boundary Hotel, East Bentleigh</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13572</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[The Boundary is a pub with a history,<br>although today it fronts as a pub with decent food, kid-friendly even for those with ankle biters or rugrats who want a meal out and, of course, it has the obligatory pokies and TAB. Oh, and a decent wine list in the dining room.<br><br>The history bit? The Boundary pub gets its name from being on East Boundary Rd which gets its name from being the former east boundary of a large farming estate (back in the 1880s through to the 1920s)<br><br>Take the kids (leave them in the playroom) and have a meal or play the pokies.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13572</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Wheelers Hill pub</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13517</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Wheelers is a pub that has gone through a bit of a transformation and turned into a top class hotel with good food, good entertainment (especially Thursday and Friday nights) and a view to die for. <br><br>Having a lazy lunch in the fancy class restaurant overlooking the valley is a great way to spend a Sunday. The Wheelers is a fave with locals. And did I mention the views too?]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13517</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>The Cuckoo</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13456</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Tucked up in the ranges overlooking Melbourne is a series of small villages, most with little restaurants, cafes and bistros. At the small village of Olinda is 'the Cuckoo' restaurant probably one of the best known and famous for its Bavarian (German) based entertainment and food. <br><br>It's been there for about 50 years and thrives with families going there for a great night out.<br><br>The food? A huge variety of seafood, meats, side dishes, hot and cold. The freshly made pancakes are a favourite for desert, with cream of course!<br><br>The music and entertainment? Bavarian with something for all the family.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13456</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Penguin Parade, Phillip Island</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12438</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[At dusk daily numerous little penguins come in to rest, sleep and feed their young. It is a fabulous sight to behold. they are the smallest penguin species in the world and VERY cute.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12438</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>The speakers' box at the state library</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11549</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[In Melbourne you will find soapboxes being put to use on Sunday afternoons at the Speakers’ Forum on the forecourt outside the State library. <br><br>Over the years, speakers (including Prime Ministers) have gathered on the banks of the Yarra river to discuss politics (brave!). In 1995, the tradition was relocated to the forecourt. If you have something you think needs to be heard, the stage is yours between 2.30pm and 5.30pm every Sunday. The audience gets to heckle and boo for free.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11549</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Chinatown and the Chinese Museum</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11147</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Visting Melbourne's Chinatown - the oldest area of continuous Chinese settlement in the western world is a great way to spend a quiet Sunday afternoon. Lots to see (as the history of the area dates back to the 1840s and 1850s), plenty of places to have a bite and while there, visit the Chinese Museum.]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/11147</guid>
            </item>
        
            <item>
                
                
                <title>Melbourne Zoo "roar 'n' snore"</title>
                
                <link>http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10996</link>
                
                <description><![CDATA[Go to the zoo and see the animals ..and get up close with the animals. After closing time, "Roar 'n' Snore' starts with dinner followed by a nightime guided tour of the zoo. You get to explore the zoo as night falls and see the zoo's nightlife...animals whose activities start at dusk. Supper follows..before you bed down for the night...in your tent in the middle of the zoo. <br>I might add, nightime at the zoo is NOISY!<br> Breakfast is served next morning before more walks around the zoo.<br>This is simply a wonderful activity that has to be experienced. <br><br>For adults and families with children 7+]]></description>
                
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10996</guid>
            </item>
        
    </channel> 
</rss>

