Why Melbourne Is The Most Liveable City In The World

There are many reasons why Melbourne has won the coveted title of Most Liveable City in the World for the past 3 years. But here are my top reasons why I love Melbourne and why she totally deserves the title.

1. Balance
2. Sporting Capital of Australia
3. A Vibrant CBD

To read more, please visit my latest blog post at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Why Melbourne Is The Most Liveable City In The World

Good Friday Appeal 2014

It’s the Good Friday / Easter long weekend again !

It is also time when Melbournians open their hearts (and wallets) and show the world what a beautiful caring society we have here in Melbourne.

The Good Friday Appeal is a proud Melbourne tradition and is held every year to raise much needed funds for equipment, research and education to support the work of The Royal Children’s Hospital.

The strength of the Good Friday Appeal lies with the thousands of people who volunteer their time, expertise and creativity to organise fundraising activities throughout the year. This includes many individuals, small business and large corporates all running their small activities in order to raise funds in the days leading up to the appeal. Together they have raised more than $258 million for the benefit of the hospital since the Good Friday Appeal began in 1931. Last year in 2013, the appeal managed to raise over $16m.

The Good Friday Appeal comprises of many events such as:

• The main event which is the telethon which is broadcast live on TV from 9am till midnight. Throughout the day, Australia’s most popular celebrities, athletes, etc will make appearances and performances to raise money. Many of them will actually man the donation hotlines. So dial in and donate ! You never know who you might get on the other line.


• Kid’s Day Out – The Melbourne Exhibition Centre will be transformed into a wonderland for kids, with Australia’s biggest roller-skating rink, Laser Strike, the popular Teddy Bear Hospital, art and play zones, kids cooking classes, music and dancing and so much more.


• The Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt & Family Picnic at Werribee Park on Good Friday which is the LARGEST Easter egg hunt in Australia.


• Run For The Kids – This is a run event held on the Sunday before Good Friday. This year it attracted over 35,000 participants and raised $1.9m.

If you want to donate, please go to this page. I’m sure they will accept international donations as well.

From Melbourne Ahoy, May your world be a beautiful place today and always. Have a blessed Good Friday !


Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Good Friday Appeal 2014

Moomba Festival 2014 ...

Events galore !! White Night the week before and RAAF Centenary Airshow just last weekend. Now this week ... It's Moomba Festival time !

Head down to Birramung Marr by the Yarra river and join in the festivities. There's lots of rides, food, art displays, performances, etc. And not forgetting the famous Birdman Rally where competitors launch themselves off the bridge in hilarious costumes & ridiculous contraptions in a bid to see who can fly the furthest. Most result in spectacular crashes into the river!

Reads more about Moomba at my main website here ... http://bit.ly/1mSfZOH

And don't forget there's the Australian F1 Grand Prix being held next week from Thurs-Sun too.

There's always something happening in beautiful Melbourne !! Feel the buzz. 

It's White Night time in Melbourne again !

State Library

After holding the White Night event for the first time last year in 2013, White Night Melbourne is back this weekend on Saturday !!!

Last year, more than 300,000 people attended ! And I am betting this year will be even better especially with the pleasant weather predicted for this weekend.

If you don't now what White Night is, it is a special event starting at 7 pm where "Melbourne’s city streets, laneways, landmarks and cultural institutions will once again be transformed into a cultural playground from dusk-till-dawn". Originally held in St Petersburg Russia but made famous by the Nuit Blance festival in Paris, it has now spread to many cities around the world. And Melbourne is the only Australian city to host this amazing event !

But my favorite part is where they light up all the buildings in a psychedelic explosion of colour and creativity. Simply breathtaking. Here are some pictures to give you a taste but it doesn't even come close to conveying the wondrous sight and buzz of the atmosphere.

Hope you are in Melbourne to enjoy a night like no other.
:)

Melbourne property is fast growing yet affordable !

Great news if you have invested in Melbourne real estate ! Despite the naysayers, Melbourne real estate has continued to grow from strength to strength. 

According to an article from credit ratings agency Fitch, Australian house prices have grown faster than those in any other major economy and are forecast to outstrip even countries recovering from the GFC in 2014. Australian house prices have more than tripled since 1997, accelerating past other countries as the crisis bit in 2009.


As a long term property investor myself, I personally feel that there is much more growth to be appreciated as the real estate market evolves to a higher density environment. It definitely is not too late to grab your slice of the pie. 


Are you an overseas or interstate investor looking to buy property in Melbourne ? What do you think about the prospects of the Melbourne real estate market ?

Melbourne property prices rise in 2013

Surprise surprise, property prices haven risen again. According to the latest reports, Melbourne median property prices have risen 8.5%. 

Great news for existing homeowners but not so if you are in the market to buy one! The naysayers keep on predicting a CRASH in prices every year but it has not looked close to happening yet. 

