AUSSIECON 4

68th World Science Fiction Convention

September 2nd - 6th, 2010 - Melbourne, Australia

Home > Travel & Tourism

Getting to Melbourne
Airport Transfers
Climate
Getting Around
Weights, Measures, and Currency
Electricity and Phones
Wining and Dining
Coffee Club
Pubs and Bars
Tips on Tipping
Tours and Sightseeing
National Parks
Places of Worship
Unusual Things to Do
Shopping
The Lingo
Hot Spots in Melbourne
Useful Websites

Getting to Melbourne

Fares to Australia from North America and Europe are historically low right now thanks to airlines newly entering the market. You can book your ticket 330 days ahead of your return date so consider buying your tickets now - fare wars don't last forever! Aussiecon 4 is not offering a preferred airline at this stage because standard discounts cannot match the current rates.

Melbourne is situated in the southeast corner of Australia. From Melbourne, Sydney is approximately one hour away by plane, as are Adelaide in South Australia and Hobart in Tasmania. Perth on the west coast and Darwin or Cairns in the northern tropics are about 4-5 hours from Melbourne by plane.

The Department of Immigration & Citizenship provides information for people visiting Australia for a holiday, social or recreational reasons, or for other short-term non-work purposes. Visa information is available on their web site. Australia, like many countries, has strict laws regarding the importation of weapons, therapeutic goods, and some other items. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service web site has comprehensive information for visitors to Australia.

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Airport Transfers

The City Link automated tollway connects the MCEC to the airport in just 20 minutes. A typical taxi fare between the airport and the MCEC costs about $40.

The Skybus Shuttle is the official transit link between Melbourne Airport and the central business district. From the city, it departs every 15 minutes from Southern Cross station, a five-minute walk from the Convention Centre. The fare is $15. The Skybus connects with hotel shuttles , which will take you to (and from) the door of all Worldcon hotels.

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Climate

September is springtime in the southern hemisphere. Note that Melbourne has a reputation for changeable weather. Be prepared for anything – take an umbrella and wear layers that can be worn or removed as needed! Average temperature for this time of the year is around 17.5C (63.5F).

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Getting Around

Melbourne is easy to navigate, being laid out on a grid system. The central business district (CBD) is a 1.5 km (.93 mi) grid bounded by Victoria Street in the north, Flinders Street in the south, Spencer Street in the west, and Spring Street forming the eastern rim. Within these boundaries are a myriad of laneways and arcades containing bars, cafes, and restaurants.

When driving in Australia, drive on the left-hand side of the road. Use this principle also when walking along streets or corridors, riding escalators, and such. When crossing a road against traffic, look to the right, look to the left, look to the right again.

Melbourne's public transport is the easiest and best way to get around the city. A network of trams and buses criss-cross the city and connect you to the suburbs. The system is cheap and easy to use: a single daily ticket costing $6.70 enables you ride trams, buses, and trains.

A free City Circle tram travels along the outer boundaries of the CBD either clockwise or anticlockwise, complete with commentary. The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle is also a great way to see Melbourne's attractions. Hop on and hop off the bus at any of the 13 stops at key city destinations.

With a river running through it and a bay next door, Melbourne is a great city to make your way around by boat. Jump on a Melbourne Water Taxi or take a scenic cruise departing from Southbank. From the MCEC you can cruise around to the Docklands precinct to restaurants and shopping districts, or out to Williamstown where you can sit on the beach made famous in Neville Shute’s dystopia On The Beach.

Southern Cross Station, the main rail hub for country, interstate, and metropolitan trains, is a block away from the MCEC. The country and interstate bus terminal operates from Southern Cross Station also.

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Weights, Measures, and Currency

Australia is a metric country: temperatures are measured in Celsius, distance is in kilometres, weight in kilograms, and volume in litres.

Currency is in dollars and cents, and notes are coloured for your convenience: $100 is green, $50 is yellow, $20 is orange, $10 is blue, and $5 is purple. $2 and $1 coins can add up to real money so don’t discard them! Silver coins are change: 50c, 20c, 10c and 5c.

ATMs are scattered all over the city and all will take international cards (some for a fee, of course).

Australians tend to use their ATM or credit cards rather than cash for everything from shopping to buying public transport tickets, parking fees, taxi fares, and so on.

