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Holiday Ideas - Trip the light fantastic at Melbourne's Southbank
Looking for a spot to eat, drink, gamble or enjoy the ambience of Melbourne's street life ? Look no further than Southbank in Victoria, Australia.
Melbourne's lively Southbank promenade is situated on the southern bank of the Yarra River opposite the CBD. It stretches from Footscray Road to the west as far as St Kilda Road to the east. There are four bridges connecting the city to Southbank and the place really buzzes on the weekends.
Looking for a spot to eat, drink, gamble or enjoy the ambience of Melbourne's street life ? Look no further than Southbank.
Melbourne's lively Southbank promenade is situated on the southern bank of the Yarra River opposite the CBD. It stretches from Footscray Road to the west as far as St Kilda Road to the east. There are four bridges connecting the city to Southbank and the place really buzzes on the weekends.
A stroll along the Southbank foreshore takes you past a smorgasbord of contemporary Melbourne art and entertainment. Melbourne's visually stunning exhibition centre, the massive Crown Casino complex and numerous restaurants and coffee shops all bring in the crowds. Anything from cake and latte to a Thai banquet is available from lunchtime onwards. Most people prefer to brave Melbourne's weather and eat streetside to enjoy the passing parade, so cafes with outdoor heaters are usually well patronised!
Click here to read about the Crown Casino complex.
In recent years there has been large scale residential apartment development in Southbank, with some of Melbourne's tallest buildings rising up from the area. As a result there is an ever increasing crowd of locals using the area to work, shop and play.
In the daytime you may come across pavement artists, street performers and the occasional human statue spray painted silver. You can stroll and enjoy the views or catch one of the many river tours departing from the moorings situated along Southbank. All along Southbank you will discover unusual and visually stunning artworks of all shapes and sizes.
In the evenings Southbank puts on a display of light and pyrotechnics, which is unparalleled. Every evening at 6 pm six enormous stone pylons along the length of the Crown complex begin hissing and emitting massive balls of flame. The display lasts several minutes and is repeated on the hour, every hour. The noise and heat emitted by these flaming pylons is considerable and many an unsuspecting passer by has had the wits scared out of them by this display.
Its a great show for visitors, although as one performer joked at Melbourne's famous Comedy Club, it is almost satanic seeing balls of fire roaring and hissing up above a Casino! An omen for potential gamblers, perhaps.
Another nocturnal attraction is the impressive fountain with its multi colored lighting choreographed display which continues non stop throughout the evening. Even on cold nights you will see children running in and out trying to cross the fountain area without getting soaked. Few succeed.
On top of this the views of Melbourne's skyline from Southbank have to be seen to be believed and are a photographer's dream. It can get cold at night but you are never far away from the many local bars and eating spots and the casino with its many bars and restaurants operates 24 hours a day. There is plenty of public seating along the promenade for those who want to sit back and enjoy the views.
Southbank is easily accessible on foot from Melbourne's central city, or a short walk from Flinders Street Station. There are numerous quality hotels and serviced apartments in the area, including some of Melbourne's finest hotels.
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