So if you are in the market, go out and buy your property asap. You can't predict the future but based on almost 20 years worth of history, there is a higher chance that prices will continue to rise than it crashing. 

If you are waiting out for a price plunge before buying a home, my advice is don't hold your breath !

Things to do and see in Melbourne .. Updated !

New or on vacation to Melbourne ? Bored of the regular tourist haunts and want to check out something different ?

I just updated my off-the-beaten-track guide to Melbourne's best alternative attractions / things to do and see. 

Check it out here ! ... http://www.squidoo.com/10-things-to-do-in-melbourne-australia

The Quest For News

Just moved to Melbourne and feeling a little bit homesick? Craving for news from your home town?

Well you just might be in luck!

The State Library of Victoria provides library members with FREE access to a wide range of current and past Australian and international newspapers. You can access this service either from the many PCs at libraries or – wait for this – all from very comfort of your own home!

My personal favourite is the fantastic PressDisplay news service that has content from 2200 newspapers from 97 countries – including advertisements! A little bit of warning here though – you can find yourself spending countless hours trawling through news from all over the world.

Enjoy!

Victoria population sky rockets !

According to the latest government statistics, the population of the state of Victoria is now growing by more than 100,000 a year !

Not surprisingly, most of them are headed to Melbourne. Melbourne's population is on track to rise from 4.25 million in mid-2012 to 4.5 million by 2015 and 5 million by 2020. By the end of next year, it will have grown 30 per cent in just 15 years.

I wish all the new immigrants are settling and integrating well. Hopefully some of them have visited this site and found it useful.

Are you a new Melbournian yourself ? Feel welcome to share your own personal story here ! If you want to remain anonymous, just private message me.

Thanks !

School holidays and the child care issue

It's school holiday time again ! For the next 2 weeks, most primary and secondary (high) school students will be enjoying the spring break vacation.

Personally, I quite enjoy the school holidays myself. A lot of parents take time off work and whisk the family away on a short holiday. For me that means a leisurely drive to / from work (with much less cars on the road for a change) and less stress at work with lots of people away !

But if you have young children and with both parents working full-time, finding someone to look after your children can be a BIG challenge. This is a common problem in Melbourne (and Australia in general) so make sure you don't get caught out !

A common option is to leave the children with the grandparents but for new migrants to Melbourne, the family support network unfortunately may not be there though. And with finances possibly being stretched by the relocation and settling down, taking extended work leave might be out too.

So here are some quick tips and lessons that I learned through real experience:

• Some schools offer on-site holiday care programs. Spots tend to be limited as preference so enquire wide and early.
• There are some organisations that specialise in providing vacation care. Again these programs are very popular. Start doing your planning at least a month before the holiday starts!
• While this may come as a surprise to international immigrants, it is also quite common to see parents bring their children to their place of work - especially if it is in an office environment !
• This may not be possible for everyone, but getting permission to work from home on some days can help reduce the number of leave days you have to take. 

Hope you found this blog post particularly useful and I'll leave you with one final important reminder - PLAN EARLY !!  

P.S. If you have other ideas or tips, please comment and share ! :-)

Getting a Driver’s License in Melbourne

As Melbourne is a large expansive city, you will soon find that getting around with just public transport is extremely limiting. Moreover, as taxis and delivery services are VERY expensive, having a car to transport groceries, small furniture, etc is very handy.

If you don’t have one already, the first step is to get a Driver’s License!

In order to drive a car in Melbourne, you will need a valid driver’s license which is issued by Vicroads.

As a newcomer to Melbourne with an existing license, you will probably fall into one of the following categories:

• Hold an interstate or NZ license
• If it is a current license or has expired less than 5 years, you don’t need to take a test! Just show your current license, prove your identity and Vicroads will send you a local one.
• Overseas license
• This is a bit more complicated and depends on several factors
• If you are on a temporary visa, you don’t need to get a local one provided it is in English
• If you are on a permanent visa, you will need to get a local license 6 months after you enter the country or 6 months after you get a permanent visa – whichever is more recent
• If you have a license from a country on the Vicroads recognised list – includes USA, UK, Singapore, etc – you don’t need to take a test to get a local license. Note that the list does NOT include many popular immigrant countries like China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Phillipines, Korea, South Africa, Sudan, etc.
• If you find that you DO need to take a license test, it comprises of:
• Road knowledge test
• Hazard perception test
• Eyesight test, and
• Practical driving test

If you don’t currently hold an interstate or overseas driver’s license, you will need to go through the same process to get a license as with local Melbournians. That is …

• Apply for a Leaner’s Permit (if you are above 16 years old) and start learning ! – either with licensed instructors or friend/family with a full license.
• Pass your test and get your Provisional driver’s license! There are quite a few restrictions during the provisional period of 3 or 4 years – like the car that you can drive, zero alcohol, passenger restrictions, etc. Not to mention you must display big P plates.
• If after provisional period and you haven’t got your license busted, your license automatically be converted to a FULL license

Last but not least, don't forget to check out my brand NEW website - www.melbourneahoy.com.au - dedicated to all things about moving to Melbourne and life in general in the world's most liveable city !

