Working in Melbourne Australia
Melbourne and Victoria
Melbourne is one of Australia’s most interesting and cosmopolitan cities. Widely acknowledged as the main home to Australia’s arts and cultural scene, Melbourne is more like a European city or even an older American city like Boston or Chicago than it is like Sydney, Brisbane or Perth.
Melbourne is famous for its hidden laneways, exclusive restaurants and dynamic sporting scene. You can wander the riverfront at Southgate, taking in an array of cafes and restaurants. A short tram-ride from the city centre finds you in places like St Kilda, Carlton and Albert Park – all vibrant inner-city communities with great coffee, bookshops, galleries and boutiques.
In the heart of the city there are places like Federation Square, the Royal Botanic Gardens and a number of great museums and cultural attractions. No trip to Melbourne is complete without setting foot inside the hallowed grounds of the MCG – Melbourne Cricket Ground. This stadium is the mecca of Australian sport and has played host to cricket matches that have become the stuff of legend as well as the annual AFL Grand Final (the championship for Australian Rules Football).
Additional “must-attend” sporting events if you are in Melbourne at the right times of year are the Australian Open (January) and the Melbourne Cup (November) – the horse race that “stops the nation”.
Once you’ve taken time to explore much of what Melbourne has to offer, you can head out of the city in any number of directions. To the southwest you will find Bells Beach and then the Great Ocean Road – one of the world’s most scenic costal drives. While to the southeast you’ll find Victoria’s wine county. There are ski fields to the north and Victoria’s goldfields to the northeast. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous you could even hire a car and make the 6.5 hour drive across Victoria’s pastoral north east to the Australian Capital Territory and Canberra – Australia’s national capital.
As a working holidaymaker, basing yourself in Melbourne could be a very rewarding choice, indeed.
- Airport
- Railway station
- Transportation
- Cost of Living
- Accommodation
- Shopping
- Emergency
- Insurance and Healthcare
Location
Tourism Video
Airport
Tullamarine Airport
Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne is Australia‘s second busiest airport and forms one end of the world’s third most travelled air-passenger route – Melbourne to Sydney. Opened in 1970, the airport has been going through a recent series of upgrades. The airport is now modern and comfortable with plenty of shops and eateries in which to pass the time between flights.
The airport is about 23km from the Melbourne city centre and transport between the two is easiest on the Melbourne SkyBus. This service offers regular service from the airport to the city and runs 24/7, 365 days a year. Buses run at ten-minute intervals and a one way adult fare is $18 AUD. A round-trip fare is slightly cheaper but which ticket you purchase depends on your length of stay and other plans once in Victoria. SkyBus terminates at Southern Cross Station and from there you can catch local city buses, trains as well as a complimentary hotel transfer service.
Railway station
The railway network in Melbourne is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne and provides services from the city centre to a number of surrounding communities using a total of 15 electrified railway lines. The main railway station in Melbourne is Flinders Street Station. With over 2000 weekday and 3000 weekend services, Metro train is the perfect option for moving in an around the greater Melbourne metropolitan area.
Victoria’s V-line provides services to a number of outlying communities and regional hubs including Bendigo, Ballart and Geelong. V-line is an excellent and easy-to-use service and is great for getting out of the city and exploring the diverse Victorian countryside.
Transportation
Public Transport Victoria is the organisation that manages train, tram and bus services throughout Victoria. Buses and trams are the two modes of transport for getting around the CBD as well as the close-in suburbs, although trams are by far the easiest and most accessible option.
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When crossing many of Melbourne’s busy streets keep an eye out for trams as well as for cars and other usual hazards.
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You will need to purchase a “myki” for travel on all Metro services. Myki also works on trams and buses and can be purchased at online or via a range of retailers throughout Melbourne. Full details available at www.ptv.vic.gov.au.
As with any city, taxis are also an excellent mode of transportation. In Melbourne you can collect a taxi at any taxi stand, hail one on the street or book one by phoning 13cabs.
