First Day in Melbourne — Arriving Alone in Australia's Cultural Capital
Melbourne has a reputation for being the city Australians from Sydney secretly prefer, and the city Sydneysiders will never publicly admit is more interesting. I arrived alone, with no fixed agenda beyond exploring, and spent the first day getting a feel for a city that takes some time to reveal itself. It is quieter than Singapore, more spread out than London, and has a self-assuredness about its culture that I found immediately appealing.
Navigating the Tram System
Melbourne's tram network is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and covers the city in a way that makes walking largely optional within the inner suburbs. The Free Tram Zone covers the entire CBD and Docklands — you can ride any tram within this zone without a Myki card. Beyond the free zone boundary, you need a Myki card (Melbourne's equivalent of Singapore's EZ-Link). Get one at the airport or 7-Eleven stores on arrival.
The trams are slower than Singapore's MRT but more pleasant — you see the city from street level, which is the right way to understand Melbourne's architecture and neighbourhood character.
The CBD on Foot
Melbourne's CBD is a grid of wide boulevards and narrow laneways. The boulevards — Swanston Street, Elizabeth Street, Bourke Street — carry the main pedestrian and commercial traffic. The laneways — Hosier Lane, Degraves Street, Centre Place — are where the city's character lives. Hosier Lane is the famous street art corridor; Degraves Street and its cafes are where Melbourne's coffee culture is most concentrated. A first-day walk should alternate between the wide streets for orientation and the laneways for character.
Food and Coffee
Melbourne takes food seriously at every price point. My first meal was a Vietnamese banh mi from a laneway spot — excellent and AUD 10. My first coffee was a flat white at a roaster-cafe near Flinders Lane — also excellent and AUD 5.50. For dinner, the area around Hardware Lane has reliable options for a solo traveller including Italian, Japanese, and Australian-modern cuisine at mid-range prices.
First Day Takeaways
- Get a Myki card on arrival — the airport SkyBus to the city is good value for solo travellers
- Wear comfortable shoes: Melbourne is a walking city and first days cover a lot of ground
- Visit the laneways before lunch: Less crowded in the morning, better for photographs
- The Yarra River at dusk from Princes Bridge is a good way to end the first day
