Mell and I just had Vietnamese pho at Mekong a couple blocks away (will blog about the place and other restaurants for sure) at Swanston street, and I decided to process pictures taken in the last two days and share some of them here.

Melbourne city night view
Melbourne City night view, taken from Franklin/Swanston

I stay at the Verve apartment with Mell. The building is located at the corner of Swanston and Franklin, the edge of the busiest part of the city. At 20 odd floors, you get to see pretty much the whole city. It is rather magnificient, especially at night.

Swanston Street, Melbourne

The city is very well planned, roads are relatively wide with very pedestrian friendly side walks that are, at places, wider than the roads for automobiles. Walking is pretty much the main mode of transportation here, every intersection is equipped with pedestrian traffic lights that not only blinks, but beeps too (for the blind). Very handy.

Melbourne city Tram services
a typical Melbourne city tram

Crisscrossing the city are the electric trams. You can get on the tram for $3.70  (valid for 2 hours). Most of the trams stops at the middle of the road, unless it is a one-way street, like the one on the photo above. The trams are pretty much like the LRT without the elevated tracks, and running on a much slower pace.

State library of Victoria
State Library of Victoria

Architecture of the city is a mixture of old and new. You have the State Library of Victoria on Swanston that was opened way back in 1854 sitting right next to the QV Village that was opened in 2003.

cyclist at QV
Queen Victoria Village – QV

There are also dedicated cycling lanes in most roads, I guess cycling works best during this time of the year when temperature hovers around the low twenties and mid teens.

inside Melbourne Central
the ceiling of Melbourne Central

To travel to the suburbs or further, the train stops at Melbourne Central, which is doubles as one of the larger shopping complexes in the city. There’s cinema, restaurants, shops, and an office tower. Interestingly, the Melbourne Central railway station used to be called Museum.

intersection, Melbourne
a mini cooper at the intersection

While cars are a lot more affordable, it is quite a bitch to find parking spaces in the city without breaking your bank. Since public transportation is very good in the city anyway, there is virtually no traffic jam in the city.

Lygon Street - little litaly, Melbourne
a restaurant by Lygon Street

The city is pretty much overrun by Asian. I did not see any whites at all on the first night. The sidewalk of Swanston street (the busiest street in Melbourne) is basically 80% Chinese.

Lygon Street, however, looks more like the Australia I expected. We had lunch with Pinky and Kit and actually were the minority. The place is littered with many Italian restaurants, and appropriately referred to as Little Italy of Melbourne.

China town at Melbourne
Chinatown in Melbourne

Little Bourke Street is a little one-way road that is the whole Chinatown of Melbourne, which, incidentally, is also the oldest Chinatown in Australia. Like most Chinatown in the world, there are plenty of Chinese restaurants everywhere. We had lunch at a restaurant called Red Silk on Sunday and it was actually rather delicious.

I’ll attempt to create a food map for this city (as much as I can anyway), so watch this space!

KY travels – the city of Melbourne in photos
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47 thoughts on “KY travels – the city of Melbourne in photos

  • April 14, 2009 at 1:51 am
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    1st! Mell & Melb. haha~ Finally… Mell Bourne. (((=

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  • April 14, 2009 at 2:36 am
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    freaking awesome… am gonna get an slr and fly to melbourne tomorrow… missed melbourne so so much, the last time was way back in 1995…

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  • April 14, 2009 at 6:01 am
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    try shira nui at glen waverley during ur visit. is a japanese food where it sells half cook salmon sushi and there’s a few good ala’carte food as well =)

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  • April 14, 2009 at 6:38 am
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    YOU MUST VISIT CROWN!

    🙂

    There’s a good dim sum place at Brighton. It’s called Ginger House. You can take a train to that place.They have very good yam pastry and BBQ pork puff.

    And the portions are very very generous. 😀

    Yes, i’m from Melbourne.

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  • April 14, 2009 at 7:15 am
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    good god! how i miss the sights.. do put up more photos later on! sydney myer music bowl and the queen’s gardens.. check out south yarra banks.. errr.. queen victoria market… chapel street on friday nights..

