Photography in Melbourne

[TriggerHappy]

Hi All,

Planning my first trip to Melbourne this coming June/ July. It should be winter so its nice and cold. Need some suggestions as to where to shoot some nice scenery and places to go. I'll be there for about 2 weeks and might consider a stopover in Sydney if time permits. Also..anything i should know about bringing and using my DSLR in the cold?

Thanks.

 

[pl4nx]

winter in melbourne is quite mild.
temperature will be around 6 to 14 degree in June/July.
battery performance will drop if it's used in cold temp.
so keep it near your body when you're not using it.

some suggestion of place that you can go:
1. great ocean road (all the way from torquay to warrnambool) if time permits...don't finish it in one day, you can rest for a night and continue the journey the next day. it's really cold in winter...because of the wind.
2. mornington peninsula
3. yarra valley
4. victorian alps (mt.buller,mt.hotham,fallscreek)
5. ballarat
6. wilson promontory
7. phillip island
8. melbourne city itself

generally it will be cloudy during winter season...sunshine is a gift.
daylight hours is shorter in winter (arnd 10 hours a day), so need to plan carefully.
you can check the exact time of sunset and sunrise on the net.

and now, i'm missin melbourne so much...:cry:

Hi All,

Planning my first trip to Melbourne this coming June/ July. It should be winter so its nice and cold. Need some suggestions as to where to shoot some nice scenery and places to go. I'll be there for about 2 weeks and might consider a stopover in Sydney if time permits. Also..anything i should know about bringing and using my DSLR in the cold?

Thanks.

 

[AhV]

If you intend to drive, go try the "HOOK TURN" in the city centre

Can be terrifying if it is your first time but heck..go try it .... observe how it is done :devil:

 

[engta]

Melbourne can be cold during winter, so do bring enough warm clothing.. a thick winter jacket is recommended. Don't worry about your DSLR in the cold.. I've used mine in the snow and has no worries.

You'll have plenty of time since you will be here for 2 weeks.. a stopover in Sydney or even Hobart may be a good idea. Besides the common tourist attractions in Victoria, such as great ocean road, the mountains, yarra valley, phillip island and the dandenong ranges, do spend a few days on the city itself, and enjoy the beautiful gardens, architecture and the feel.

Nice to know that many Singaporeans are visiting this wonderful city

 

[xtemujin]

If you're at Smith Street, please try the Turkish kebab, A$8, and the heavenly dessert of balaclava at Efes Kebabs.

I wish that I'm in Melbourne right now enjoying the balaclava and kebab at Smith Street.

Lygon street for Italian food.

St Kilda for chocolate and pastries.

 

[wind30]

if you are going to the popular philip island to view penguin like I did in winter, BRING THICK clothing. It is very deceiving as the city melbourne is not really very cold in winter but the STRONG and COLD sea wind at night when you are viewing Penguin is positive freezing.

 

[TriggerHappy]

Wow...thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to really research and look these places up. I'll definitely be staying and driving around Melbourne and i'll be sure to attempt the hook turn while i'm there.

 

[pl4nx]

ah kebab...i know one place that is quite popular among taxi and truck driver
they open only at night time. it's at the end of flemington road before the right turn to city link tollway. there's mobil petrol station on left hand side and the kebab is right next to it. 7 bucks, and it's very nice in cold winter nights.

melbourne food is superb...lygon street is a must for italian food lover. commonly, one side of the street is for casual dining, the other side of the street is for fine dining.

If you're at Smith Street, please try the Turkish kebab, A$8, and the heavenly dessert of balaclava at Efes Kebabs.

I wish that I'm in Melbourne right now enjoying the balaclava and kebab at Smith Street.

Lygon street for Italian food.

