Melbourne is a dump!

[Guest haysgood]

After reading a few threads when I was still in the UK about how awful Melbourne was, my first thought was that the people were just homesick. Now I realise they were not negative homesick posts, they were honest posts, Melbourne is really awful (and I am not homesick)!!

 

I have been to Oz before, and have travelled from Cairns all the way to Sydney (via Brisbane) by car over a number of weeks. I absolutely loved almost all the areas we saw. Cairns with its palm trees, Brisbane with its incredible beaches, Sydney with its great shops and vibe. My OH and I decided to come to Melbourne as we have some family here - we decided to give it a try even though we had never been to Melbourne, with the thought that we could move to Brisbane if we didn't like it. So many people we have spoken to have who had been to Melbourne only had good things to say about it, so we were very positive!

 

The drive back from the airport to our accommodation through Melbourne was awful. The streets are awful, I was shocked at the amount of grafitti that is everywhere. I had heard there was graffiti, and this didnt bother me as I know that most cities do. But, I have never seen a city with as much graffiti as here - and I have visited many countries. Not a good first impression.

 

We have now been here for a few weeks and have spent hours each day driving around to find a decent area to live. There arent many. Brighton was about the best that I saw, admittedly it is lovely there, but crazily expensive. I had a long list of possible places to live from recommendations, including Mornington and Mount Martha, and even those areas are not nice (in my opinion).

 

I had also heard that Melbourne had many great restaurants. Where are they? I have looked around the city, and all the restaurants I have seen look like school cafeterias, very small, run down, with only one or two customers, I wouldnt want to eat in any of them.

 

Ok, to be fair there are a few positive points. The people are friendly. The trams are great and seem to run on time. There is also a lot more parking in Melbourne than London. But thats it. The weather has rained non stop since we arrived 3 weeks ago and has been freezing - the locals say Spring will only come in November. Thats a few more months of miserable weather. Dont come to Melbourne if you are moving to Oz for the weather, its no better than the UK...!

 

Sorry if I sound negative, I am just incredibly shocked with Melbourne and very confused how many people love it here when I think its nothing short of awful! I am 24 and my OH is 29, so we are still 'with the times' - what are we missing with Melbourne that everyone else sees?

 

We will wait for our shipping to arrive in 3 weeks, and then we are heading up to Brisbane where the weather is a lot better, the areas are a lot better, there is less graffiti and the people are just as friendly. I'm afraid for us, the grass is 100 times greener in Queensland!

 

A word of advice - if you havent been to Melbourne, do not assume that you will like it. I only wish we had visited it first so we could have missed out on this horid place and went straight to Brissie!

 

Hayley

[Guest JoanneHattersley]

Hi there,

 

Just logged back in and read your post. WELL DONE for being so honest.

 

I have to say that you have said pretty much what we thought of Melbourne. We live in Brissie and flew to Melbourne to see family. We had good reports from people as you had. Sorry to say (to those in Vic) but I hated it! I was so happy when the pilot said "welcome home to Brisbane"

 

It is a good thing that not everyone is the same in this world. For you and me that didnt like Melbourne there will be 10, 20 or more out there that do. It would be the same for Brissie too!

 

Well done in your honesty and see you in QLD! Spring starts here on September 1st!! LOL!

[T-bone]

After reading a few threads when I was still in the UK about how awful Melbourne was, my first thought was that the people were just homesick. Now I realise they were not negative homesick posts, they were honest posts, Melbourne is really awful (and I am not homesick)!!

 

I have been to Oz before, and have travelled from Cairns all the way to Sydney (via Brisbane) by car over a number of weeks. I absolutely loved almost all the areas we saw. Cairns with its palm trees, Brisbane with its incredible beaches, Sydney with its great shops and vibe. My OH and I decided to come to Melbourne as we have some family here - we decided to give it a try even though we had never been to Melbourne, with the thought that we could move to Brisbane if we didn't like it. So many people we have spoken to have who had been to Melbourne only had good things to say about it, so we were very positive!

 

The drive back from the airport to our accommodation through Melbourne was awful. The streets are awful, I was shocked at the amount of grafitti that is everywhere. I had heard there was graffiti, and this didnt bother me as I know that most cities do. But, I have never seen a city with as much graffiti as here - and I have visited many countries. Not a good first impression.

