Australia is notoriously expensive but that doesn't stop budget travellers from flocking to the country. So what do you do when you find yourself down under and broke? That's exactly how I found myself in Melbourne, jobless and flat broke, but it still ranks as my favourite Australian city because of the plethora of awesome things to do for absolutely nothhing. Here's my 10 favourite free things to do in Melbourne.
1. Ride the Tram
Trams are my favourite mode of transportation and these restored vintage trams are not only adorable, they're completely free. Running from the city centre to the Victoria docklands, they're the easy way to hit up most of the city centre's sights as well as learning about the history with the audio guide.
2. Tour the Street Art
The streets of Melbourne are full to the brim with street art. Graffiti is legal in designated areas of the city so the city is full of ever changing art. The most popular area is Hosier Lane but for more locations visit this site.
3. Relax in the park
There's nothing better than a sunny afternoon in the park. Melbourne is full of green spaces to take advantage of, my personal favourite being Fitzroy gardens, home to Cook's Cottage, the dolphin fountain and a dragon slide.
4. Explore the Library
Not only is the State Library of Victoria beautiful (just look at that reading room) there's also tonnes to do. There's the museum, complete with Ned Kelly's famous armour, an art gallery and a chess room, where a genius old man told me I'd lost about twenty moves before me or my opponant had a clue.
5. Visit the art galleries
The National Gallery of Victoria has two buildings, NGV Australia in Federation Square and NGV International across the river with it's impressive water wall entrance. Both have an extensive collection to keep you occupied when the Melbourne weather inevitably takes a turn for the worst.
6. Learn at the ACMI Museum
Next door to the NGV Australia is the Australian Centre for Moving Images which showcases film and TV from it's inception right up to current day movies. They also host free screenings out in the square during festivals.
7. Stroll around Luna Park
It's difficult to miss the giant (read scary) moon head on St Kilda's promenade. Through his creepy smile is the entrance to Luna Park funfair. It's free to enter and people watch but for theme park fans it's worth splurging a few dollars for a ticket to the worlds oldest working rollercoaster. And maybe for a stick of candy floss too.
8. Meet the penguins
Just after sunset at the end of the pier at St Kilda, fairy penguins descend on the rocks after a long day at sea. Bright torches and flash photography aren't permitted so not to disturb them but there's a volunteer to point out their hidey holes and answer questions. It's seriously cool to see the adorable little penguins without the walls of a zoo.
9. Gaze up at the Shot Tower
In the middle of Melbourne Central mall is huge brick shot tower and the magnifent dome ceiling encasing it. It's hard to miss but it is pretty easy to walk right past the shot tower muesum. Tucked away inside a store, the museum may be small but it is full of info on the history of the shot tower from it's bullet making origins to it's new home inside the mall.
10. Play with puppies
Are you ready for the ultimate cheer up on a sad, penniless day in Melbourne? Do you remember that song "How much is that doggy in the window"? Well, where I'm from dogs are never displayed in the pet store window. It's usually a small paper sign with a breed and a date and no actual puppies to play with. In Melbourne the dogs are right there to steal your heart. If you're lucky it's walkies time in the shop so you can actually play with the little cuties, otherwise you just have to watch their adorableness from outside the window. There's sometimes cats and bunnies too but I'm all about the doggies. Just look how cute they are!
So there you have it, 10 free things to fill you days in Melbourne when you're broke. Any more recommendations?
