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Melbourne, Australia: Founded by Batman

Welcome to laneways, great coffee and hook turns

This article is about Batmania, aka Melbourne.

Pronounced “Mel-bn,” the missing vowel leaves only a hint of an ‘i’ or a ‘u,’ and it’s the closest thing to correct.

Voted the world’s most liveable city for seven years running from 2011 to 2017, Melbourne has stayed in the top three in the world since 2002. — The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index

White man settlement of the area came in the name of John Batman. An Australian-born grazier, explorer, and entrepreneur named the settlement ‘Batmania,’ and the ensuing town became ‘Melbourne.’

NYC may be Gotham, but Batman founded Melbourne.

Getting around

One of the best things about Melbourne is that it’s a large metropolitan city with a small-town feel. The central business district has everything anyone needs and is a joy to wander. Walking from one end of town to the other is a 20-minute walk through a city of clean and green streets, photogenic architecture, and bustling street life.

The city is simple to navigate and easily accessible, with four major train stations bordering the CBD. (A fifth train station is under construction.)

Then there are the trams which help make Melbourne famous. Melbourne is home to many things that no other city in Australia, or the world, can claim. The Melbourne tram is one of those things. A great way for a tourist to see and learn about Melbourne is the old City Circle Tram, which travels the CBD loop every 20-minutes and is free.

While the trains are a great way to get in and out of the city — or just to hop on and get to the other side of the CBD — the trams make hopping on and off an easy option to go shopping up the street or to get to an inner-city suburb.

Another Melbourne-only quirk is the hook turn.

In Australia, we drive on the left side of the road. In Melbourne, we also have the trams, which run down the middle of the street.

The hook turn was born.

The result? In downtown Melbourne, drivers swerve to the far left to make a sweeping turn to the right — all in that moment between one set of lights turning red and the other set going green.

For the timid driver, it’s a good reason to visit and enjoy Melbourne on foot, using the tram and train system to get around. This is exactly how all my friends and I enjoy Melbourne.

Laneways: coffee, food and art

Laneways, coffee, and food — this is where Melbourne shines. The city is famous for the narrow back streets originally used for workers and delivery drivers servicing the businesses that fronted the principal streets. Now, most of these back alleys have become popular, charming laneways filled with cafes and street art.

Street art is found throughout Melbourne, but check out Hosier Lane for a great photography opportunity. The laneway is pure street art and is ever-changing. It has built a world following, and the city has embraced it.

The coffee culture in Melbourne produces and draws the most accomplished and innovative baristas on the planet. The latte rules here and is a lighter, less frothy version of lattes found in most other countries. The roast is smoother and lighter, not as dark or bitter as American coffee.

Great coffee is easy to find in Melbourne, so if I catch you getting your morning fix at a 7–11 self-serve or a Starbucks and I know you’re a tourist, I will drag you outside and down a laneway by the scruff of your neck. I’ve done it before. Don’t make me do it again. If that sounds harsh, going against all you’ve heard about easy-going Aussies, chalk it up to my American side.

Food? Where to begin. While Australia has a handful of chain eateries known worldwide, Melbourne is dominated by standalone restaurants and small, family-run cafes. The cultural mix of the population brings a flavour to the food and coffee that has become world-class.

From Italian, Greek, Turkish and Macedonian of the Mediterranean to the influence of being the big island of Southeast Asia, diners have an endless choice of food to savour. Even Mexican food has become a delicious staple here — not something I could say when I arrived 20 years ago (how does a Mexican restaurant run out of cheese?).

A great place for dinner or drinks is Southbank. The Yarra River flows through downtown Melbourne, and the waterfront is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike. Walk across one of the many bridges at the southern edge of the CBD, and you’ll be in Southbank. The riverfront strip is a string of restaurants and bars along with the casino and is the perfect place for alfresco dining with the classic view of downtown Melbourne across the river.

The Church of Melbourne

Aussies love their sport, and Melbourne is no exception. Melbourne is the mecca for ‘footy,’ aka Australian Rules Football. Of the 18 teams in the nationwide league, 10 of them call Melbourne home. Sometimes called aerial ping pong, the sport is a fast-paced contact sport; no helmets or pads — not even in the women’s league.

There is also cricket… and fast-paced it is not. How anyone can sit and watch a cricket match all day long, for five days, only to have the match called a draw because it rained on day five is beyond me. Crickets — but that’s this guy’s opinion.

There are several beautiful old churches in Melbourne, but the temple is the MCG (the Melbourne Cricket Ground). Locals refer to it simply as the G.

Built in 1853, it is the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere and holds up to 100,000 fans. And in the spirit of what makes Melbourne so great — the G is visible from the Melbourne CBD and is only a short walk along the Yarra River. It is also easily accessible by tram and train.

And Finally…

This article can’t do Melbourne justice. I’m lucky enough to have landed here in my life journey. Melbourne is truly one of the world’s great cities — beautiful, friendly, easy, and clean — it has everything most of us could want. From being home to a world-famous comedy festival and a stop on the F1 Grand Prix circuit and a Grand Slam tennis tournament (the Australian Open), it’s also one of the few cities that allows hot air ballooning over the heart of a populated city.

For being so far from most of the world, it’s incredible how involved Melbourne is in the world. Sydney has a world-class harbour, but Melbourne has everything else.

Travel Your Own Life

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