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  • April 14, 2009 at 7:17 am
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    by the way, don’t even think about jaywalking. a friend actually got slapped by the local police for doing that. you don’t hv an excuse anyways – as you said – there’s virtually a traffic light every junction and the traffic does stop for you.

    unlike here @ jln pinang – nobody gives a fuck abt the red light – even when there’s a pedestrian crossing the road at the assigned zebra crossing..

    *exhalesss*

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  • April 14, 2009 at 8:57 am
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    Wah KY has gone to Melbourne. So is there any invitations for food review there?!! Lol…

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  • April 14, 2009 at 9:19 am
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    Did you visit the Gelati shop – Freedo on Lygon Street? Its da best!

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  • April 14, 2009 at 9:45 am
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    Melbourne is ze awesomenesssss!

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  • April 14, 2009 at 9:50 am
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    Nice pictures, hopefully some on food soon!

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  • April 14, 2009 at 12:27 pm
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    Ahhh….a place I will soon call it my home. Do remember to go for yum cha..really good dim sum there.

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  • April 14, 2009 at 12:36 pm
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    Jade Zheng,
    Hehhe yeh!

    superweightkoalabear,
    Make it happen 😀

    kai han,
    Thanks for the tips! 😀

    Michelle,
    Crown, tomorrow! Thanks 😉

    fara,
    Will do will do, just went to Vic market this morning. 😀

    eiling,
    Hahaha unfortunately no

    Jeremy,
    Will do! 😀

    Mellissa,
    Yessss!

    JD,
    In due time! 😉

    ShaolinTiger,
    Make it happen!

    Precious Pea,
    Yahh yum cha doesn’t involve any mamaks here. :s

    Reply
  • April 14, 2009 at 12:37 pm
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    why no pictures of you or mell or pinky!

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  • April 14, 2009 at 1:15 pm
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    Ooo.. I love Melbourne too… Sydney may be more glamourous looking but Melbourne is more livable… reminds me a bit of KL, but with colder weather and cleaner sidewalks…

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  • April 14, 2009 at 1:53 pm
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    wah, melbourne central looks like it could rival the twin towers hahahah.

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  • April 14, 2009 at 2:45 pm
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    wahhh!! the night view very nice ler… well, havn’t been to australia myself but am planning for a perth trip this cming july though.. =D coz the air fare is kinda cheap!! =D

    Reply
  • April 14, 2009 at 3:15 pm
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    Argh,I feel like going to Melbourne already!

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  • April 14, 2009 at 3:16 pm
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    feel like going to Melbourne already!

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  • April 14, 2009 at 3:36 pm
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    I don’t feel like going back Malaysia now… I love here! =(

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  • April 14, 2009 at 5:24 pm
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    I miss melbourne. You should try and eat at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen.

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  • April 14, 2009 at 6:17 pm
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    i saw some mat salleh and china town simply everywhere.

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  • April 14, 2009 at 6:25 pm
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    aud,
    Soon! 😀

    Suertes,
    Very livable place, I must agree

    calvaryzone,
    Hahah melbourne central is a lot a lot smaller

    cheesie,
    Waitttt

    drewnity,
    Perth is the sien I heard! :X

    Carol,
    Make it happen

    sotong,
    Hahhaa don’t go back la. 😛

    nicktay,
    But his stuff is too healthy. :/

    Myhorng,
    Very few of them seriously.

    Reply
  • April 14, 2009 at 7:22 pm
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    Hi KY,

    What lens and camera setting u used in your photos… :p i like the mini cooper shot… ;p

    Reply
  • April 14, 2009 at 11:06 pm
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    Hi KY,

    Hope you can share more about your Melbourne trip, especially on the good food and interesting places to visit. I’ll be going there next month…getting cold ya.

    Have fun!

    Reply
  • April 15, 2009 at 12:48 am
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    you should try the Footscray branch of Pho Yung (if I remember correctly) .. its 勇记 =)

    I miss Melbourne T_____________T

    Ah. so this was the trip you were telling me about!

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  • April 15, 2009 at 1:16 am
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    foodcrazee,
    Yes 😀

    ballball,
    A Canon 400d with Tamron 17-50 F2.8, shot at iso 800, f2.8 Av

    pinky,
    nom nom nom nom nom

    Yiling,
    Not always tho. :/

    HL,
    Will do that definitely. 😉

    jean`,
    oOo, interesting 😀

    Reply
  • April 15, 2009 at 12:03 pm
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    wow wow…very nice trip there…wish to see some pics of u and mellisa pak toh there leh….

