10 Things Real Melburnians Do During Summer
Escape the heat this summer.
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Melbourne in summer is a time to revel in it all. The sun’s out, the rooftop bars are buzzing, the beach beckons, and the nights are long.
While there are plenty of things to do in this fair city in the summer months, there’s really only a handful of things you’ll find real Melburnians getting up to (and the first is knowing how to spell “Melburnian” right!).
The Boxing Day Test At The G
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Though we like to consider ourselves Australia’s a cultural centre, Melburnians are equally sports fanatics. Summertime heralds cricket season, and there’s only one way to celebrate: an annual jaunt at the Boxing Day Test. Laze away and gaze upon the mellow field action as you add an obligatory meat pie with sauce to your still-digesting Christmas feast from the day before.
Sweat Hard At The Australian Open
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Nothing screams Melbourne like sweating buckets at an open-air match at the Australian Open. Forget Centre Court – that’s far too comfortable; you’ll find locals swanning about on the outside courts, taking in the best of the early exhibition play under the raging January sun. Pack specs, sweatband, and a refreshing beverage for the win.
Rooftop Drinks At Rooftop
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Melbourne has carved – and maintained – its reputation for being one of the finest nightlife cities in the Southern Hemisphere, and the local bar culture really explodes in the summertime. Nowhere more so than the city’s roster of top-notch rooftop bars. You’ll find locals filling out the tried and true Rooftop at Curtin House.
Enjoy crisp mojitos and a chill session on the AstroTurf splendour of this Melbourne institution. And, if the joint’s too packed, Cookie and The Toff right below can provide dutiful refuge.
Oh, and we highly (ha!) recommend leaving the car at home, lest you end up designated driver for the group. Instead, opt for a far more relaxed kind of carpool by booking a car to take you home when you’re back at ground level.
Cocktails At Madame Brussels
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Since we’re talking about it, one other place in particular deserves a special mention. There aren’t many bar experiences in Melbourne more quintessential than sipping from a cocktail jug at the ever-posh Madame Brussels. Featuring resplendent décor, staff in kitsch tennis getup, and the finest in grapes and hops from the Yarra Valley, the Tuscan Hills, and everywhere in between, Madame B’s is a seasonal garden party waiting to happen.
Make The Most Of Meredith
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Summer in the city is awesome, but we can’t neglect the great experiences to be had just outside it, either. Meredith Music Festival is now in its 28th year and is going stronger than ever. Though the line-ups are world-class and always eclectic, Meredith’s as much about what goes on off the stage as what goes on on it.
The rules are few: no glass, no advertising, no d&*%heads – it’s as pure a festival experience as you can get. With an amphitheatre site overlooking Victoria’s glorious Brisbane Ranges, it’s also one of the most natural and spectacular.
Art Fix At The NGV
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Art lovers unite at the NGV – Melbourne’s premier gallery experience – where a range of summertime exhibitions can’t help but compel and inspire. You can check out the gallery’s exclusive exhibitions, including Designing Women, Factory of the Sun, Julian Opie, and 2018 NCV Architecture Commission, right through to March ’19.
Brunch At The Convent
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Though the city is bursting with incredible brunch choices, you’ll find one of the best – simply for the setting and the range of venue options – at the historic Abbotsford Convent. Proximate to local fave, the Collingwood Children’s Farm, the Convent is home to a number of awesome food, drink and coffee spots, including Convent Bakery, Cam’s Kiosk, and local pay-as-you-feel institution Lentil as Anything.
Hit The Beach
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Though even the most hardened locals have a soft spot for St Kilda Beach and the sandy bayside stretch, everyone knows the real beach action awaits just a short road trip south of the city. Get some wheels and barrel south to the Mornington Peninsula – or alternatively, the Great Ocean Road – for a well-earned summer surf odyssey.
During that unavoidable stretch of 35-degrees-plus days in January, where the city feels like a hair dryer on high, there’s little choice but to make a break for the rolling whitewash. Chips and gravy for bonus points.
Stroll Down To Chinatown
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Though it’s a year-round affair, nothing beats a salacious meal at one of Chinatown’s most sought-after Szechuan nooks. Ride the chilli dumpling wave and soak up one of the city’s most cherished flavour hubs. Summertime makes it all the more special.
Hit Up The Moonlight Cinema
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A bunch of bona fide film buffs, Melburnians love a good flick. Add the balmy outdoors and a silver screen to the mix and you’re in for a rather serene night out.
Summer in Melbourne heralds outdoor cinema season, which is your cue to pack a picnic rug and a nice bottle and settle in under the stars. Moonlight Cinema at the Botanical Gardens is the classic choice, with Sunset Cinema, Lido on the Roof, and the old school Coburg Drive-In all bringing the goods.
Bonus: Drink Coffee – Anywhere
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Drinking coffee isn’t restricted to summer, but is certainly a big part of it. Melbourne’s love affair with the brew is well documented; indeed, one can barely traipse the inner streets without tripping over a soy flat white or a single-origin filter brew.
Get your caffeine hit at an outdoor table on Lygon or Brunswick Streets, Centre Place, Degraves Lane, or anywhere the La Marzocco whirrs. Welcome to caffeine town, population: you.
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(Lead image: Impress Air / Visit Victoria)
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