 

We have now been here for a few weeks and have spent hours each day driving around to find a decent area to live. There arent many. Brighton was about the best that I saw, admittedly it is lovely there, but crazily expensive. I had a long list of possible places to live from recommendations, including Mornington and Mount Martha, and even those areas are not nice (in my opinion).

 

I had also heard that Melbourne had many great restaurants. Where are they? I have looked around the city, and all the restaurants I have seen look like school cafeterias, very small, run down, with only one or two customers, I wouldnt want to eat in any of them.

 

Ok, to be fair there are a few positive points. The people are friendly. The trams are great and seem to run on time. There is also a lot more parking in Melbourne than London. But thats it. The weather has rained non stop since we arrived 3 weeks ago and has been freezing - the locals say Spring will only come in November. Thats a few more months of miserable weather. Dont come to Melbourne if you are moving to Oz for the weather, its no better than the UK...!

 

Sorry if I sound negative, I am just incredibly shocked with Melbourne and very confused how many people love it here when I think its nothing short of awful! I am 24 and my OH is 29, so we are still 'with the times' - what are we missing with Melbourne that everyone else sees?

 

We will wait for our shipping to arrive in 3 weeks, and then we are heading up to Brisbane where the weather is a lot better, the areas are a lot better, there is less graffiti and the people are just as friendly. I'm afraid for us, the grass is 100 times greener in Queensland!

 

A word of advice - if you havent been to Melbourne, do not assume that you will like it. I only wish we had visited it first so we could have missed out on this horid place and went straight to Brissie!

 

Hayley

 

Hi Hayley,

 

Thanks for the heads-up on Melbourne. I'm from the same "neck of the woods" as you and Melbourne is one of the destinations planned for my reccie.

 

Like yourself, I have been to Aus before and followed the same route (in reverse - Starting in Sydney and spent a couple of months driving up to Cairns). Again, like yourself, I had the same opinion of those destinations, however I never made it to Melbourne.

 

Other than the lack of good restaurants, graffiti, and weather, what else don't you like about Melbourne? What is it (specifically) about the place that turns you off? Sorry to ask these questions, but I'm gathering as much information as I can prior to my reccie/activation in October. I'm also going to Brissy and Perth.

 

Feel free to PM me if it's easier.

 

Thanks

 

Tony

[tracy123]

Thank God 2 less whinging Poms not moving to Victoria

[Guest kdal]

We visited Melbourne but very breifly in Dec 2006. We visted Family in Mornington and took the train from Frankston to the CBD. I have to say that I thought Frankston was run down and not nice and on the train to the CBD did not look out of the window and see anywhere nice infact I would go as far to say that the train journey did not even feel safe and wouldnt have liked my teenage boys travelling on it.

 

On the other side of the coin the weather in Melbourne was hotter than Brisbane, it did nothing but rain whilst we were in Brisbane. The other thing abt Melbourne that we found and we dont know if it was because the weather was so hot , was that there were so many flies you couldnt eat or talk in case you swallowed one.

 

My Aunt took us too the mose beautiful beaches though and I guess if we were travelling on our own and not with family we would have never have found these beaches. We also went to lots of lovely restaurants particularly on the beach front, once again would we have discovered these places if not with a local!!

 

My first impression of landing in Brisbane was not good it was not what I expected at all, but after four weeks I could see some lovely places, once again though due to family (locals) taking us to them. There are also run down places in Brisbane and surrounding areas, you just have to find the right place for you.

 

Landed in Adelaide and loved my first impressions of Adelaide. Once again some run down areas but you just got to take a good look abt to find the right area for you.

 

So after having said all that LOL, we are of to Brisbane as we think this would be a better area for 2 teenage boys and they loved it there.

 

You have to try these areas or you would never know,

 

Good luck x

[Guest Aldo]

Thank God 2 less whinging Poms not moving to Victoria

 

Its not gods fault melbourne sucks :biglaugh:

[Guest kdal]

Oh and just to add that when we went to the Whitsundays, met a lovely family (very educated too) and he said to us that the best place in Australia was Melbourne he also added that it had the best CBD in Aus.

 

So everyone has different opinions I guess

[sykestykes]

Oh and just to add that when we went to the Whitsundays, met a lovely family (very educated too) and he said to us that the best place in Australia was Melbourne he also added that it had the best CBD in Aus.

