The Southern Hemisphere’s largest tram network…
The impressive skyline of Melbourne
Melbourne – what a place !
After having visited Sydney and Perth in the past it was high time for me to see Melbourne and I was very much looking forward to this trip.
There was one thing in particular that I wanted to find out. What makes this city to rank among the top three world’s most livable cities ?
Sometimes ahead of Vienna, sometimes behind. And Vienna is indeed a very, very livable city.
So I was naturally curious to find out what makes Melbourne so livable and can it beat my ‘beloved’ Vienna.
In short: Yes, it can. And I can see why.
Melbourne is:
> Very cosmopolitan with people of all ethnicities
> Has inspiring architecture with a beautiful blend of old & new
> A food lovers’ paradise
> A very photogenic city with awesome light
> Green & Clean – very pleasant for extended inner-city walks
Sunset at Fedartion Square
Flinders Station during sunset
The people of Melbourne like to go out.
After working hours all restaurants, cafes are usually packed with people. So it’s hardly surprising that Melbourne has a very lively restaurant & café scene.
The choice of world cuisines is mind boggling. Whether you are in search of authentic Sichuan food or an original Vietnamese Pho, or tasty Indian Thalis or any sort of Asian / European or even African food. You will find it all in Melbourne.
Add to this the awesome Victoria’s Market where you can buy all imaginable fresh produce and delights from across the globe. The variety of bread and cheeses rivals even what you can find in any major Western European city. Brilliant !!
The CBD is where it all happens
I spent most of my time in the city’s CBD, the central business district, because most what you want to see and enjoy is all there. While the CBD is not small you can still explore on foot and reach from one end to the other in an hour or two. I did not count my time, but I loved wandering about.
And there is also a lot of culture to be experienced. Museums, art galleries, music venues and and and..
Skyline at the Harbour front / Docklands
also at the Docklands
sleeping rough at Federation square ? No, some art project thingy…
Melbourne has more than one skyline.. and they are all impressive
I told you they like to hang out.. at all possible and impossible places…
where cultures meet…
The inner city parks are also lovely, but Perth is definitely ahead of Melbourne when it comes to parks.
Carlton Gardens with Royal Exhibition Building
Royal Exhibition Building, could be mistaken for somewhere in Europe, don’t you think ?
anywhere is good for a good time outdoors…
A memorial to the Immigrant success story that is Victoria
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS:
As always I had my Canon G12 with me and used it quite a bit.
As for a DSLR I only took a APS-C sized sensor body (Canon 7D if I remember correctly) and the Canon EF-S 10-22 / 3.5-4.5 .
You may ask why I did not take a full-frame body ? Because I wanted to be as light as possible and this lens is very light indeed. And for ultra-wide angle I feel it does not matter much if one uses full-frame or APS-C sized sensor.
Nowadays I don’t use this lens much anymore. But for many years it was my favorite and a faithful companion that definitely helped to define my style of photography. And I even won several awards using this lens.
Melbourne is blessed with awesome light!! – A photographer’s paradise
Due to its geographical position so far in the Southern Hemisphere the light during late afternoon and early evening creates this super long shadows. And this beautiful light lasts for over an hour or two.
You should definitely have a polarizer with you – to further deepen those saturated blue skies.
The high dynamic range can be a bit hard to cope with, far exceeding any modern camera’s ability to capture it all.
But hey, we all know how to cope with that, don’t we ? Luminance masks, HDR photography, boosting shadows, highlight recovery come to mind if you want to fully exploit all the possibilities this fantastic light throws at you.
Post pro of the Melbourne pix was all done in Lightroom with a few tweaks afterwards in Photoshop. Believe it or not. I did not even have to boost those blue skies by much… They are that blue…
a bit ‘arty’ if I may…
Beautiful light, a photographer’s paradise
I told you: They love their outdoors…
Stunning Vistas at the Great Ocean Road
One day I was in for a special treat when my dear friend Val and her hubby Ryan invited me to venture beyond the city’s limits. We went on the ‘Great Ocean Road’: endless beautiful and deserted beaches with stunning vistas.
And at the end of this 300-kilometer journey, we reached Victoria’s main tourist site: The twelve Apostles. Awe inspiring !
On the way back into town I was amazed by the ever changing landscape ranging from wide-open meadows to lush forests.
Here a some pictures from that day:
Here everyone can find their own private stretch of beach.
The twelve Apostles ? Aussies seem to have problems with counting…
Oh, here are another two… yet still not twelve… who cares mate…
I had a terrific time in Melbourne ! I will definitely be back one day.
My sincerest gratitude goes to Valerie from Together Forever Weddings who took so much time out of her busy schedule and drove me to so many lovely corners of this fantastic city, and beyond.
Truly’ DOMINIK
and here a ‘selfie’ of Yourstruly:
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That building is our World Heritage listed building, Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens.
Thank you, Albert ! I have revised the caption of the Royal Exhibition Building.
DOMINIK
In case noone has told you, the ‘european’ building is the Melbourne Exhibition Building (site of Australia’s first parliament). Also the sqare is ‘Federation square’ not ‘Union’. Lovely set of photos. For a non resident, you have really captured the essence of Melbourne. Congratulations!
Thank you very much Robyn ! Based on your inputs I have corrected all the mistakes. Once again, thank you so much.
DOMINIK
Truly beautiful photos, I’ve always known we have a beautiful country but you have captured some amazing images, hope you had a wonderful time here Dominik.