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Electricity and Phones

Melbourne uses 240-volt power, so keep this in mind for items like hair dryers. Bring plug adapters for dual-voltage electrical items such as laptops.

Australia mobile phones use the 900MHz and 1800MHz GSM bands and either 850/2100MHz
(Telstra & Three) or 900/2100MHz (Optus & Vodafone) 3G HSDPA bands. Many overseas phones do not work in this country so tourists often buy a prepaid mobile phone for use while they are here, or a prepaid SIM card to insert in unlocked triband or quadband GSM phones to avoid international roaming charges. (Check your phone's capabilities before using this strategy.) Both Optus Australia and Vodaphone Australia offer these products, among other providers, or you can order international SIM cards through certain Internet sites to be delivered before you leave.

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Wining and Dining

Melbourne is a city of precincts and an eclectic range of cuisine is on offer across town - hidden down laneways, high above street level, or overlooking the waterfront. Melbourne’s cuisine is about fresh ingredients, and Asian influences dominate. Cheap noodles and hawker food are plentiful from shop fronts and holes in the wall all over Melbourne. Fresh vegetables and fruit are often key ingredients.

A staple on the Australian dinner table is lamb. We also eat our national emblems – don’t pass up either kangaroo or emu if you see them on a menu.

By September 2010, the river frontage outside the MCEC will be lined with bars, cafes, and restaurants, so finding something quick and inexpensive to eat will be a breeze. The city also offers recognizable chains from overseas: Dominos, Maccas (McDonalds), KFC, Burger King (called Hungry Jack's here), Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme, and others.

Some exceptional chefs are now cooking in Melbourne. Shannon Bennett, owner and chef of the world class Vue de Monde, is setting up new premises at the Rialto Tower, walking distance from MCEC. Jamie Oliver, Neil Perry, Gordon Ramsey all have restaurants in Melbourne. Perry’s Rockpool and Ramsey’s Maze are at Southbank, walking distance from the MCEC.

Special dietary needs?

• Halal
• Kosher -- Aussiecon 4 list of kosher restaurants and Jewish resources
• Vegetarian -- Restaurants in the Melbourne CBD (Central Business District)

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Coffee Club

Melbourne has a coffee culture and regards its baristas as some of the finest outside Italy or France. Average price for a latté is about $3. Although some coffee chains are around town, local advice is to patronize non-chain cafés.

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Pubs and Bars

Pubs and clubs abound around Melbourne. Close by the MCEC is Bertha Brown’s on Flinders Street – named after the first woman to hold land title in Melbourne in her own right late in the 18^th century. It is a gastropub serving predominately Mediterranean influenced food, with a good selection of local and imported beers (mainly German and Belgian) on tap. Bertha Brown’s is also a YHA backpacker hostel.

Microbreweries located within easy reach of the MCEC are James Squires on Victoria Harbour, and Emerald Hill Microbrewery on Clarendon Street in the city (not quite in walking distance, but a quick tram ride away). When drinking beer in Melbourne, try to order what’s on tap. In Melbourne, beer comes in pints or “halfs” (half-pints).

Unlike other cosmopolitan countries like Canada or New Zealand, you can’t buy alcohol from a convenience store. But plenty of bottle shops (off licences or liquor stores) are located in town.

The term "bar" in Australia often means a gastropub offering upmarket food and alcohol with table service. A "pub" usually offers lower-standard food and a more casual (sometimes dodgy) atmosphere.

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Tips on Tipping

Tipping is not expected. However, if you have had a good meal or have received excellent service, then you should tip. Australians receive a minimum wage so tips do not play as important part of a worker’s wage as in other countries, for example, the USA. There is no set amount, but generally tipping your waiter in a restaurant $2-5 per person is a good tip. Same for your taxidriver – if he or she has provided good service, add a tip, usually rounded to the nearest 0 or 5.

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Tours and Sightseeing

Melbourne tours and day trips are a great opportunity to get away from the city and experience another side of Victoria.

You can go on cultural tours such as museums or historical trips, gastronomical trips to wineries or dairies, or experience real Australian wilderness in one of the many surrounding national parks.

Au Contraire the New Zealand National SF Convention will be held the weekend before Aussiecon 4. A quick hop across “The Ditch” (the Tasman Sea), New Zealand is easily accessible from Melbourne through daily flights to Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Experience some Middle Earth culture when you are down under and get more bang for your buck!

