ThreePerfectDays / Melbourne
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Article by Denise Cullen / Photography by Petrina Tinslay
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MELBOURNE HAS A REPUTATION as a buttoned-down town, but arrive on the first Tuesday in November and you might think you’ve stumbled into the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Businesses brandish “closed” signs; blokes don suits and colourful ties; women parade a rainbow whirl of hats, fascinators, and other head-gear; and a general mood of silliness prevails. This is Melbourne Cup Day, the culmination of an annual horseracing carnival, when even those who can’t tell blinkers from bookmakers feel compelled to have “a flutter,” or a bet.
Inspiring fun and frivolity, the Melbourne Cup, more than any other event, illustrates the split sensibilities of the city’s close to 4 million residents. For while Melbourne, frequently described as Australia’s most European city, often appears conservative and refined, it also possesses a delightful sense of whimsy. From the chiming of the green and gold “rattlers,” or trams, to the scent of roasted chestnuts wafting from the back of street carts, Melbourne tempers modern sophistication with old-style charm.
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DAY ONE / Awaken, stretch, and savour views of
Melbourne and the meandering Yarra River from your
room at 
The Langham Melbourne. This big hotel
boasts a boutique atmosphere and a decorating philosophy
that effortlessly melds crystal chandeliers and
sweeping marble staircases with comfortable couches
and cloud-soft beds. Its understated elegance along with
discreet service and an award-winning spa have made it
the hotel of choice for high-profile visitors including
Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.
Enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast at the hotel’s
Melba restaurant before taking an easy stroll across the
river toward the central shopping district. It’s here you’ll
begin to glimpse Melbourne’s many mysterious layers,
as the sensible crisscrossing streets are subverted by a
honeycomb of semi-secret lanes and alleyways brimming
with cafés, shops, and other hidden treasures. The fully
restored 
Block Arcade, dating to 1891, is one of the
most beautiful and architecturally significant examples
of the Victorian Mannerist style. Howey Place, with
its lashings of art and attitude, is also worth a wander.
Many boutiques here are exclusive to, or originated in,
Melbourne. Particularly recommended are Brimelows for
luxury leather goods and La Bella Donna for high-end
homegrown fashion. Fancy a taste of what Melbourne’s
quirky coffee culture has to offer? Pause to enjoy a
steaming double shot in the cosy (some say tree house–style) surrounds of nearby Switchboard.
Walk up Swanston Street to the 
State Library of
Victoria. This is Australia’s oldest library, offering free
exhibitions of items including armour belonging to the
infamous bushranger Ned Kelly. Allow ample time to
explore the atmospheric 
Old Melbourne Gaol. The
bleak bluestone building has a history intertwined with
some of Australia’s most defining events, including the
Gold Rush and the Eureka Stockade Rebellion. As the
site of 135 hangings, the prison contains a unique
collection of death masks of executed criminals and
related memorabilia. A tour of the City Watch House
next door, where visitors are “booked” for various
offences and briefly locked in pitch-black cells by actors
posing as policemen, can be a sobering experience.
The CBD (central business district) lunch crowd will
have thinned by the time you reach 
Nostro Baretto,
so pull up a chair and make your selection from an everchanging
chalkboard menu. This newish restaurant has
built its reputation on rustic Italian recipes conjured
from fresh, seasonal produce. Walk off the zabaglione
by weaving through Melbourne’s Chinatown, the oldest
area of continuous Chinese settlement in the Western
world. Browse the small shops filled with exotic food
and knickknacks, and then make your way to the
Chinese Museum. Here, five levels of galleries are
home to diverse riches, including wedding gowns
woven in gold; shoes worn by women with bound feet;
the relics of market gardeners, herbalists, and traders;
and the Millennium Dragon, the largest Chinese
dragon in the world.
As late afternoon slides into
evening, amble to 
The Deanery.
This wine bar is tucked away at the
end of a dimly
lit blind alley,
leading you to
anticipate an
encounter with
the city’s seamier
side. Instead, the
doors open to
reveal a sophisticated
den with a split-level dining room. The menu is
small but selective—after all, your attention will be on
the 11-page wine list, which includes a collection of rare
and older vintages from around the world.
Savour your last glass of pinot gris; then take a gentle
stroll toward the Paris end of Collins Street, so named
for its exaggerated tree-lined elegance. Enjoy the bustling
atmosphere before turning left onto Spring Street for
a performance at your final destination on this first
perfect day, 
The Princess Theatre. This landmark
building dates from 1886 and is rumoured to be
haunted by the ghost of a singer who died during a
performance of the opera Faust.
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