I got the chance to visit Melbourne back in 2015 for a short 4 day getaway. I wanted to share on the few places we touched down on. Melbourne is the second most populous city in Australia and is located in the state of Victoria, the southern part of Australia. We went at about the end of summer so temperatures can be quite high.

The City Circle Tram offers free ride on its route and it stops at many main attractions in the city center. You can start off at the Flinders Street stop located at the intersection of Flinders Street and Swanston Street. Flinders Street railway station, sitting at one corner of the intersection is a major transportation hub for Melbourne where a lot of lines intersect. The massive station building itself has a French renaissance architecture making it a significant landmark for the city.

Flinders Street Station

Opposite the Flinders Street station is the controversial Federation Square which is a mix-used development containing a squares and commercial buildings. It was once nicknamed öne of the "World's Ugliest Building" due to its weird architecture and color design. Depending on how you see it, I felt it presents a different side to the city compared to the more traditional Flinders Street design. Melbourne Tourist Center is also located within the square to give you further help on your Melbourne visit. Opposite of the Federation Square is the St Paul's Cathedral, where you can also make a visit.

Federation Square

St Paul's Cathedral

From St Paul's Cathedral, as you walk along Flinders Street towards east, you'll come across the famous Hosier Lane. Hosier Lane is an alleyway famous for its colorful graffiti art that decorates the wall of buildings along the lane. The art here are constantly being replaced so you might not be seeing the same art if you come visit this lane over multiple visits.

The colorful Hosier Lane

Similar to the London Eye and Singapore Flyer, the Melbourne Star is a large Ferris Wheel observatory that is located near the Newquay area of the city. A ride on the wheel gives a great Melbourne skyline viewpoint as well as a beautiful sunset view on the other side of your capsule. One round takes 30 minutes and costs AUD27 for adults when bought online.

Sunset view from the Melbourne Star

Another set of famous Melbourne landmarks that can be reached by train are the colorful beach boxes at Brighton Beach. Taking a train from Flinders Street along the Sandringham line until Brighton station. From the station, you're going to have to walk a bit to the beach. Along the way, you can also make a visit to the Brighton Beach Gardens for some picture sessions of greeneries along the shoreline. It was scorching hot during our visit in the summer so be prepared for it.

Brighton Beach Gardens

Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes

Another beach to check out is the St Kilda Beach. This beach is the closest to the city and offers a great sunset view and picnic location to enjoy some family time. The crowd is bigger here due to its close proximity to the city and other attractions nearby. The beach can be reached from Melbourne center via a 30 minute tram ride.

St Kilda Beach

Attractions around St Kilda Beach

Acland Street

Right near St Kilda Beach is Acland Street. This street is famous for hosting a multitude of cafes and serving a variety of desserts. Perhaps while waiting to see the sunset at the beach you can treat yourself to afternoon tea.

One of the many dessert storefront at Acland Street

Great Ocean Road

We took a day tour to Great Ocean Road via Go West tour company. By following their tour, we were taken to a few attractions along Great Ocean Road including Bells Beach, which is a favourite surf beach, the famous landmarks Twelve Apostles, the shipwreck location at Loch Ard Gorge and once upon a time London Bridge. A stop at Great Otway National Park's beautiful rainforest is included as well. The tour also includes morning tea and lunch at Apollo Bay. This is definitely the highlight of the trip.

Twelve Apostles at Port Campbell Park

Loch Ard Gorge

The London Bridge (No more)

Melbourne has so much to offer. At the time we visited, White Night was happening around town so there was even more things to do. Melbourne is definitely another interesting city to visit in Australia. Be sure to make a visit!