If you're in Melbourne for the week before or after Aussiecon 4, make a visit to the Melbourne Science Fiction Club in West Brunswick. About a 20- minute tram trip from the city, the MSFC is the oldest SF club in Australia and boasts the largest collection of science fiction in the southern hemisphere. It meets on Friday nights from about 8pm. Pick up the 55 Tram from the eastern side of the Casino-Southgate, a few minutes’ walk from the MCEC.

Take a 10-minute train ride (on the Upfield line) out to the Royal Melbourne Zoo and travel through Royal Park, the scene of all the action in George Turner’s The Destiny Makers. The zoo has displays of native Australian animals and a large butterfly house.

No visitor should miss the Victoria Market – “Vic Market” as Melbournians affectionately call it. Open Tuesday mornings and all day Thursday through Sunday, the vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere of this historic site has endeared the Market to Melburnians for 130 years. The Market is probably best known for its huge variety of fresh produce. Almost 50% of the Market area is dedicated to the sale of fresh produce, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, chicken, seafood and delicatessen products. There's also a wine and beer stall featuring local breweries and vineyards. The remainder of the Market is used for variety and specialty goods. It's a great place to get inexpensive souvenirs for your friends and “rellies” back home. The Market is also rumoured to be haunted! Built on a colonial graveyard, itself built over an indigenous burial ground, rumour has it that the spooks like to lurk around the empty sheds at night. Take a tour of the Market to discover more about its offerings and history.

A brief stroll from the MCEC is the Melbourne Aquarium, where you can swim with the sharks. Literally!

For wine buffs, the Yarra Valley, Rutherglen, and Mornington Peninsula wine regions are a few hours away by car. The wineries will even pack and ship your plonk back home for you. You can also sign up for half-day or day-long coach (bus) tours to regional wineries that leave from the centre of the city or pick you up at certain hotels.

Only just over 150 years ago, Melbourne boomed in the gold rush, and you can still see traces of that era today around the city. In order to truly experience this era, take a tour to the historic gold mining town of Ballarat. Grand Victorian and Edwardian Heritage buildings and tree-lined avenues still speak of its 19th century glory days. Ballarat’s major attraction is Sovereign Hill, a 35-acre open-air museum recreating the gold mining heydays, including old buildings, authentic relics, and actors in authentic costumes engaged in 1850s activities.

Another tour can take you to Beechworth, Victoria’s most perfectly preserved historic gold mining town. It has maintained its original streetscape and original graceful and dignified character. Australia's most notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly, was imprisoned here in a small dark cell for 6 month.

Bendigo is another historic city made rich by gold. Worth visiting is also nearby Maldon with its well-preserved historic streetscape. Then there is Echuca, Victoria’s historic inland river port with original paddle steamers.

Closer to Melbourne, interesting historical attractions can be found in Geelong and Queenscliff.

Other Melbourne tours can take you to the wine areas in Sunbury, not far from Tullamarine, and further north, the Macedon Ranges, an area with smaller and boutique wineries. While there, be sure to visit the famous Hanging Rock – a rocky mountain top where the legendary disappearance of several college students and their teacher occurred in 1900 – as well as the Mount Macedon scenic outlooks.

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National Parks

For nature and wilderness, Melbourne has several national parks that you can visit in single-day trips. If you don't have a car, coach (bus) trips are available from several tour companies.

The Dandenong Ranges are only about 1 hour east from the city! Try a scenic drive through tall Eucalypt forests, a bush walk, or stop at a coffee or craft shop. The historic Puffing Billy train ride from Belgrave to Gembrook is a favorite for kids (of all ages).

Towards the southeast, one of the most popular day trips is a visit to see the fairy penguins at Phillip Island.

Also southeast of Melbourne are the Cape Schanck Lighthouse Reserve and Mornington Peninsula National Park, great places for bushwalking, swimming, and surfing.

The Grampians National Park, about a three-hour drive west from Melbourne, is a fantastic place with breathtaking rocky views, Aboriginal art sites, and wildlife.

To Melbourne’s southwest, Port Campbell National Park is a visitor favourite. It is most famous for the Twelve Apostles, stacks of rock formed millions years ago that are gradually falling into the sea. The last major fall was in 2005 - there are in fact only eight left. To get there, drive along the scenic Great Ocean Road. While there, you can also go bird watching or follow along historic Shipwreck Trail.

