Last August, the Economist Intelligence Unit selected the 140 most liveable cities in the world based on various factors, including public infrastructure, healthcare, culture, education, environment as well as political and social stability. For the first time in a decade Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, beat Vancouver as the most liveable city with an impressive score of 97.5 per cent.

The reasons for Melbourne’s success are most likely its low population density and relatively low crime rate, but the fact that the city has preserved much of its heritage architecture must have helped – the number of Victorian buildings found here is second only to London. Its status as a green city with a rich and diverse culture is also part of the mix; the city’s central business district is a combination of high-class shopping centres, restaurants, hotels and skyscrapers complemented by large parks and green spaces, a riverside promenade and enchanting art galleries and museums.

According to Zoe Shurgold, senior international media officer of Tourism Victoria (www.tourism.vic.gov.au), “Melbourne has earned a reputation for unique hospitality and has some of the best dining places in Australia. Tourists are also attracted to visit the laneways of the historic part of the city and linger in districts such as the famous St Kilda Beach and Fitzroy suburbs with their distinct cultural heritage.”

Thanks to the efficient Metlink (www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au), a privately owned public transport system of line trams, trains and buses, roaming around the city is convenient and easy. And if you want to visit other places in the State of Victoria, Melbourne is the obvious starting point. “The state itself is not very large,” says Shurgold. “With its outstanding road network and efficient public transportation system, it takes only 90 minutes to drive to almost any remote attraction, from vineyards and nature parks to surfers’ beaches or glaciers.”

So Melbourne has a lot to offer, that much is clear. But seeing as much as you can within your given time frame requires careful planning, so here are some suggestions for tours of different durations.

Two-hour tour 

Begin with a well-worthwhile visit to the National Gallery of Victoria (180 St Kilda Road, open Monday to Wednesday 10am-5pm, www.ngv.vic.gov.au). Most exhibitions are free, and the guided tour for regular gallery exhibitions starts daily at 11am. On display are such famous paintings as Banquet of Cleopatra by Tiepolo, Rembrandt’s Two Old Men Disputing, works by Monet and Manet, as well as pieces by 19th century Australian artists.

Afterwards, head downtown and wander through the historic alleys around Flinders Street and Collins Street towards the Queen Victoria Building for a taste of authentic “old” Melbourne. Collins Street is a hub for international designer brand stores like Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Prada and Rolex, as well as multinational corporations and financial institutions – no wonder it’s earned two diverse but apt nicknames: “Fashion Street” and “Financial Street”. A mile long, this famous thoroughfare is flanked by classic landmarks such as the 19th century Old Treasury Building (open Sunday to Friday 10am-4pm, www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au), which has exhibitions showcasing the days of the Melbourne Gold Rush.

For a bite to eat, visit the renowned Chinese restaurant Flower Drum (17 Market Lane, www.flower-drum.com) in Chinatown – this typically red-décored Cantonese restaurant has won many Australian “chef caps” (the Aussie version of the Michelin rating system). Alternatively, enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the city while savouring the modern French cuisine at Vue de Monde (525 Collins Street, www.vuedemonde.com.au), located on the 55th floor of the Rialto Building. Coffee maniacs should not miss Pellegrinis Bar (66 Bourke Street), a café opened in the 1950s that still maintains the style of a traditional Italian family-run business.

At some point, even just for a short distance, don’t forget to hop on one of Melbourne’s heritage trams. These atmospheric trams are free and operate around the city centre and docklands, connecting to suburb bus lines (City Circle line, operating from Sundays to Wednesdays 10am-6pm, and from Thursdays to Saturdays 10am-9pm, www.yarratrams.com.au).

Four-hour tour 

If you have more time on your hands, you can add to the above itinerary by enjoying a walk along St Kilda Road or taking the tram to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens (open from 7.30am to sunset, www.rbg.vic.gov.au). This huge green space has a total area of about 40 hectares, and was established in the 19th century. It is one of the world’s most famous botanical gardens, and it is well frequented by locals, who jog around its many paths or simply relax on its expansive lawns. The gardens border the south bank of the Yarra River, where outdoor sports lovers row their boats energetically up and down.

