Serviced Apartments in Melbourne CBD

• Supermarket (5 minutes by foot)
• Convenience Store (1 minute by foot)
• Pharmacy (1 minute by foot)
• Medical clinic (1 minute by car)

Parliament Station, the closest train station to Fraser Place Melbourne.

From the airport

• Skybus and Starbus airport transfers, approximately 1 hour.
• Taxi, approximately AUD60, covering 21km.

Ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, Melbourne is very much about living up in style. The metropolitan is a city filled with vibrant energy, with restaurants, fashion boutiques, café-filled laneways, cool bars, unbeatable galleries, spacious parks and village-like inner suburbs, each with its own special character.

The capital city of Victoria is Australia’s leading financial centre and is highly rated in the areas of education, entertainment, healthcare, research and development, tourism and sports. Less than 200 years old, Melbourne is well established in multiple facets of the developments, many recognized at an international level.

The city that never stands still is constantly buoyant with business activities and flourishing with ideas in the cultural and literary scenes. Modern, cutting-edge designs add to the fascinating mix of heritage architecture developed over centuries of well-entrenched culture, and the skyline remains dynamic in today’s contemporary Melbourne.

Weather

Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with cool winters, warm-hot summers, and balmy and mild weather in spring and autumn. Winter months are from June to August and temperatures range between -1°C to 12°C with an average of 8°C. The summer season is from December through to February and temperatures range from 21°C to 34°C with an average of 28°C.

Language

English

Time Difference

GMT +10 hours

Visas & Special Passes

There are different visa options for people visiting Australia for holidays, tourism, recreation, or to see family and friends.

• ETA (Visitor) (Subclass 976)
  An electronically stored authority for short-term visits to Australia of up to 3 months. Available to passport holders from a number of countries and regions, who are outside Australia.
  
  
• eVisitors (Subclass 651)
  An electronically stored authority for visits to Australia for tourism or business purposes for up to three months. Available to passport holders from the European Union and a number of other European countries, who are outside Australia.
  
  
• Tourist visa (Subclass 676)
  A temporary visa allowing a stay in Australia of up to three or six or 12 months. Applicants can apply from both outside and in Australia. Some tourists are eligible to lodge an online application for an e676 Tourist visa.
  
  
• Sponsored Family Visitor visa (Subclass 679)
  For people seeking to visit family in Australia for a stay period of up to 12 months. Formal sponsorship by an Australian citizen or permanent resident is required.

Currency

The Australian dollar. Australia has a decimal system with 100 cents to the dollar ($AUD). Coins have values of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and $1 AUD and $2 AUD; notes have values of $5 AUD, $10 AUD, $20 AUD, $50 AUD and $100 AUD.

Gratuity

Tipping is not a custom in Australia, and is not expected. However, for good service, a 10% tip in cafes or restaurants is normal. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but it is standard to round up the fare to the nearest dollar, especially if you have a lot of luggage or the driver has been particularly helpful.

Business Hours

Banks:
Mondays to Thursdays, 09:00 to 16:00 hours
Fridays, 09:00 to 17:00 hours

Business:
Mondays to Fridays, 08:30 to 17:30 hours

Shops and department stores, may vary but mostly:
Mondays to Saturdays, 10:00 to 18:00 hours, Fridays to 2100 hours
Sundays, 10:00 to 17:00 hours

Telephone

Local calls from public telephones in Australia cost 40 cents per call. Most public telephones accept coins and Telstra prepaid phone cards, which can be used for local, interstate and international calls. There are 4 main mobile phone operators: Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Three.

Health

Medical and dental services and a wide range of alternative therapies are widely available and are comparatively affordable by most international standards.

Electricity

240/250 volts AC 50HZ.

Public Holidays

New Year's Day, Australia Day, Labour Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday ANZAC Day, Queen's Birthday, Melbourne Cup (all of Victoria unless alternate local holiday has been arranged by non-metro council) Christmas and Boxing Day.