Exploring Melbourne, Part I

Wow, where do I begin?

While I was in Australia, I was lucky enough to have some time to explore the city around me. My hotel was in St. Kilda, so I was close to Melbourne’s legendary public transit tram service. Aside from that, we happened to be a few blocks away from the fashion district. I learned a ton of things during my short week there and it’s easier to relay my knowledge in bullet form.

Things I learned in Melbourne, part 1:

• It’s pronounced “mel-bin”. They WILL correct you if you say it wrong
  • Brisbane is pronouced “bris-bin”
  • Sydney and Melbourne regard each other with the disgust that mirrors how San Francisco/ Peninsula residents regard people from Oakland (and vice versa)
  • It’s a very walkable city and the tram service is great
  • Uber makes life there for a tourist much easier
• Lots of similarities to the UK. They drive on the left side of the road, like the Brits for example
  • They are SUPER strict with speed limits (also measured in KMH). A couple of KMH over= hefty fines by cops or traffic cams
  • They love tolls, but all use the “high speed” readers everywhere
• McDonald’s= Macca’s. You can build your own burger but a value meal runs $20 AUD ($15ish USD)
  • Menu items are different- I didn’t try anything there
• Burger King = Hungry Jack’s. Yeah, something to do with not offending the Queen?
  • Same as Macca’s- didn’t get to try anything there
• There were a TON of KFC locations for reasons I don’t understand
• There is no Outback Steakhouse there
  • I didn’t see any Foster’s either
  • Basically everything I thought I “knew” about Australia was a lie
• Drip coffee doesn’t really exist there (and most of the Starbucks closed due to that + local competition). They don’t mess around with their espresso (“short black”)
  • Like the UK, they love tea. Many businesses break for tea time during the day. Every hotel room we were in had a teapot, not a coffee machine.

Stay tuned for part II!

You can find all of my photos over on Flickr.