A guide to get you started in Melbourne, Australia.
Melbourne is wonderful. It's the cultural hub of Australia and is filled with events, arts, sports, nightlife and a vibrant software community. The city centre is called the CBD or 'central business district'. It's located on the Yarra river and will be your first point of interest.
Tempratures range from 25-35C (77-95F) in Summer and 5-15C (41-60F) in Winter. Summer can bring extreme heat. Weather is tempremental. It can be sunny one moment then cold and wet the next. It won't snow here.
Pack a shirt, tank-top, shorts or skirt for Summer. A coat, pants and woolly socks for Winter.
| Type | Clothes |
|---|---|
| Summer | Dress/Skirt/Tank-top |
| Winter | Coat/Pants/Woolly Socks |
| Business | Smart Casual/Suit if unsure |
There are two airports, Avalon or Tullamarine. Both have a public bus service called Skybus.
| Airport | Destination | Distance | Bus | Uber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon | Southern Cross Station | 1 hour | $25 | $80 |
| Tullamarine | Southern Cross Station | 30 min | $20 | $40 |
You need a Myki card. It's a pre-paid card you can get from a station or ticket machine. You must tap it 'on' and tap it 'off' when you disembark. You'll get fined if you don't have a valid one. Full fare is about $7 a day and cheaper for students.
The network is confusing. Ask the staff for help to get to your destination.
Are free in the CBD! They follow set routes and are great to get around short distances.
All of them go to the CBD and do a 'city loop'. It's the fastest way to outer suburbs.
The main city stations are:
- Flinders St Station
- Southern Cross
- Melbourne Central Station
Trains run 24 hours on weekends.
You'll find these anywhere there's no rail.
Bikes are the best if you work in the city and live within 10km of it. They're a cheap, clean and somewhat unsafe mode of transport. You can get a bike off Facebook Marketplace for $150. You must wear a helmet.
Beware of tram tracks.
A valid license and registration are required from Victroads.
A car or motorbike can be obtained from:
Housing is more expensive the closer you are to the city. A controversial rule is the best suburbs are on the South-East side of the bay and generally degrade running counter-clockwise in a circle around the CBD.
Inner-city suburbs are recommended for singles within 10km of the CBD and further out if you have a family.
| Suburb | Lifestyle |
|---|---|
| CBD | Newcomers, small rooms, convenient |
| Docklands | New apartments, windy, no atmosphere |
| Richmond | Football, sports types, grassroots |
| South Yarra | Fashion, party |
| Fitzroy | Hip, mustic, arts |
| North Melbourne | Left-wing |
| South Melbourne | Right-wing |
| St. Kilda | All sorts, Beach, vibes |
| Footscray | Rough and Tumble |
| Everything else | Suburbia |
Find your feet by living in the CBD and think about moving outwards to save money, more space or a better vibe.
- Airbnb
- Hotel
- Hostel
A rental can be found on www.realestate.com.au/rent/.
| Type | Cost/week | Utilities |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Bedroom Apartment | $350 | $20 |
| 2-Bedroom Townhouse | $600 | $40 |
| 3-Bedroom House | $800 | $50 |
A sharehouse or housemates can be found on www.flatmates.com.au.
The average cost for a single private room is $200-$300/week including bills.
Names of big companies to get you connected.
| Banks | Elec/Gas | Phone | Internet |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANZ | AGL | ALDI Mobile | TPG |
| Commonwealth | Energy Australia | Optus | Optus |
| NAB | Origin | Telstra | Telstra |
| Wespac | Red Energy | Vodafone | iinet |
If you haven't found one already don't worry there's plenty of roles in software 😉
Most meetups are in the CBD after 5pm. There are plenty of like-minded individuals and recruiters at events who will help you. Plus there's free food, beers and you might learn something.
Take advantage of these free workspaces
- Heart of the CBD
- Super fast Wifi
- Desks with electricity everywhere
- Cool stuff to look at
- Coffee shop
Open 10am - 9pm (Mon - Thrus), 10am - 6pm all others.
- Heaps of desks
- electricity
- Technical libraries
Melbourne Uni, Monash Uni, Swinburne, Deakin.
Melbourne is known for coffee. Embrace it and sit down for a local brew. I guarantee you'll be back.
Worst case scenario. Free wifi, questionable food.
Melbourne is the sporting capital.
- Australian Open - Tennis
- Aussie Rules Football (AFL) - Unique to Australia, facepaced, exciting and cheap. Highly recommended.
- Formula 1 Grand Prix - Motor racing
- Melbourne Cup - Horse Racing
- Cricket - See who's touring in Summer
- MotoGP Philip Island - Motorbike racing
- A-League Soccer - Football
- Rugby - Football
Checkout the:
- National Gallery of Victoria - International tours such as King Tut, Impressionists.
- Melbourne Comedy Festival - Once a year
- Melbourne Film Festival - Once a year
- Theater - Broadways tour such as the Lion King/Book of Mormon/Harry Potter
- Dance, Ballet, opera
- Live Music - Heaps of local and international artists. Mostly found in Fitzroy.
- Street art and exhibitions - Hosier lane
- Melbourne Exhibition Center
- Royal Exhibition Center
Nightlife comes alive over the weeked. It's even bustling on a Tuesday/Thursday night and possibly Wednesday too.
- CBD
- Chapel St
- Fitzroy
- St. Kilda
- Richmond
- Casino - Open 24/7, is seedy and expensive
It's illegal to drink alcohol on the street. Weed is illegal... Still.
- Dandenong Ranges - Mountains and rainforests to the East of Melbourne. Checkout 'Skyhigh' for a view of the city at night (1 hour drive)
- Great Ocean Rd - Drive along the ocean and beaches (2 hours out of Melbourne)
- Yarra Valley - Go to the wineries and have lunch
- People don't work weekends and only within their contracted 9-5 hours. Refuse unreasonable work outside your contracted hours. You are protected by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
- Melbourne has an alcohol drinking culture. Social after-work drinks are on Friday. Beer sizes come in pot/schooner/pint.
- Most things are paid online.
- The local hardware store is called 'Bunnings'.
- The major department stores are Myre, David Jones, Kmart & Big W
- Tax time is July 1st. You do it online through the Australian Tax Office (ATO). Ask your employer or tax-agent if you're unsure.
- People don't work on public holidays. You're entitled to 4 weeks paid leave each year and 10 paid sick days.
Dial "000" for all police, fire and ambulance emergencies 🚨
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