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  • April 15, 2009 at 1:43 pm
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    the shots are so nice; Clear and crisp, kinda jumps at you the instance being viewed.

    and yet friends told me choose Gold Coast/Perth, before Melbourne.
    can’t wait to see more from you.

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  • April 15, 2009 at 6:46 pm
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    KY, not sure if you’re still in mel with mell. If you are, you gotta try another vietnamese restaurant right in the heart of the vietnamese district, Richmond, can’t really remember the name of the restaurant, i think it’s got a chinese character of “yong” (bravery)… and if you miss that, you definitely won’t miss the big red cock and a bull stickers on the glass doors. Ask around and it’s not hard to find.

    For something classier, try cafe italia off lygon st on a small little lane. Probably not the best food in town (but still pretty good) and you’ll like the ambience. I haven’t been there in years so I hope it hasn’t changed much

    Don’t miss the little cafes on hardware lane as well, at least walk pass them.

    The best coffee that I’ve had in Melbourne is actually in a sushi bar, yes, sushiiiii bar, in melbourne uni. As Mell studies there, she’ll know about it unless they’ve changed.

    Ok, beer.. how can you not have beer in Australia. One of the best and complex beers I’ve ever tasted is the Knappstein Reserve lager, which is brewed, believe it or not, by a winery. Not exactly cheap but well worth it. You can get it at any good bottle shops.. perhaps your best bet will be Dan Murphys inside QV.

    Ok, enough.. I’m getting hungry

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  • April 15, 2009 at 6:48 pm
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    Hey KY,

    I’ve been following your blog for a year from Australia and it’s great to see you here! Try Hardware Lane…lots of chic cafes and cosy restaurants 🙂

    Reply
  • April 15, 2009 at 9:57 pm
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    i couldn believe my eyes when i saw you and mell (holding hands so sweeet) crossing La Trobe St towards Melb Central on sunday nite =)

    is it ok to walk up and say hi to you and mell if i bump into you sweet couple again?

    Reply
  • April 15, 2009 at 11:49 pm
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    vialentino,
    Hehehe will do.

    J2Kfm,
    Different type of lifestyles in those cities I guess. 🙂

    No name,
    Too many places, too little time, but thanks for the suggestions, I shall see what I can do. 🙂

    Linda,
    Sweet! 😀 Thanks

    charlene.g,
    Of course you should say hi the next time! 😀

    Reply
  • April 16, 2009 at 9:14 am
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    Stupid KY.. looking at your pictures make me miss melb more.
    I hate you. Evil! @!$!@%%!@#!@%#%

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  • April 16, 2009 at 9:19 am
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    MART 130!!!!!!!! take my suggestionnn dude. take the taxi, or whatever, i dont care. u have to go there and try. DA BEST BREAKFAST EVER….. ~!!~~ (sorry im high on caffeine atm)

    Reply
  • April 16, 2009 at 10:09 am
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    Jess,
    Can you relax!? 😛

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  • April 17, 2009 at 1:46 am
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    dammit, i miss my life in melbourne……poor me becauce i was forced to come back….i want the trams here in KL…. =(

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  • April 19, 2009 at 10:47 am
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    DiN,
    I don’t know if the local drivers here in KL can handle trams. 😛

    Reply
  • April 20, 2009 at 1:53 pm
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    I miss Melbourne. It was my 2nd home for some time.

    *sigh*… I was supposed to go over next week but due to unforeseen circumstances, I can’t go.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing the photos. I would have loved to stretch my camera there using a lovely UWA lens.

    Reply
  • April 27, 2009 at 11:25 am
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    Angie Tan,
    Well there’s always next time I guess, Melbourne’s always gonna be there. 😉

    Reply
  • Pingback:kyspeaks.com » and that’s a wrap for 2009!

  • June 25, 2012 at 4:35 pm
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    There used to be lots of horses shits when I was studied there, really describes melbourne…plus you still can smell the shits while you are eaTing your food……hmmmmmm the best from melbourne…..

    Reply
    • June 26, 2012 at 1:33 pm
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      My: hahaha, that’s an interesting perspective.

      Reply

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