Unlike most cities, Melbourne is at its best during the winter months. The colder weather and darker nights of the Southern Hemisphere provide the perfect backdrop for the city’s colourful festivals, world class cuisine, and European inspired culture. This week, we thought we’d put together a Melbourne winter Bucket list which you and your friends could probably knock off in one or two days with the help of a hire bus from Melbourne on the Move.  

Have dinner at the Queen Victoria Night Market

From June 7, the Queen Victoria Night Market warms Melbourne bellies every Wednesday night with mulled wine and a mouth-watering array of food. Entertainment includes light installations, a silent disco, and open fires to warm your hands by.

Order a hipster coffee  

Melbourne is famed for its superior taste in coffee but a handful of city and inner suburb cafes take the art of the brew to the next level with innovative and technically accomplished ways of getting your nicotine fix. If you want an authentic Melbourne coffee drinking experience, try ordering a winter toddy coffee from the window at Plug Nickel or knock back Brother Bubba Budan’s single origin coffee of the day with a delicate pastry whilst watching the city crowds stroll by.

 Melbourne Writers Festival

 Snuggling up with a good book is a classic winter activity and in Melbourne, which is often called Australia’s ‘literary city’ the love of reading is celebrated in the form of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Running from August 25th until September 3rd, the festival features talks from authors of all literary disciplines, book launches and lively discussions about current issues in the writing world. Many of the events are free and held in some of Melbourne’s most iconic venues, so it’s a great, affordable way to experience some culture and see the sights of the city at the same time.

 Go to a football game at the MCG

It would remiss of us to make a Melbourne winter bucket list without putting in a mention of the city’s most beloved sport; the AFL. If you can, try to attend a match between two of the local teams, as those tend to draw the most interesting (and boisterous) crowds and don’t forget to have a meat pie at half time.

Wander along a windswept St Kilda beach

During the summer months, St Kilda is overcrowded with beachgoers and tourists but during the winter, Melbourne’s famous bayside suburb becomes rather tranquil and is a rather beautiful place to take a sunset stroll followed by a little bit of bar hopping along Acland street.