TRANSPORT OPTIONS
Melbourne is the social capital of Australia. Voted the world’s most habitable city for 5 continuous a long time, it’s simple to drop for Melbourne’s adore of eateries and cafes, craftsmanship and music, sports and enterprise, or mold and shopping.
Melbourne generally has a Mediterranean climate but it has been known to have unpredictable weather; warm one day and cool the next. The weather in summer tends to warm up around late January with temperatures rising to 40° on some occasions.
| SUMMER | December – February | 25 – 30 °C |
|---|---|---|
| AUTUMN | March – May | 12 – 18 °C |
| WINTER | June – August | 10 – 15 °C |
| SPRING | September – November | 15 – 25 °C |
Australia uses a Decimal currency system, where 100 cents = one dollar ($). We have six coins – 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, which are silver coloured, and $1 and $2, which are gold. We have five notes, made from plastic – $5 (pink /purple), $10 (blue), $20 (red), $50 (yellow), and $100 (green).
If you have had a Drivers Licence in your home country for over a year, you can apply for an Australian Driving Licence but you must pass a driving test. If you are on a Student or Working Holiday Visa, and studying for 10 weeks or less, you can drive using an International Licence if you have one. VicRoads is a Government corporation which is the state road and traffic authority for Victoria. They are responsible for licencing and registration for cars, motorbikes, boats etc., as well as construction and maintenance of our roads.
Visit http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home should you require any specific information.
Melbourne has a vibrant night life as well as many other attractions. With so many options, there is always something to do.
Beaches:
Cinemas
Theatres:
http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au
http://everguide.com.au/Melbourne
State Library: 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Located opposite Melbourne Central Train Station. Nearest tram stop is Corner Swanston & La Trobe Streets.
City Library: 253 Flinders Lane Melbourne. Located in the CAE building near the corner of Degraves Street and Flinders Lane, between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets.
Each university has its own library which is available for students and to the public, although the public will be unable to borrow and use them only inside the library. Some universities that can be found in the Melbourne city area are:
Melbourne offers many doctors and dentists to choose from should you need to be treated. There are also chiropractors, physiotherapists, podiatrists, dieticians, optometrists, Chinese medicine, natural therapies, and many more therapists. A very useful tool to help find any of the services you require is the yellow pages website (https://www.yellowpages.com.au/). Remember to bring your health care card with you to any appointment if you currently hold one.
Address: Telstra, Exhibition St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9639 9600
Address: Ground Floor, 393 Swanston St, Melbourne
Phone: (03) 9662 2638
The Melbourne CBD area is the main commercial area in Melbourne and is well serviced by banks, restaurants, shops, post offices and public transport.
BANKSAll the major banks have a branch in the city centre; ANZ, HSBC, Westpac, The Commonwealth Bank, St. George, and National Australia Bank (NAB).
Opening hours are 9:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Thursday, and 9:30am to 5:00pm on Fridays. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM’s) are available 24 hours at most banks, but you should avoid using them late at night, for security reasons. Address and contact details can be found on the site below:
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_ details.php?id=4155#.UvGxlmdDF1M
When you go to a bank to open an account, you will need to take your Passport with you, as well as two (2) other forms of identification and tell the bank officer that you are a student.
POST OFFICEOpening hours are from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and they offer a range of services including payment of bills, stationery items, cards and wrapping, faxing, calendars and diaries and small gifts, as well as the usual range of postal services. Some major post offices are open on Saturday mornings.
SHOPPINGMelbourne’s CBD has an abundance of shopping areas, department stores and arcades. The Queen Victoria Market and Bourke Street Mall are not far from the school. You will find major department stores (David Jones & Myer), supermarkets (Woolworths & Coles), chemists, homeware, furniture, music, books, clothes, shoes and many more shops close to ELSIS Melbourne.
Opening hours can vary between shops, but most are open 9.00am – 5.00pm, with late night shopping on Thursday and Friday which extends their closing time until 9.00pm.
EATINGMelbourne is known for its diversity in cuisines. The CBD is full of restaurants to eat in or take away, offering most cultural foods you can think of. Some main attractions to eat at are Chinatown and the Queen Victoria Market. There are many culturally specific supermarkets with a large variety of foods for you to purchase. Melbourne’s city and surrounding suburbs are overflowing with restaurants, making it easy for you to find somewhere to eat. Also inside shopping centres will be one or more food courts with a diverse selection of foods.
SPORTS FACILITIESMelbourne city and nearby suburbs are very well served by sport opportunities, so if you want to continue playing the sport you played at home, or if you want to take up a sport while you are here, the following list should help:
| Tennis | South Yarra Sports – 679 Chapel Street, South Yarra Powlett Reserve– Simpson Street, East Melbourne |
| Swimming | City Baths – 420 Swanston St, Melbourne Brunswick City Baths – 14 Dawson Street, Brunswick Carlton Bath Community Centre – 248 Rathdowne Street, Carlton Fitzroy Swimming Pool – 160 Alexandra Parade, Melbourne Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre – 1 Aquatic Drive, Maribyrnong Beaches – Albert Park, Middle Park, St Kilda, Williamstown |
| Gym | Fitness First – many locations in the city centre |
Australians have a great love for sport; both watching and playing. These are some of the main sports:
| Sport | Season |
|---|---|
| Australian Football League (AFL) | March to October |
| A-League Soccer | October to May |
| Australian Open Tennis | January |
| Melbourne Cup | November |
| Formula 1 Grand Prix | March |
| International Cricket Matches | December to January |
Queen Victoria Market Trading hours
| Produce | Specialty Shopping | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Market A & B Sheds | Upper Market | |
| Tuesday & Thursday | 6am – 2pm | 8am – 2pm |
| Friday* | 6am – 5pm | 8am – 3pm |
| Saturday* | 6am – 3pm | 8am – 3pm |
| Sunday* | 9am – 4pm | 9am – 4pm |
Winter Night Market: Every Wednesday from 5 – 10 pm from 1 June to 21 August Closed Mondays, Wednesdays & Public Holidays *String Bean Alley Open