About the same distance but southeast of Melbourne, you will find Wilsons Promontory National Park, a magnificent stretch of coastline with many excellent walks with mountainous forests, fern gullies, salt marshes, grey granite ranges and wildlife. It is the most southerly point of mainland Australia.

Melbourne is also a great starting point to explore the rest of Australia. Tasmania is close to Victoria and very different - with amazing natural beauty and wildlife, and a slower pace where you automatically have to relax. To get to Tasmania, either take a short flight, or take a car on a ferry trip across Bass Strait.

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Places of Worship

• Anglican
• Catholic -- Mass times from the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
• Lutheran
• Mosques -- Note that there is also a Muslim prayer room on the ground floor of the convention centre
• Presbyterian
• Synagogues -- Aussiecon 4 list of Jewish resources

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Unusual Things to Do – A Little Diversion from the Well-Beaten Tourist Tracks

We asked the Melbournians who are organising Aussiecon 4 for their top tips for quirky Melbourne sightseeing. Here’s what they came up with…

One of Melbourne’s star attractions is the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. It follows along the city circle tracks. Eat and drink in a historical tram as it passes by the city lights, sights and attractions.

Melbourne has a wonderful history dotted with some remarkable characters, and it's here that ghosts and hauntings step in. There are said to be about 50 ghosts in Melbourne's CBD, and more than 100 "personalities without bodies" in suburbia. Why not track them down on one of the city’s walking ghost tours?  We've set one up for Aussiecon 4 members. The Haunted Melbourne Ghost Tour

There are others, if you dare :

Melbourne Cemetery Tours

The 'Virtual' Haunted Melbourne Ghost Tour

Old Melbourne Gaol

The Royal Botanic Gardens are internationally renowned botanical gardens located on the south bank of the Yarra River. Be sure to take the Aboriginal Heritage Walk and spend time at the Old Observatory.

Melbournians proudly consider themselves “foodies”. Why not try a Melbourne Food Tour or a tour for chocoholics?

There are also plenty of options for film-goers in Melbourne. Aside from the usual megaplexes, this site lists rooftop cinemas, junkyard cinemas, and theatres specialising in retrospectives and older movies. Note that even regular cinemas use assigned seating, plus there's the hedonistic Gold Class that enables you to watch a movie in a theatre with only 20 seats on a comfy recliner with food and wine being served at your order during the film!

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Shopping

Downtown Melbourne offers a host of merchandise shops, both freestanding and in small malls (Australia on Collins and Melbourne Central). Two of the major department stores, Myer and David Jones, are located on Bourke Street, a pedestrian mall a short walk from the MCEC. There is also a free shuttle to Chadstone Shopping Centre, the largest mall in Australia, that leaves from the central business district in the morning and returns in the afternoon. For party supplies, a Costco in the Docklands area is now open and accepts overseas membership cards.

Or why not experience one of Melbourne’s many markets?

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The Lingo

Australia has a unique lexicon which is like English, but different. “Jumpers” are jerseys or sweaters; in restaurants, say “serviette” instead of “napkin” (the latter are baby diapers); and say “bum bag” rather than “fanny pack” (“fanny” is a lady's private parts). Throw your “rubbish” (not “garbage”) in the “bin.” If you go to a “footy” (Australian Rules Football) match while you're here at the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground or Etihad Stadium, be sure to ask which team to “barrack” for (“root” means something else entirely, a euphemism that isn't mentioned in polite company :-> )

Australians use nicknames a lot and often abbreviate words or phrases by adding a “y” to the end of the word – sometimes making them longer than the original. So, you eat brekky, have a meeting in the arvo (afternoon), and try to avoid the bikies (motorcyclists) at the bar. However, don’t say” G’day” to an Aussie; it irritates them no end. Most people will respond politely whilst grinding their teeth.

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Hot Spots in Melbourne

Parks and Open Spaces

Amid Melbourne’s grand architecture and contemporary culture lies a considerable network of parks and open spaces. Melbourne’s parks give its inhabitants a great range of city landscapes to benefit from, and contribute to Melbourne’s title as one of the world’s most liveable cities. Ranging from classic Victorian gardens such as the Royal Botanical Gardens and Fitzroy Gardens offering grandiose tree boulevards and conservatories to dramatic modern sculptured terraces such as Federation Square’s Birrarung Marr, they are accessible to anyone who loves a leisurely stroll or a picnic in an open space.