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Sports and Fitness : 1st City2Sea run in Melbourne!

On Sun Nov 13, the very FIRST City2Sea run will take place in Melbourne !

Starting from on the outskirts the CBD, the 14 km course will make its way to the Port Melbourne beach (hence City2Sea). Some of the interesting sights, the route will pass by include ...

City2Sea Run passing by fantastic views of Port Phillip Bay

• Arts Centre
• State Museum
• Royal Botanic Gardens
• Shrine of Remembrance
• (Run around) The Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit
• Beaconsfield Parade along the St Kilda / Port Melbourne foreshore

So if you are in town, bring a pair of runners, be healthy and soak in the atmosphere ! The distance is not too long and Nov late spring weather can be really nice.

Don't forget to sign up (http://www.thecity2sea.com.au) in advance though ... coz ... NO REGO, NO RUN !!

Sports and Fitness : Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre

Being a sporty kind of person (at least I like to think I am!), one of the first things that I looked for when I first arrived was a place to stretch my legs and play my favourite sports. I soon found that there was no better place than the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (or MSAC to locals).

MSAC was opened in 1997 and is located in picturesque Albert Park Lake precinct (also the venue for the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix). It is a truly amazing one-stop sports facility covering a plethora of sports & activities like:

• Water Sports – Outdoor 50m pool with 3000 seat grandstand, diving, a variety of smaller indoor pools for lap swimming, children’s play (water slides and wave pool), hydrotherapy, etc.
• Huge fitness and wellness centre for gym training, yoga, pilates, etc.
• Stadium sports – Basketball, Squash, Badminton, Table Tennis, Volleyball, etc.

Not surprisingly, MSAC frequently hosts world-class events like 2006 Commonwealth Games, 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships and of course local and state events like table tennis championships.

What I like about the place is how social and accessible the place is. The centre frequently arranges social sessions where strangers can come together and play sports like basketball, badminton, table tennis, etc. This especially useful for new Melbourne citizens who have not made many friends yet or simply don’t have mates that share the passion for a particular sport.

Melbourne University voted the #1 university in Australia!

Congrats to Melbourne University for being voted #1 university in Australia .. again for the second year running!

Here’s the full top 10 Australian university list …

Top 10 Australian universities

1. University of Melbourne (37)

2. Australian National University (equal 38)

3. University of Sydney (58)

4. University of Queensland (74)

5. Monash University (equal 117)

6. University of New South Wales (173)

7. University of Western Australia (189)

8. University of Adelaide (201-225)

9. Macquarie University (226-250)

10. University of Wollongong (251-275)

.. and out of interest, here's the top 10 World list :)

Top 10 universities

1. California Institute of Technology

2. Harvard University & Stanford University

4. University of Oxford

5. Princeton University

6. University of Cambridge

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

8. Imperial College London

9. University of Chicago

10. University of California, Berkeley

Suburbs based on ethnic groups

Melbourne is the arguably the most multicultural city in Australia (maybe Sydney might disagree but we shall know for sure when the latest census results get revealed). As a result there are many different ethnic groups that are represented in the population.

For better or worse, these different ethnic groups tend to want to live together and it is totally understandable why this is so. New immigrants to Melbourne would naturally feel more comfortable living near friends and in an area with links – e.g. religion, food, stores, culture, etc – to the “old” country.

So here is a list of suburbs that have a particularly strong representation of a certain ethnic group:

• Altona North, Preston, Epping – Macedonians
• Box Hill, Doncaster – Chinese
• Brunswick, Coburg – Middle Easterns
• Carlton – historically Italians but not so much these days. The Azurri have been around for relatively longer and have since spread out.
• Dandenong, Flemington, Noble Park – Africans
• Ferntree Gully, Boronia – South Africans (my SA mates tells me that this is because large land blocks remind them of home!)
• Kew, Caulfield – Jews
• Kings Park, Caroline Springs, Cairnlea – Filipino
• Melbourne CBD & Surrounds – Chinese, Koreans
• Point Cook, Dandenong – Indians
• Springvale, Footscray, Richmond – Vietnamese (Best places to find great Pho!)
• Sunshine – Croatians
• Sunshine / St Albans – Maltese

As a last word, I would strongly encourage anyone new to the country to broaden their horizons and mix in with the locals (of all ethnic groups) as much as possible. I intentionally did so by avoiding suburbs with an over-representation of my ex-countrymen. It certainly helped me to absorb the Aussie culture, settle in quickly and feel engaged with the wider Melbourne community.

Last but not least, don't forget to check out my brand NEW website - www.melbourneahoy.com.au - dedicated to all things about moving to Melbourne and life in general in the world's most liveable city !