Cost of Living
In comparison to other parts of the world, the cost of living in Australia is generally higher. The Australian dollar is relatively strong against other currencies, the Australian economy is also strong and the cost of moving goods into and around Australia is significant. All of these factors combine and put pressure on local costs, but smart travellers can still find plenty of budget-friendly options
According to the online database, Numbeo (www.numbeo.com) prices for typical items in Melbourne are as follows:
| Food | |
| Cheap meal (inexpensive restaurant) | 15.00 A$ |
| Three-course meal for two at mid-range restaurant | 80.00 A$ |
| Domestic beer (500mL) | 7.00 A$ |
| Coke (330mL) | 3.00 A$ |
| Milk (1 litre) | 1.50 A$ |
| Loaf of bread | 3.00 A$ |
| Eggs | 4.00 A$ |
| Transport | |
| One way ticket (local transport) | 3.80 A$ |
| Monthly pass | 130.00 A$ |
| Petrol (1 litre) | 1.48 A$ |
| Rent (monthly) | |
| One bedroom apartment (central area) | 1,700.00 A$ |
| Three bedroom apartment (central area) | 3,000.00 A$ |
| Accommodation | |
| Hostel bed (one night) | 30.00 A$ |
| Five star hotel room (one night) | 700.00 A$ |
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Moneyconverter.com is an excellent resource for converting any local currency to that of your home country. This is a great tool for budgeting and stretching your “hard-earned” cash.
Accommodation
Melbourne offers a range of accommodation options. The particular type of accommodation that you choose is really a matter of personal preference and budget. Once you have decided what kind of accommodation you are seeking, then it is simply a matter of finding something that suits.
You will have to make some decisions about whether you are seeking short or longer-term options. For short-term accommodation, backpacker hostels and the less expensive hotels are always an excellent option.
Across some different price brackets, options in Melbourne include:
Budget
Space Hotel
Nomads Melbourne
Base St Kilda
Mid-range
Adelphi Hotel
Mercure Welcome Melbourne
Great Southern Hotel Melbourne
High-end
Park Hyatt Melbourne
Crown towers
The Langham
Shopping
Melbourne offers some of the best shopping in all of Australia. The trendy downtown areas of Chapel Street and Collins Street offer some of the most exclusive shopping anywhere – from major international luxury brands to local, high-end boutiques. Even if you’re not in a spending mood, wandering the streets and laneways in these two areas is an experience in and of itself. Don’t miss out!
If you want to go a bit easier on the budget, you’ll also find great shopping on Swanston Street, in the Bourke Street Mall and at Southgate the bank of the Yarra River. Melbourne Central and the Bourke Street Mall both offer more traditional mall-style shopping and feature many of the major Australian stores.
There is plenty of market-action in Melbourne with both the Queen Victoria Market and the South Melbourne Market being very popular destinations for tourist and locals alike.
Regardless of you taste and budget, you’ll find what you’re looking for if you’re shopping in Melbourne.
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Time your shopping to coincide with either the post-Christmas sales or the end of financial year sales in June. Many Australian retailers offer significant discounts at these two times of year.
Emergency
Emergency telephone numbers
Police, Fire and Ambulance 000
Insurance and Healthcare
A number of countries have signed reciprocal health care agreements with Australia. Check out www.humanservices.gov.au to find out if your home country is one. Regardless of whether you qualify or not, you should still consider taking out some form of additional cover – especially if you are on a working holiday and intend to be in Australia for 12 – 24 months.
Taking out private health cover while in Australia is well worth the investment. Any visitor to Australia can take out Overseas Visitors Health Cover. This type of cover will essentially bring you up to par with the basic coverage that all Australian residents have as part of their Medicare entitlements. Overseas health cover should ensure that you are covered for hospital admissions as well as a portion of any doctor’s fees.
Many Australian doctors will offer a bulk billing service meaning that they only pass on to the patient the costs that are not reimbursed to them by the Australian Government. If you can find a doctor that “bulk bills” you will achieve excellent savings in regards to your basic medical costs.
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Some insurance policies will have waiting periods and exclusions. Make sure you fully understand the limitations of your cover before signing up.
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As with any travel experience, before heading off to Australia for holiday or work, you should confirm the specific health-care services that will be available to you and also consider taking out your own, personal travel insurance.