VICTORIA | Melbourne
Melbourne
POPULATION About 4.25 million AVERAGE MAXIMUM TEMP/RAINFALL Summer: 25.3°C/51mm Winter: 14.2°C/49mm
Ranked as the world’s most livable city, Melbourne delivers in spades. Abuzz with creative energy, the foodie capital of Australia has a dynamic arts and events calendar, a cool bar scene and homegrown talents across the fashion, food and café industries. Believe the hype. FRIDAY 9am: Wake-up call
A cafe on Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Morning only means one thing in Melbourne: coffee. Good news, because from The Olsen Hotel on Chapel Street, you’re right in the thick of caffeine territory. Head west down Toorak Road for an outstanding blend by award-winning coffee purists The Final Step, followed by a hearty breakfast at popular new side-street haunt, Two Birds One Stone — the latest addition to the South Yarra precinct.
10am: Chap laps
SMART APP Make sure nothing impedes your retail therapy with the free Park Smart App* for the iPhone®** which utilises push technology to help remind you of your parking, avoiding unnecessary parking tickets. The Park Smart App lets you quickly slide to start the meter timer reminder and with a single tap, add hints to remind you where you’ve parked your car. For more information on Toyota’s Park Smart App, visit toyota.com.au. *The Park Smart App (“the device”) is designed as an assisting device only. Not all mobile devices will be compatible and functionality will vary depending on the device. The device should not to be used while driving. The information contained in this device is for general information purposes only and is not a substitute for safe parking practices. **iPhone® is a trade mark of Apple Inc.
30 TOYOTA | Go Places
Explore Chapel Street at your leisure — it’s considered Melbourne’s best south-side retail destination. This strip has something for everyone, so it’s best to divide and conquer. The Toorak Road end is the pricier end of the spectrum and dedicated fashion followers will love the offerings from homegrown design heroes Alice McCall, Shakuhachi, Life With Bird and Ksubi. About halfway down is the flagship Topshop, and thrown into the mix are on-trend yet more conservatively priced Aussie high-street retailers Cue, Witchery and Seed. If you’re short on time, get lost in Dakota 501 — one of Melbourne’s most reliable and diverse unisex denim destinations.
11.30am: Windsor wander The shops are tightly packed for a couple of kilometres, so when you tire of South Yarra, head to Windsor, the neighbourhood that until a few years ago only had the odd smattering of pawn stores and op-shop pioneers. They’re still around, but a host of new independent stores and bars have
brought an influx of gen Y-ers and made this quarter a haven for people watching. Chapel Street Bazaar is the go-to destination for prop stylists and an emporium of quirky, second-hand knick-knacks and hard-to-find objects, while the fabulous Shag offers a theatrical dose of pre-loved fashion and accessories from decades gone by.
12.30pm: The fashion capital When Chapel Street meets Dandenong Road, turn left and take the highway all the way to the recently revamped Chadstone Shopping Centre where more than 530 stores are housed under one roof. Serious shoppers will love one of Australia’s premier luxury precincts featuring international labels such as Jimmy Choo, Chanel and Tiffany & Co. Loosely divided by category, surf and skate shops rub shoulders with lifestyle stores, the kid-friendly Build-A-Bear Workshop and huge Toys R Us. Loosing stamina? Refuel at the Koko Black chocolate salon or the pop up macaron cart La Belle Miette for a sugar hit.
2.30pm: Late lunch Make a beeline back down Dandenong Road to chic High Street in Armadale. Take a lunch break at the much-loved Phillippa’s Bakery for old-school provisions: homemade A boutique on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy
STORY: CARLI PHILIPS. PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES, MARK CHEW, JOHN KARMOUCHE (WWW.HARLEYRIDES.COM.AU)
48 hours shopping in
sausage rolls and buttery pastries. Nestled between antique dealers, premium boutiques, art galleries and dime-a-dozen nail bars, this is pure ladies-who-lunch territory, so if you’ve still got cash to splash, head to Scanlan & Theodore for sophisticated threads.
4pm: Local luxury More retail therapy beckons nearby in the plush pocket of Malvern Road between Williams and Orrong roads. Keep your eyes peeled on the short drive as the quaint houses en route are some of the suburb’s loveliest. Converted terraces house exclusive Australian boutiques such as the ethnicinspired Husk and super-stylish Grace. Both are worth visiting for a well-curated selection of imports across accessories, books, clothing and even in-store coffee. The area also boasts an impressive array of gourmet food stores and delis such as Gewürzhaus which has every spice known to mankind.
6pm: Drink up After safely stowing your vehicle at The Olsen car park, enjoy a well-deserved
by way of the moody Borsch, Vodka & Tears. Grab a vodka (their speciality) or ‘Lemon Meringue Pie’ cocktail and settle into the cosy, no-frills Polish bar.
8pm: A bit of this, a bit of that From authentic Mexican to lip-smacking Asian, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to dining out. Chow down at Miss Chu for fresh Vietnamese, Hanoi Hannah for affordable Thai snacks or either of Fonda’s two locations for unbeatable cheap and >>
CHAPEL STREET BAZAAR IS THE GO-TO DESTINATION FOR PROP STYLISTS.
Q&A with Alex Cleary, one half of fashion design duo Alpha60 Where do you live in Melbourne? Westgarth. Which are your favourite neighbourhoods? Fitzroy, Collingwood and Northcote. Collingwood has retained all its interesting grime. Awesome warehouse spaces have been transformed into studios and there is such a great mix of underground galleries, good restaurants and great bars. And your favourite Victorian drive? Down to the coast, either way. But if I had to choose, I’d pick
Kilcunda near Phillip Island. It’s so raw down there with its long, rough beaches, epic cliffs, rivers and sand dunes. What is the city’s top retail destination? Of course, Alpha60. Also try Wunderkammer for something weird and wonderful. And outside the city? The Mill Markets in Daylesford, which is about 115 kilometres out of Melbourne at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range. I challenge you not to find something awesome there.
siesta, because as night falls, apéritifs call
Summer 2013 | 31