Cheap Things to Do in Melbourne
A Local Travel Guide for Enjoying Melbourne on a Budget
Jun 16, 2009
It's not always easy to stick to a budget in a city, but visitors will find that Melbourne has plenty to offer those who are short on money but have some time to spare. For those short on time too just follow the cardinal rule of slow travel: don't try to fit too much in. Take it easy and Melbourne's engaging atmosphere will do the rest.
Ride the Trams Through Melbourne's Neighborhoods
Trams are by far the best way to explore around Melbourne, and as they generally go from one side of the city to the other they're a great way to see what a few different areas are like in one go.
Try the 112 to go from the pretty, affluent inner south to the grittier, offbeat streets of Fitzroy and multicultural Preston; the 8 to see the ritzy mansions and shopfronts of Toorak, Melbourne's most expensive suburb, and the contrasting suburban landscapes of Coburg and Moreland; or the 72 for a journey from the university through a variety of different high streets to Camberwell, where the excellent Camberwell flea market is held every Sunday from 7am-12.30pm. Riding a tram from end to end will take an hour or more, depending on the length of the route.
Tickets can be bought at newsagents and other outlets or on the tram, but the machines on board only accept change. Two hour tickets cost $3.70 and daily ones $6.70, but for the best deal go on a Sunday (making sure to pre-buy a Sunday Saver ticket from a Metcard outlet) when a daily pass only costs $3.10.
Seek Out Melbourne's Cheapest Meals
The gong for the best cheap meal in the city would have to go to Bimbo Deluxe in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, where the legendary $4 pizzas are available Sunday-Friday from noon-4pm and 7pm-11pm (excluding Friday nights). Lovers of Vietnamese food shouldn't miss Victoria St in Richmond, where shop after shop serves up cheap, authentic food - go for the ones that are busy to avoid disappointment.
The Moroccan Soup Bar on St Georges Rd in North Fitzroy is an experience as much as a great meal, as anyone who has encountered its charismatic owner can tell you. Choose from the spoken menu (there's no written one) or get the three-course vegetarian banquet for only $16.50 – it's not the cheapest meal around but it would be hard to find better value anywhere.
For more detailed information on Melbourne's cheapest meals have a look at The Age Cheap Eats guide, which reviews hundreds of the best, most inexpensive cafes, bakeries, bars and restaurants in the city and suburbs.
Get Smiling at Melbourne's Happy Hours
Like most cities Melbourne's alcohol is not cheap, so it pays to know when pubs and bars have their specials. On Little Lonsdale St Horse Bazaar has $2.50 pots, $5 pints and $5 house wines from 4-7pm Mon-Fri as well as free wireless internet and digital art exhibitions; Hoo Haa in Windsor (105 Chapel St) has a spacious, stylish interior and a happy hour from 4-7pm on Fridays, with cocktails for $10, jugs for $9, pints for $4 and pots for $2; and Eurotrash on Corrs Lane in the city has half price drinks from 5-7pm, 8-9pm and 10-11pm on Thurdays, cheap dumplings on Tuesdays and various drinks specials on other nights too.
Of course most venues serving alcohol will have specials at least one night a week, so it pays to have a look at their blackboards and other advertising. A few websites list happy hours and special deals in Melbourne, including My 24/7 and The Happiest Hour, but keep in mind that venues can change these regularly so they may not be up to date. And for anyone staying awhile, individual bar mailing lists can also be a good way to keep abreast of deals and promotions.
Browse Melbourne's Unique Shops
Shopaholics should probably leave their wallets at home for this one, because Melbourne has many amazing designers and craftspeople who are very adept at separating people from their cash. Little Salon on Little Collins St is one of the cutest shops in town, with rows of adorable necklaces, earrings and brooches - think hummingbirds, bicycles and windswept trees - as well as a small but fine selection of clothing.
The two National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) bookstores – one in Federation Square and one on St Kilda Rd – are both wonderful, with many books on art, architecture and design as well as limited addition ceramics, beautifully crafted toys, children's craft and activity sets, unique picture books, jewelery, notebooks and more.
For an atmosphere that's more museum than place of business head to Wunderkammer on Lonsdale St. This 'Chamber of Wonders' specializes in, as they call it, scientific curiosities, including fossils, antique medical instruments and botanical prints, beetles, butterflies, maps, preserved animals and many other weird and wonderful objects. The owner, Ray Meyer, is passionate about his field and will more than happily answer questions about any of the strange objects in his care.
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