I would be one of the first to put my hand up when it comes to a girl’s weekend away. There is something about getting away with your BFFs and indulging in all things that girls enjoy. I’m talking about things like seeing live shows, walking in Botanical Gardens, eating out for every meal, browsing shops or markets and enjoying a few drinks together. I recently got to do all of my favourite things with my favourite girl – my daughter, in the city of Melbourne. So here is a girl’s guide to a weekend in Melbourne.

Melbourne

The welcome to Melbourne brochure is spot on! Visitors to Melbourne are spoiled for choice with sporting events, arts and culture, great shopping, incredible cuisine, quirky arcades and laneways, and pretty public parks and gardens.

Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne

This state capital city located in southern Victoria on Port Phillip Bay is a vibrant, throbbing, and sports mad metropolis. With Melbourne’s exciting mix of style, sport, culture and dining it gets under your skin and you’ll never want to leave – believe me!

How to Get Around in Melbourne City

The tram network in Melbourne City is amazing. There is a free tram zone that includes the city centre and extends from Queen Victoria Market to Docklands, Spring Street, Flinders Street Station and Federation Square. But there is also the free City Circle Tram that is great to get your bearings and hop on and off at your leisure for sightseeing the city.

Melbourne City Circle Tram

Otherwise you get yourself a myki card available everywhere, so that you can use Melbourne’s public transport network, including trams, buses and trains. $10 will easily get you around Melbourne for a day.

Melbourne Arts Tram

A great place to start your Melbourne City adventure is at the Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square, located opposite Flinders Street Station. Here you can obtain maps, brochures, souvenirs and even book tours.

Where we stayed in Melbourne

We were fortunate to get a great deal via Travelzoo for a couple of nights at the Pullman Melbourne on The Park Hotel. This 4 star hotel is located adjacent to the Fitzroy Gardens, on the fringe of Melbourne CBD, close to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Views over Fitzroy Gardens from our room at the Pullman on Melbourne Park

Luxury Escapes are currently running a great offer for a “French Escape with Sofitel Melbourne”, located right in the heart of the city in Collins Street. Check it out!

Where we ate and drank in Melbourne City

Melbourne is renowned as the “Coffee Capital of Australia” and offers a vast array of laneway sidewalk cafes brewing up the best coffee. There is no doubt that Melbourne is a serious culinary hotspot, with everything from burger joints to swish eateries with big-name chefs, and there’s also a thriving bar scene.​

Melbourne’s Laneway Restaurant & Cafe scene

This is where we ate and drank during our two day visit:

• Chin Chin Australian/Asian fusion restaurant in Flinders Lane for lunch – Caramelised Sticky Pork with sour herb salad and chilli vinegar was to die for!
• Good Heavens rooftop bar for cocktails in Bourke Street – great views over the tree-lined street and an upbeat atmosphere.
  

  Enjoying an afternoon aperitif at Good Heavens rooftop bar

• Gyoza Gyoza Japanese Izakaya style tapas bar in Little Bourke Street for dinner – all tapas meals are $6.80 so ideal if you’re on a budget and the grilled miso eggplant was amazing.
• Time Out Cafe in Federation Square off Flinders Street for breakfast – one of the best views in Melbourne overlooking the square and the iconic Flinders Street Train station.
• Amigos Mexican inspired restaurant in Hardware Lane for lunch – a funky little Melbourne laneway restaurant with a good selection of fresh tacos.
• Supernormal Restaurant Asian influence in Flinders Lane for dinner – a first class dining experience with a mouth watering menu. The Duck Bao was simply sumptuous!

The Conservatory in the Fitzroy Gardens

Things to see and do in Melbourne City

We arrived into Melbourne early Saturday morning and immediately ditched our bags at the hotel, and set off on foot to the city centre. There was no time to waste, as we had a long list of things we wanted to see and do and another list of where we wanted to eat and drink in Melbourne City.

Strolling along Collins Street, we came across the Regent Theatre and noticed that Priscilla: Queen of the Desert was playing. We enquired about tickets and before we knew it we had two tickets to the 2pm matinee that afternoon.

Ready to go to the show at the Regent Theatre

We also noticed that the Melbourne Comedy Festival was in full swing during the weekend and grabbed ourselves a ticket for Sunday to see Cal Wilson at the Victoria Hotel.

But there was much more to experience and here is what we packed into our two days:

• Go to the Melbourne Visitor’s Centre at Federation Square and do your homework before venturing any further. You can also embark on a free 2 to 4 hour walking tour of Melbourne City departing daily at 9.30am.
  

  Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral opposite.

• See the famous Shepparton Moooving Art Cows at Federation Square, sit on the steps and watch buskers and the crowds coming and going from Flinders Street Station across the road. Federation Square is a modern piazza that has become the heart and soul of Melbourne.
• Visit the National Gallery of Victoria in Flinders Street for a fantastic exhibition of artwork.
  

  National Gallery of Victoria facade

• Take a look inside the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral in Flinders Street. It is open every day to pilgrims and visitors for worship, prayer and visiting.
• Walk into Flinders Street Station, Australia’s oldest train station, with its distinctive yellow facade and green copper dome it’s a city icon.
  

  Flinders Street Station facade in Melbourne

• Cross Princes Bridge on the Yarra River over to the Southbank precinct – an entire new entertainment area with loads of riverside dining options known as Southgate. Watch the row boats on the Yarra or take a Yarra boat cruise down the river.
  

  The Yarra River and Southgate Precinct

• Stroll down Flinders Lane, arguably Melbourne’s tastiest street, and work up an appetite amongst the large array of restaurants and cafes. Check out Hosier Lane, AC/DC Lane, Duckboard Place and Centre Place for some of Melbourne’s finest street art murals. If you want more art stop by at Flinders Lane Art Gallery.
  

  Hosier Lane street artist at work

• Enter the Chinatown Precinct in Little Bourke Street that dates back to the Gold Rush days in the 1850s.
• Make your way down Collins Street past the Melbourne Town Hall, where there are free one hour tours.
  

  Melbourne Town Hall

• Shop until you drop in Bourke Street Mall and wander over to Queen Victoria Market for fantastic market shopping.
• Relax on the lawns outside the State Library of Victoria in Swanston Street and people watch.
  

  State Library of Victoria is a great place to relax

• Wander down Spring Street past Parliament House, Old Treasury Building and the Treasury Gardens.
  

  Parliament House in Melbourne

• Immerse yourself into the glorious Fitzroy Gardens and see the Model Tudor Village, Conservatory, Cook’s Cottage and ornamental fountain.
  

  Captain Cook’s Cottage in the Fitzroy Gardens

• Get your AFL footy jersey on and attend a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) or otherwise just do what we did and stroll around the outside of the massive sport arena.
  

  The mighty MCG and statue of Kevin Bartlett AFL Legend

• See where the Melbourne Open is hosted at Olympic Park and Rod Laver Arena.

We only skimmed the surface of what this great city has to offer over a period of two short days. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe our weekend in Melbourne, however brilliant, breath taking, buzzing and beautiful do come to mind. Bring on the next girl’s weekend away!

Do you like getting away with your girlfriends for weekends of girlie stuff?

This post is part of the Lovin’ Life Linky with a Lovin’ Life Team of the “ageing positively” kind who are as keen as I am to promote the Lovin’ Life mindset.

The Lovin’ Life Team includes:

Lyndall from Seize the Day Project