Melbourne - A Paradise on Planet Earth!

I beg your pardon, my readers. This is my entry to one of IndiBlogger contests, not any ordinary contest but a special one which I cannot miss. Yes, I do know that this isn't a travel or lifestyle blog but I could not resist myself for posting this article for a number of reasons; a) I'm a seafarer and I travel a lot, so obviously I love travelling b) Australia is my dream destination and Melbourne is a city which I consider as a Paradise on earth (I'm not making this up because of the contest and I  have no intentions of impressing the judges by saying these; if they work then yes, finally c) I love Australian cricket team, I know it has nothing to do with the post but damn! I cannot control my feelings when I'm writing for a post about Australia. OK so, getting to the point. I'll keep this post short and sweet so that my geeky readers find it a joyful new experience, without wasting any more time let's go.

Image source: TripAdvisor

According to the contest rules, I have to spill out whatever I know about Melbourne. So here it is; sometimes I wish the contest should've been about Sydney, because I know a whole lot about it but since Melbourne is still one of my favorite cities in Australia, I know quite a few things to keep this post going.

Some Interesting Facts About Melbourne!

I won't bore you with geographical facts and all, since i don't know it but here are some really interesting facts about the most livable city on the planet, Melbourne. The facts listed below are some of my favorite facts about the city, if you have some more in mind then do comment below and let me know. 

• Melbourne was once the capital of Australia (before Canberra) and it served as a capital for whooping 26 years.

• Melbourne is also known as 'Batmania' because of the magical moment every night (especially during summer) after the sun sets, more than 50,000 bats aim the Melbourne skyline and gather around Yarra Bend Park. Phew, I always thought Batman used to live in Gotham city!

• The first ever Traffic lights were installed in Melbourne. 

• 38 percent of Melbourne residents were born overseas, As of the year 2013.

• Outside of Europe, Melbourne has the largest Tram system and the fourth largest in the world. And guess what, the number one restaurant in Melbourne is a Tram. The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant was voted as the number one dine place in the city.

• The whether of Melbourne is totally unpredictable. It might be a clear summer day but it ending up as a 'heavily-raining-day' is no biggie. It is even possible to experience four-seasons in a single day. I'm not joking.

• According to local laws, it is an offense to drive a goat or dog  harnessed to a vehicle in public places. It sounds wacky, how did I knew this? Well, I do have a crazy side in me.

• Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia and has a population of 4.1 Million.

So these were some interesting facts about Melbourne. Also to note that, the world famous Aussie Beer 'Fosters' was first brewed in Melbourne. So get yourself a beer and continue to read on further.

Places to visit when in Melbourne

As I stated earlier that Melbourne is one of my dream destinations, here are some places which I think you must visit if you accidentally or intentionally find yourself in Melbourne.

Queen Victoria's Market

Queen Victoria's Market is Melbourne's must visit tourist destination. This place is a shopping hub and you can find a diverse market filled with clothes, jewelry, handcraft, shoes food and other delicacies.

Flinders Street Station

Melbourne's most recognized landmarks and most busiest sub-urban railway station in southern hemisphere. 

Healesvile Sanctuary

If you wish to experience Australian wild life, this place is a perfect match. Filled with more than 200 species of Australian wildlife, including platypus, koalas, emus, Tasmanian devils, lyrebirds, wombats and eagles. 

Yarra Valley Wineries

Wine lovers wouldn't want to miss the opportunity of missing this place. Join a luxury food and wine tour with a travel guide and discover and sample the best produce and wine in Yarra Valley wineries.

Harbour town

Harbour town is a fun place, based right next to the harbour, this town is a major tourist attraction. You can find stores & other vendors offereing huge discounts on handcrafts, hand-made jewelry, merchandise, sports-wear etc.

Eureka Skydeck 88

Image source: VisitVictoria.com

Finally, my favorite attraction. The Eureka Skydeck 88, is a viewing platform, built up high on level 88, from where you can experience beautiful panoramic views and vistas. You can pinpoint various landmarks and places from the top. Also there is a souvenir shop located at level 88, from where you can purchase souvenirs to make this day memorable.

So that's all as per my knowledge. I do know some other places as well like; Sovereign Hill and Melbourne aquarium but the ones listed above are the places I would like to see when I'm there. 

Famous Celebrities from Melbourne

So this is one of my favorite part, below are top 4 names of my favorite celebrities who are surprisingly born in Melbourne.

1. Chris Hemsworth 

I knew that he was an Australian actor but recently I came to know that he is not only from Australia, but was born in Melbourne. He is one of my favorite actors, I love his character in the movie Thor.

2. Liam Hemsworth

Again, recently I came to know that he is younger brother of Chris Hemsworth. Well, he again is one of my favorite young actors, I loved his performance in The Hunger Games series. And Yeah, he too was born in Melbourne.

3. Kylie Minogue

Another celebrity from Melbourne, Kylie is a singer and song writer. I'm not a big fan of her songs but yes there are a few of her songs which I like and so she's on the list.

4. Eliza Taylor

An Australian actress, born in Melbourne. I loved her performance in the movie The November man and television series The 100. 

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Image Source: IndiBlogger

The Melbourne Cricket ground is one of my favorite Cricket grounds in the world, no I've never played on it but as a spectator, I love it. Also virtually in games like EA Cricket, I literally played on it, so don't ask me Why I'm saying that. The Melbourne Cricket stadium has a capacity of whopping 100.000 people, It is located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and has witnessed many important Cricket matches.

Why Melbourne is the Most Livable City?

What makes a city livable? The standard of living? Value for buck? Facilities / Infrastructure? What actually makes a city livable? If you ask me that then I would say, a city according to me is most livable if you find your peace of mind, If it stand up to you and provides you with facilities, whether it is relaxing, dining, sightseeing or whatever. That is a most livable city and recently Melbourne was named as the most livable city on the planet, so coming back to the question, What makes Melbourne most livable city on the planet. Below are some reasons which make Melbourne livable, according to me.

A Deep History and Heritage, Culture, A Sporting stadium that can fit a city in, Bike paths that stretch as long as Canberra, A drink named Wet Pussy (I'm way too serious and curious), Post Offices where you can buy flowers, Lot's of places to party, Graffiti's and other street art, Trams, Exotic Cafe's and other restaurants, Fine dining places, Shopping destination, Diverse cultures (since almost half population is from overseas), Fashion and high standard of living. Also the People of Melbourne.


Participate in this Simple Contest

Answer a Simple Question and You could win Vouchers worth Rs.500

Tell me which of these places you would like to visit in Melbourne city and Why? Leave your answer in a comment below. The Best answer wins a Voucher worth Rs.500. Hurry, the contest ends on 4th January 2015. Also go ahead and watch the video below.

So this was it for today. This is my entry for the 'What's your reason for falling in love with Melbourne, the most livable city in the world?'contest on Indiblogger. I hope you loved it.

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About Jimmie Luthra

Jimmie Luthra is a Mariner, Tech enthusiast, Blogger and Gadget reviewer. He is fond of technology and is usually found playing with some piece of tech. He is also a Guitarist, Music lover & fitness freak.