Living Information – Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is a city that has it all. With the incredible distinction of being voted The World’s Most Liveable City for six consecutive years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), it’s the capital of the state of Victoria, and Australia’s most multicultural, lively, and inclusive city.

In 1835, John Batman sailed up the mouth of the Yarra River and wrote of the site he discovered, “Land of the best description, equal to any in the world.” Here Melbourne was founded – a city with endless charms. Its 4.5 million inhabitants enjoy its famous arts scene, coffee culture, live music, nightlife, recreational activities, restaurants, shopping and a renowned obsession with sport.

As a general rule, Melbourne enjoys a pleasant climate, with an average summer temperature of 25˚C, more moderate weather in spring and autumn of around 20˚C, and cool winters averaging 14˚C. “Four seasons in one day” is a well-known saying about Melbourne’s weather, so be prepared for anything!

Melbourne is also celebrated for its world-class events, with over 8,000 diverse exhibitions, events, and festivals hosted in the city each year, including the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Melbourne Writers Festival, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, and Moomba, amongst others.

Welcome to Melbourne.

Getting around

Melbourne has an excellent public transport system, consisting of buses, trams and trains, which you may travel on using a single, reusable ticket, called a ‘myki’ card. It’s an affordable, easy and safe way to get around the city. You can plan your trip using the Journey Planner on the government’s website https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au and also find further information about the public transport system (fares, ticket types and timetables).

Public transport users must ensure they have purchased a valid ticket for their trip, as fines are regularly issued to people caught travelling without one. Be aware that international students do not qualify for the student concession rate on public transport, and must therefore pay full fare.

There is no public transport system from Melbourne to the Airport, but Acknowledge Education can arrange a personalised airport pick-up service.

Accommodation

Melbourne offers a wide variety of accommodation to suit students in either share houses or private residences that can hold an entire family. Choose from apartment living in the cosmopolitan inner city, or a spacious house or unit with a garden in the picturesque suburbs. It’s a city renowned for its high quality, safe student accommodation in a range of settings.

Another option is Acknowledge Education’s personalised Homestay service, which will help you settle into your new city as quickly and easily as possible – we have over 100 host families who have been thoroughly checked and registered by our Homestay Officer.

This video from Consumer Affairs Victoria provides an overview of your rights and responsibilities if you are an international student renting in Victoria.

Download the video transcript from the Consumer Affairs Victoria website

Some useful websites for searching accommodation are listed below:

http://www.realestate.com.au/share
http://flatmates.com.au/
http://www.domain.com.au

Work

Living in Australia on a visa can mean you face certain restrictions. If you are a student visa holder, you and your dependent family members have permission to work included with your visa, but there are certain conditions you may need to adhere to, such as the number of hours you are able to work. It’s important to ensure you don’t breach the work conditions that apply to your visa.

To keep up-to-date with the regulations, please visit the website.

Tourist Information

It’s important to take time out from study to relax and unwind, so why not enjoy all that Melbourne and regional Victoria have to offer while you’re here.

There are plenty of ways you can explore Melbourne: on foot, by bike, bus, tram, train or even in the air with a chartered flight or hot air balloon ride! Melbourne and Victoria are renowned for great bars, restaurants and wineries, as well as many shopping, sporting and cultural events. If it’s entertainment you’re after, there’s a thriving live music and theatre scene waiting to be discovered in venues across the state, every night of the week.

To explore the options, visit the website.