City Laneways

Melbourne’s inner city laneways are notorious for their enchantment, eccentricity, and intimate bars and restaurants. These many blue stone paved laneways, originally the seedy back streets of the city, now offer an edgy and chic culture of fashion, design and art. Contemporary art including graffiti and installation art adorns the walls of buildings once stained with the dust of the city. Dine alfresco after a spot of sightseeing, and enjoy the inventive and inspiring local culture that is Melbourne.

Why not visit ACDC lane, honouring one of Australia’s most successful music exports? Or the quirky Croft Institute in Croft Alley?

Local Beaches

Melbourne’s local beaches are in close proximity to the city. Each presents diverse landscapes and activities. The sleepy-town feel of Williamstown beach to, the cosmopolitan vibe of St Kilda Beach, and the exclusive bayside neighbourhood of Brighton are all complete with fabulous city views. At any time of year, you can take a refreshing walk along the St Kilda Marina or an invigorating walk along Elwood Beach with its backdrop of native coastal vegetation. 

Western charm

If you make your way across the Westgate Bridge to Scienceworks, go west and enjoy a coffee in Yarraville, a suburb with a quaint village feel. With its narrow streets and impressive examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture, Yarraville has a special charm that attracts a bohemian and diverse local population. 

Yarraville’s Sun Theatre with its bookshop and cafe has been restored to original art deco splendor. The cinema draws film goers from all over Melbourne with its large comfortable seats and intimate cinemas. The atmosphere of Yarraville is one of creativity and culture, comedy and community.

This is a trip off the beaten tourist track, so jump on a train and incorporate it into your visit to Melbourne. To get there, take the Williamstown or Werribee line train to Yarraville station.

Melbourne Arts

The arts scene in Melbourne is vibrant and alive. You’ll find it in the streets and lanes, in bars and cafes, at numerous festivals, exhibitions and galleries. It is real - supported and lived by the locals. 

If you are lost for something to do on a spare weekend - there is bound to be one festival or another going on. There are ethnic and community festivals such as the Latin Festival or the Indian Diwali Festival of light, and there are many celebrations such as the Sustainable Living festival, vintage car rallies, Rock, Jazz and Blues festivals.

Within the city you’ll find more theatres than in any other capital in Australia - such as the Princess Theatre, the Regent and Forum with many professional theatre companies in Melbourne producing an ongoing stream of world class theatre and musicals.

Melbourne streets are lined with art installations. There are the historical monuments depicting important early Melbourne figures like Batman and La Trobe. And there are the modern art pieces on many of the street corners and along the waterfronts.

Another side of Melbourne culture is Graffiti. Melbourne has some of the best street art in the world. Overnight, amazing creations can appear on some inviting wall. Many of them works of art, many of them appreciated, there to stay and protected.

Today, Melbourne can boast of numerous independent and state art galleries, and art continues to be well alive in the community. Most galleries are free to visit.

Museums

There seems to be a Melbourne museum for almost any aspect of life - from natural sciences to hands on experiments for kids, to history, aviation, to trams, and railways.

Many of these museums are exciting places of Melbourne culture to visit, and a great way to spend a rainy day. Museum Victoria runs several of the museums but there are other interesting museums as well, such as the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, which celebrates and promotes film, television, and digital culture.

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Useful Websites

• Wikipedia entry about Melbourne

• Melbourne City Map - Map of the central business district precinct highlighting tourist attractions.

• Melbourne.com.au - Melbourne guide to hotels, sightseeing, restaurants.

• City Search - information on everything happening in the city.

• That's Melbourne - source of general information about Melbourne's attractions and events.

• Tourism Victoria - Lots of useful information about tourism in Melbourne and beyond.

• City of Melbourne - The local government body. Includes some tourist information.

• Government of Victoria - The State Government's official website.

• Metlink - Public transport timetables.

• Department of Immigration & Citizenship information for tourists

• Australian Customs and Border Protection Service - information for tourists

• Tourism Australia

• Underground Melbourne - a blog homage to the hidden corners and less-traversed beauties of Melbourne

Still want more? If you’d like to see more information here on a particular topic, please let us know at communications@aussiecon4.org.au.

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