Page 17 - JCH_2020_Fresher_Guide

I am feeling... CHILL, BUT GROOVY I am feeling... NATURE-HUNGRY
A funky, laid-back evening out with friends beats a hard night of partying any day in my book. Try one of I understand this one like nothing else, let me tell you. Especially if you’re from the country, the sea of concrete
these little outings when the mood strikes: and glass you suddenly find yourself in when you move to Melbourne can feel pretty oppressive. Fortunately,
there are beautiful natural spaces hidden all around if you know where to look!
A Lygon St expedition: Lygon St (15 min walk
from JCH) has a snazzy, but low-key night-time vibe. Royal Botanic Gardens: You can get absolutely lost in these
Catch an indie flick at Nova Cinema ($9 for students on incredible gardens, in the best way possible! There are so many
Wednesday nights), before grabbing an ice cream at different sections – from rainforest to grassland to lakeside –
Pidapipó or a hot choccy at Heartattack and Vine. Then with winding paths linking them all up. The path along the fringe
pop over to Readings, possibly the best bookshop in of the gardens next to the Yarra is a beautiful walk too. 40 min
the world, for a browse. If you’re in the mood, head to from college by tram plus walking.
the Green Man’s Arms for a quick night cap. Everything
stays open ‘til around 11pm most nights. Merri Creek & Yarra Bend: Borrow the college bike and
head up along the left side of Princes Park, before turning right
Moonlight Cinema: On a balmy summer evening, just before you hit the bowls club. You’re now on the Capital City Trail, which is a ginormous circuit bike path
what could be better than a big-screen movie under around Melbourne. Keep riding along it until you see the sign for Merri Creek, then turn left. Ride, ride, ride, until
the stars? Moonlight Cinema is set up for summer you come to a road, then turn left again. You’ll curve round, cross a bridge, and then slip down under it. You’re
down at the Botanic Gardens with movies running now on the Merri Creek Trail! A beautiful riverside ride that gives you a taste of the bush right in the heart of the
every night until the end of March. $20 a ticket. Choc city. I highly recommend exploring the area. It’s one of my favourite getaways.
tops, popcorn & other snacks available there.
The Dandenongs: If you really need to get out into the wilderness,
A quaint gig at a cool bar: Did you know that Mel- Tarzan style, then the Dandenongs is probably your best bet. It’s a
bourne is officially the live music capital of the world? Of beautiful mountain range to the east of Melbourne with heaps of stunning
course there’s all the big, flashy, wildly expensive concerts, hikes through temperate rainforest. Set aside a good two hours to get
but the best gigs to be found in Melbourne, in my humble there by public transport; you’ll need to catch a train from Flinders St
opinion, are those intimate, more chilled out shows that Station towards Lilydale or Belgrave, and then a bus into the range itself. A
you kind of just stumble upon at a random bar. The ones solid day out.
you walk out of dazed, not because you’ve had one too
many, but because you can’t believe how bloody good
that was. Pubs that offer up just that kind of thing? Some
Velvet Morning in Clifton Hill; 40 min tram/bus ride, 10 min I am feeling... CURIOUS
uber. The Old Bar on Johnston St; 25 min walk. The Drunk- Let’s be real, this is the miscellaneous category.
en Poet in West Melbourne; 15 min tram ride. The Curtin
on Lygon St; 15 min tram ride, 25 min walk. There are so
many more out there though, so stumble away! A Sydney Rd adventure: Sydney Rd is thrift shop central.
Pop in to a few of the smaller op-shops earlier on in the street, but
save most of your energy for the star of the show: Savers. It’s a
I am feeling... LIKE I NEED SOME PEACE & QUIET thrift shop on steroids, a giant warehouse full of spunky, second-
College is brilliant, but it can get pretty overwhelming at times. I like to hand dresses, jumpers, suit jackets… you name it. Very, very
have a few places up my sleeve to go to when I need to escape and just cheap, and even cheaper on a Sunday, when students get 20% off
be quiet for a bit. If you’re ever feeling stressed or a bit low, or even if everything. No joke, you can spend hours in there. To top off your
you’re perfectly happy, give one of these a go: day of savvy spending, grab a very well-priced coffee and pastry at
the fabulous Green Refectory.
Australian Native Garden in Royal Park: Just a few minutes
away from JCH is a really lovely park space with lots of native trees and Go to the footy: Especially if you’re an international student, I cannot
plants, open grass spaces, and a pond. I walk there quite often and read recommend this highly enough. Aussie rules footy, a quintessential part of
a book on one of the benches. Feeling a little more sociable? Take a Australian life, has its heart in Melbourne, and there’s nothing quite like feeling
group there with a picnic and a frisbee for a splendid arvo out! the buzz of the crowd first-hand when a game is tight. The women’s season
runs first, through ‘til early April. Matches are FREE (!) and really high quality,
Rathdowne St: A lovely little neighbourhood tucked away from it all. so get around that. The men’s season then starts in mid-March, with tickets
Sometimes I like to spend a long morning there, with or without uni work to do. There’s a community library going for around $20 per match. For anyone looking for a team, Geelong Cats
I stop in at often, plus a string of quality cafés, a brilliant second hand bookstore called Alice’s Bookshop, and are the obvious choice.
of course Curtain Square at the heart of it all, which is the local park. I love to do my readings propped up
against a tree there. It’s just a 20 minute stroll from college, which is rather lovely in and of itself, passing by
the cemetery and weaving through the backstreets of Carlton.

16 17