Eureka Tower next to the Royal Botanic Gardens is the highest residential building in the world calculated by number of floors. This 87-storey apartment building boasts the highest public viewing deck in the southern hemisphere on its top floor: the Eureka Skydeck 88 (7 Riverside Quay, Southbank, open daily 10am-10pm, www.eurekaskydeck.com.au). Two lifts reach the 88th floor in just 40 seconds; once there, steel-nerved souls can experience “The Edge”, a three-metre-long glass platform that slides out to the edge of the building to allow tourists to gaze 300 metres down to the ground directly below.

Back on St Kilda Road take the tram south to Toorak Road, where there are numerous boutiques, bookstores and coffee shops near its intersection with Chapel Street. Only low-rise buildings line this kilometre-long road, but they are all stylish, petite and delicate in design, housing speciality stores and small restaurants such as France-Soir (11 Toorak Road, www.france-soir.com.au). The name gives the game away on its cuisine; here you can fill up on hearty traditional French fare such as onion soup, boeuf bourguignon, steak au poivre and the irresistible crème brûlée.

Afterwards, a taxi or tram (No 6 en route to Glen Iris) will bring you to the high street in Armadale, with its antique shops, boutiques and bakeries. To this day, Phillippa’s (www.phillippa.com.au) still practises the old tradition of slow yeast baking for its bread products, using only the best ingredients, such as fresh cream, Belgian chocolate and free-range eggs.

Night-time tour 

If your free time extends until after sunset, you can broaden the sweep of your Melbourne exploration by taking tram No 96 south to the trendy beachside district of St Kilda Beach. Running southeast from Fitzroy Street just behind the Esplanade is Acland Street, where you can find some of the city’s best cake and coffee shops. Monarch Cakes (www.monarchcakes.com.au) is a well-known cake shop with over 75 years of history. Signature treats include the Polish cheesecake, chocolate Kugelhopf and plum cake, and they need no fancy decoration to stimulate your palate. For something more substantial, head over to Golden Fields (157 Fitzroy Street, www.goldenfields.com.au), a chic restaurant with a modern, open-style food display that serves mainly Asian-fusion food.

Confusingly, Fitzroy is also the name of yet another hip and trendy district, this time northeast of Melbourne’s downtown area. Brunswick Street and its environs are a multicultural melting pot of lifestyles, with exotic bars and boutique coffee shops blending with bookstores, independent art galleries and international restaurants. Gertrude Street has become the focal point for the city’s art and design crowd – Melbourne designer brands like Spacecraft households (No 225), Obus Outfit (No 226), Vixen (No 163), the elegant café De Clieu (No 187) and cocktail bar Rue de Fleurus (No 153) are all located here.

On bohemian Brunswick Street, you can try all kinds of exotic cuisines, ranging from Afghan to Japanese or Thai. Matteo’s (www.matteos.com.au) is one that offers both creative Italian and Asian dishes, and its garnishing and food presentation are a double delight.

Lygon Street in the city’s northern Carlton district is well known as “Little Italy”; here you can find traditional cafés like Tiamo (No 303), gelato shops, pizzerias, snack shops and Italian designer boutiques. Worth a mention is the Carlton Wine Room (172-174 Farada Street, http://thecarltonwineroom.com.au), an Italian restaurant with 19th century architecture that provides high-class Italian canapés  and other fare with Italian and Victorian wine. This restaurant also has a private room and a cellar. If you prefer a somewhat lighter dining experience, step into Toto’s Pizza House (101 Lygon Street, www.totospizzahouse.com), or choose a quality Thai restaurant such as the 20-year-old Lemongrass (174-178 Lygon Street, http://lemongrassrestaurant.com.au), which also offers a private room to diners.

