Ranked as being ‘The World’s Most Liveable City’ for six years in a row since 2011, Melbourne is known for being the cultural and sporting capital of Australia. A Unesco City of Literature and the so called Street Art Capital of the World, Melbourne is a diverse city that oozes creativity and culture with a dose of quirkiness.

This multicultural metropolis successfully managing to be globally sophisticated showing off its polished exterior yet retains an indie edge with a hidden depth found in its maze of over 200 alleyways aka laneways. It’s a city much loved for its diverse art scene, cafe culture, boutique shopping, sporting events, museums, festivals, and overall warm disposition – both in terms of the weather and the people!

The city has an extensive expat community and can boast the largest Greek population outside of Greece as well as having prominent Italian, Vietnamese, and Chinese communities – It’s estimated that 260 languages are spoken in Melbourne with people from more than 200 countries settling in the city and its suburbs over the years.

Today, it’s a popular city for digital nomads, travellers and wannabe expats but it’s not a cheap city to live in so why do people continue to flock here? Perhaps it’s the familiar feeling of being ‘home’ due to the English-speaking Western culture with good healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Digital nomads have no problem working in the city due to the fast internet, an abundance of dedicated co-working spaces, laptop friendly cafes, great library, and parks and beaches with public Wi-Fi.

In terms of entertainment, there’s always something going on. Sports play a huge role in city life with public holidays for the Melbourne Cup and AFL Grand Final. Nature and outdoor living are also key to enjoying the good life, Melbourne straddling the Yarra River and having an abundance of parks and gardens with brilliant beaches including Mornington Peninsula, one of the cities beloved summer playgrounds.

The nightlife is buzzing with underground bars, dance clubs, jazz cafes, and art exhibitions all nestled in the laneways, you never know what you’ll find behind one of these closed doors! The food scene is hugely diverse with an abundance of eateries whether you seek fine dining, food trucks, or fusion restaurants all of whom serve up diverse flavours from around the world whether you fancy Greek souvlaki or Vietnamese pho soup.

Wouldn’t you want to save time and discover the absolute BEST places in Melbourne? – Cafes, accommodation, coworking, gyms, yoga & more

There are many travel guides for tourists who want to visit Melbourne.

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Best Time to Visit Melbourne

Melbourne is known for having unpredictable weather with it being possible to experience 4 seasons in 1 day but it benefits from never being too hot and never being too cold. Peak season is December to February, Australia’s Summer, but the best time to visit is in Spring (September to November) or Autumn (March to May) when the crowds aren’t as thick and the weather not quite as hot but still pleasant enough to explore the city and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle.

December-February: These Summer months bring warm sunny days with an average of 10 hours of sunshine per day in December. In January the new year starts beautifully with the sun at its hottest and highest, beaming down for 11 hours a day. By February the sea temperature is just perfect as the sun continues to shine down on Melbourne and the city enjoys outdoor living to its fullest. The whole of Summer is packed with festivals and events, Tennis fever following New Year celebrations with the Australian Grand Slam Open taking up most of the month. Zoo Twilights sees international musicians performing at Melbourne Zoo throughout the Summer to highlight the fight against animal extinction and the Laneway Festival takes place in February highlighting Melbourne’s newest musical talent. Then it’s the big St Kilda festival with free live music events, beach sports, poetry, comedy, theatre and more fun and games happening all over the city. Between all of this, the arts take over the city with White Night, a 12-hour art event that shouldn’t be missed!

March-May: These are the Autumnal months in Australia with pleasant temperatures in March but with light rainfall throughout April that increases through May with a sudden drop in temperature also. March is a busy month for events with the month long MICF comedy festival, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, and the VAMFF Melbourne Fashion Festival, the month closing with the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix racing into the city.

June-August: The Winter months might feel cold to Australians but for most visitors temperatures feel mild for Winter, though Melbourne does get colder than Sidney. Strong winds blow during the Winter months but frost and snow are extremely rare, snow sometimes falling in the surrounding hillsides. June is the driest month of the year but the temperature continues to fall with July being the coldest month. In August it remains chilly but temperatures start to climb again from the end of the month. Winter in Melbourne is a time to indulge in culture with the National Gallery of Victoria and the Australian Center for the Moving Image coming together to put on a 100 day exhibition entitled the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces. Past exhibitions have highlighted artists as varied as Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso to David Bowie.

September-November: Spring makes an appearance in September bringing Spring showers with it. Mornings and evenings are still chilly but the midday temperatures are climbing daily. October sees an average of 8 hours of sunshine per day with less rain and warmer temperatures that continue to rise through November. The Melbourne Fringe Festival brings the city to life with comedy and theater closely followed by the Melbourne Festival in October, the well-loved family-friendly Royal Melbourne Show also taking place at this time.

Author

Tal Gur is a world traveler and personal development enthusiast. An adventurer at heart, after trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, Tal spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey continues as a location-independent blogger, lifestyle entrepreneur, and coach. Tal’s published two books: One Year to Freedom, a 1-Year Roadmap to Living Life on Your Own Terms; and, his most recent book and bestseller, The Art of Fully Living – 1 Man, 10 Years, 100 Life Goals Around the World.