St Kilda for chocolate and pastries.

hook turn can be quite tricky, maybe you can observe first before attempting it ;p.
look for sign "right turn from left only", should be careful in that kind of junctions.
once, i almost hit a car who didn't follow the sign. it stopped suddenly on the right lane when it tried to do right turn.maybe the driver is a tourist ;p.
so..right turn from left lane only..hehe

for car rental..i found that europcar generally offer better rates and the franklin street branch staff is less fussy if we return the car a lil bit dirty.
if you drive to mountain area, dun forget to check for weather forecast. if it's snowing, you'll need to rent wheel chain.

have fun...

Wow...thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to really research and look these places up. I'll definitely be staying and driving around Melbourne and i'll be sure to attempt the hook turn while i'm there.

 

[xtemujin]

The Hook or J turn is for the trams to pass.

Your car will be parallel with the pedestrian crossing. Quite intimidating if you're not used to it.:sweat:

I've some photos of my Melbourne trip.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xtemujin/sets/72157602040823918/

 

[TriggerHappy]

Thanks for sharing your shots xtemujin.
Looks like i'm gonna pile on a few extra pounds from all that eating
I was initially thinking of renting the car from Hertz. Are the prices really that different?
In any case, what about shopping? Something to keep the wife happy since i'm spending time with my camera....:sweat:

 

[pl4nx]

indeed you will. my friend once gained 5 kg in 7 days..

recommended shopping centre/area:
1. melbourne city area (melbourne central, myers, david jones, boutiques along collins street)
2. chadstone shopping centre near caulfield
3. boutiques along chapel street (south yarra)
4. factory outlets at DFO (essendon and southern cross train station) discount 365 days a year ;p

i didn't shop much..so the list should be longer than above..

for car rental you can look at the quotes from their websites, so that you can compare the rates.
www.europcar.com.au
www.budget.com.au
www.avis.com.au
www.hertz.com.au

once i rented passenger van for 2 weeks straight, europcar gave me the best rate.
in some cases the rate difference could reach 20 bucks per day. 20 times 14 is 280...
that's a lot for me ;p

Thanks for sharing your shots xtemujin.
Looks like i'm gonna pile on a few extra pounds from all that eating
I was initially thinking of renting the car from Hertz. Are the prices really that different?
In any case, what about shopping? Something to keep the wife happy since i'm spending time with my camera....:sweat:

 

[calebk]

indeed you will. my friend once gained 5 kg in 7 days..

recommended shopping centre/area:
1. melbourne city area (melbourne central, myers, david jones, boutiques along collins street)
2. chadstone shopping centre near caulfield
3. boutiques along chapel street (south yarra)
4. factory outlets at DFO (essendon and southern cross train station) discount 365 days a year ;p

i didn't shop much..so the list should be longer than above..

for car rental you can look at the quotes from their websites, so that you can compare the rates.
www.europcar.com.au
www.budget.com.au
www.avis.com.au
www.hertz.com.au

once i rented passenger van for 2 weeks straight, europcar gave me the best rate.
in some cases the rate difference could reach 20 bucks per day. 20 times 14 is 280...
that's a lot for me ;p

Oh yes, I gained weight after Melbourne last year. Mostly due to Krispy Kreme :nono:. Hehehe.

DFO is quite a nice place, quite a few good brands are there, and notably cheaper.

 

[patch17]

i could spend weeks just doing the great ocean road.

we drove from geelong to marengo/apollo bay and i wished we could have stopped over in every town along the way. the scenery is just great! on the way back to melbourne, we headed inland and cut accross the mountains and national parks to the princess highway. once again, great sights through the parks. wonderful roads to tackle with a nippy little roadster. (unfortunately i was driving a lumbering statesman)

if you like steam locos, take a ride on the puffing billy. it's a 2 - 4 hour trip, depending whether you go half or all the way. tourist info at federation square is very helpful.

 

[pl4nx]

i miss krispy kreme too :cry:

i gained weight because of daily doze of bbq pork with egg chiffon on rice.
why good things mostly comes with fat?