Weekend tour

Although the city has great regional railway routes, a weekend break out of town still requires a tailored itinerary or a car. A 60 to 90 minute drive will take you to Mornington Peninsula, a popular tourist area shaped like a boot marking the southeastern side of Port Phillip Bay. Known as “Melbourne’s Riviera”, it is a well-established leisure destination with seaside complexes including golf courses, hotel resorts and spa centres, the most prominent of which is Cape Schanck (www.racv.com.au/resorts). A popular pastime here is to take a vineyard tour – top of wine-lovers’ lists are Port Phillip Estate (which also provides accommodation and meals, www.portphillipestate.com.au), Red Hill Estate (www.redhillestate.com.au) and the luxurious Foxeys Hangout (www.foxeys-hangout.com.au).

If you simply want to have a great meal and some fine wine, check out The Long Table (159 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South, www.thelongtable.com.au). This bar-restaurant caters for up to 30 gastronomes at a time, who can order the freshest seasonal food from the surrounding sea and countryside. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Friday at 6pm, from noon on Saturdays.

Some of the Mornington Peninsula’s top draws are its hot springs. A good choice is Peninsula Hot Springs (140 Spring Lane, Rye, www.peninsulahotsprings.com),
where the water in the springs stays at a temperature of around 37 to 43ºC and water massage, a Turkish bath and gym facilities add to the pampering experience for weary travellers.

Even more famous for hot springs is the region known as the “Spa Haven”, located 90 minutes’ drive northwest of Melbourne in and around the towns of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs at the foot of the Great Dividing Range. This area has the most hot springs in Australia, a result of the Swiss-Italian miners who settled here and built its reputation as a place of healing due to the therapeutic mineral spring water. Probably the most famous is the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa (www.hepburnbathhouse.com), built in 1895, which provides a wide range of spa facilities and services.

SOUTHERN TIP

Background Known to locals as “the Prom”, Wilson’s Promontory National Park is located 225km – a 2.5-hour drive – southeast of Melbourne. Located in remote countryside, it is better known to the rest of the world as the southernmost point of the Australian continent. With its picturesque beaches, sweeping granite mountaintops and wide range of walking trails, no trip to Victoria is complete without visiting this much-loved sanctuary. 

What to do Hiking or camping in the Prom is a tradition among local Victorians. Each year, some 400,000 visitors make their way south to experience one of Australia’s most diverse landscapes and see native creatures in their natural habitat. If you are taking a day trip, Squeaky Beach offers a fantastic view and a unique aural experience – it gets its moniker from the high-pitched squeaks that are created when you walk on the sand. 

Alternatively, the short walk to Millers Landing (2km) will transport you almost instantaneously away from civilisation into the woodlands, without actually being too far away from it. This coast is Australia’s rendition of the mangrove swamp found in the tropics, and is as far south as you will find one. 

If you have more time and want to challenge yourself, follow the Darby River to Tongue Point, an arresting array of granite boulders monumentally carved by the elements. Not a big fan of rocks? Watch the sapphire-blue sea meld into the sky and have your breath taken away. 

However, those who truly treasure their ocean views will make the 19km pilgrimage to the Wilson’s Promontory Lighthouse, a lone beacon of light that stands at the edge of a 90-metre cliff, away from the rest of the world. Words such as awe-inspiring, magnificent and breathtaking don’t seem to do the view justice. There is dormitory accommodation if you want to stay the night, but do not expect wifi or room service. 

Prefer civilisation instead? Not to worry, the Tidal River Campsite with its cabins, huts, cottages and safari-style tents will cater to you. All of them are within walking distance of the park’s general store, which serves hot meals and provides internet facilities. If you drove your accommodation here, several caravan parks are located in the vicinity. 

Precautions While it is a place of great beauty, the Prom is also an occasional host to bushfires and floods. That said, you will be pleased to hear that rescue services are very efficient and if it comes to it, involve helicopter airlifts. Still, for your own safety and to avoid disappointment, visit the park website to plan your trips and familiarise yourself with applicable regulations. Lastly, as with every trip to the great outdoors, it is best not to go alone – and if you really insist on doing so, tell someone beforehand. 

Park information To book, call Parks Victoria on +13 1963 (international callers phone +61 3 8627 4700). www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/wilsons-promontory-national-park

Rui Ming He