Oh yes, I gained weight after Melbourne last year. Mostly due to Krispy Kreme :nono:. Hehehe.

totally agree...so much to discover at great ocean road.
i read from somewhere it's one of the best coastal drive in the world.

if you want to beat the crowd at the attractions, you can drive along princess highway all the way to colac, then cut through to port campbell. doing it this way you can reach most attractions before other people/tourist come.
i hate to shoot when many ppl around, a lil bit hard to compose, esp with super wide angle.
and while driving back to melbourne, you can enjoy the sunset and take good pictures out of it.

sometimes i wish i could stay and spend my retirement there...

i could spend weeks just doing the great ocean road.

we drove from geelong to marengo/apollo bay and i wished we could have stopped over in every town along the way. the scenery is just great! on the way back to melbourne, we headed inland and cut accross the mountains and national parks to the princess highway. once again, great sights through the parks. wonderful roads to tackle with a nippy little roadster. (unfortunately i was driving a lumbering statesman)

if you like steam locos, take a ride on the puffing billy. it's a 2 - 4 hour trip, depending whether you go half or all the way. tourist info at federation square is very helpful.

 

[xtemujin]

At Victoria Market there is one donut van.

Do note that you've to open your bags and allow security to check it when you go out of the shopping centre. There's the electronic sensor but you still have to open your bag.

The Great Ocean Road drive is amazing.

 

[anmas]

wow! There has been quite a number of threads on Melbourne, but still always able to attract lots of attention when a new thread appears. How is Melbourne like actually? Can I say Melbourne is a favourite city for many

 

[xtemujin]

Melbourne city like Singapore, so many Asians.

Even the McDonald all Asian staff.

HTH.

wow! There has been quite a number of threads on Melbourne, but still always able to attract lots of attention when a new thread appears. How is Melbourne like actually? Can I say Melbourne is a favourite city for many

 

[Jemapela]

Hi All,

Planning my first trip to Melbourne this coming June/ July. It should be winter so its nice and cold. Need some suggestions as to where to shoot some nice scenery and places to go. I'll be there for about 2 weeks and might consider a stopover in Sydney if time permits. Also..anything i should know about bringing and using my DSLR in the cold?

Thanks.

I'm sure you will enjoy Melbourne when you arrive. It is a charming city with the most European architecture of all Australian cities. Unlike Sydney where people are more careful about lugging a DSLR camera, Melbourne is safer and of course more picturesque.

Please, there is no need to get too concerned about the winter cold. Consumer grade electronics can easily function and survive Melbourne's mild winter, even if you go up into the Victorian alps where there is snow. Just keep in mind that cloudy and rainy days happen more during winter, and your daylight hours are shorter (sun sets earlier). This could severely limit your photographic opportunities.

Due to the cold, people may be colder in personality as opposed to summer when people are more cheerful.

I've been here for the past 6 years, and have observed Melbourne over time to know its changing social/demographic face more intimately than Singapore's. Melbourne was once rated the world's most liveable city for 2 consecutive years (by The Economist Intelligence Unit) but recently lost it. Why? I don't fully know, but the city has, in recent months, been plagued by rising drunken violence in the streets on weekend nights.

 

[Jemapela]

Melbourne city like Singapore, so many Asians.

Even the McDonald all Asian staff.

HTH.

Yes, that is true to a some extent. In fact, I often hear Singlish on the CBD streets!

The CBD itself is an Asian haven due to the many Asian students who come to Melbourne for further studies. Many of them continue to live in, or near, the CBD even after they graduate and have obtained PR VISA because of convenience. However, I also suspect that many dare not venture out to live in the suburbs with the locals (predominately white skin people).

For that reason, McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks, have lots of Asians working behind their counters. If you move away from the city and into the suburbs (similar to Bedok, Bishan, Braddell), you will observe a greater Caucasian presence. If you move even further into regional and country areas, Asians are lesser.

 

[pl4nx]

several places do not allow photography (DSLR only;p) like outside of city museum and southgate. point to shoot should be OK...
anyway...other than above two places...i have never been stopped by security guard.