 

So everyone has different opinions I guess

 

 

Kim, I didn't know you had already met Geoffrey in person!!:GEEK:

 

Sue xx

[Guest kdal]

Kim, I didn't know you had already met Geoffrey in person!!:GEEK:

 

Sue xx

..

 

:biglaugh:

[Guest catsinfrance]

I can say as a returning Melbournite (15yrs+ Europe) I am dying to get back to Melbourne. But I can easily see why complete newcomers could be disullusioned as it is not a city that jumps out at you. I will be interested to see the Hayley's views on Brisbane after a year or so in a soul/culture free zone. I hate the humidity in Brissie and prefer the really hot summers in Melbourne but each to their own. As you are Poms I can understand you want all year sun and avoid any real winter.

 

I live in Paris at the moment and I can tell you the level of dining in Melbourne is generally much better than here, if you are finding places that look like cafes, I don't know where you are looking. Brunswick St, Chapel St, Fitzroy St, even Southbank???

 

Regardless, you have to choose somewhere! So good luck, I don't envy you in the slightlest, Brisbane...good lord ;-)

[Guest Aldo]

Oh and just to add that when we went to the Whitsundays, met a lovely family (very educated too) and he said to us that the best place in Australia was Melbourne he also added that it had the best CBD in Aus.

 

So everyone has different opinions I guess

 

 

I add to my previous post that i have never been to melbourne but the aussies i have whinged to about how much i hate brisbane have said i would probably fit in better in melbourne, maybe i look like a grafity artist or something?

 

Thought i had better add that before my previous post gets censored by die fürherin:policeman:

[Petals]

Whew thank goodness agree Geoffrey we do not need anymore people in Melbourne.:smile:

 

I have lived a lot of places and I love Melbourne, no plastic people and things.

 

I love diversity and that is what we have here.:smile:

 

Been everywhere in Aus and there is no place like Melbourne for me.

[Que Sera Sera]

I have never been and I may be talking out of my ar*e but wouldnt that be the same of any city. Depending on which side you approach Bristol you could come in a very picturesque way and think my God how beautiful how culteral and then the other ways in are bad real bad run down slums really.

I hate London I have only been about 3 times and each time I hated it. I also disliked Paris, got to see some really seedy parts and some really nice parts the Moulin Rouge was good. But I would never ever live there yuk.

I think your either a city person or not. I am born to be a country bumpkin or a townie!

:yes:

[Guest kdal]

I have never been and I may be talking out of my ar*e but wouldnt that be the same of any city. Depending on which side you approach Bristol you could come in a very picturesque way and think my God how beautiful how culteral and then the other ways in are bad real bad run down slums really.

I hate London I have only been about 3 times and each time I hated it. I also disliked Paris, got to see some really seedy parts and some really nice parts the Moulin Rouge was good. But I would never ever live there yuk.

I think your either a city person or not. I am born to be a country bumpkin or a townie!

:yes:

..

 

You are so right. I like London but I love the city rather than the West End to work in. I find the West End peeps to be stuck up to work with and the City peeps more down to earth. Love the pubs in City not the West End. West End is good for shopping abit of sightseeing then getting out.

 

Once again down to finding the right area for you:wubclub:

[Guest earlswood]

After reading a few threads when I was still in the UK about how awful Melbourne was, my first thought was that the people were just homesick. Now I realise they were not negative homesick posts, they were honest posts, Melbourne is really awful (and I am not homesick)!!

 

I have been to Oz before, and have travelled from Cairns all the way to Sydney (via Brisbane) by car over a number of weeks. I absolutely loved almost all the areas we saw. Cairns with its palm trees, Brisbane with its incredible beaches, Sydney with its great shops and vibe. My OH and I decided to come to Melbourne as we have some family here - we decided to give it a try even though we had never been to Melbourne, with the thought that we could move to Brisbane if we didn't like it. So many people we have spoken to have who had been to Melbourne only had good things to say about it, so we were very positive!

 

The drive back from the airport to our accommodation through Melbourne was awful. The streets are awful, I was shocked at the amount of grafitti that is everywhere. I had heard there was graffiti, and this didnt bother me as I know that most cities do. But, I have never seen a city with as much graffiti as here - and I have visited many countries. Not a good first impression.

 

We have now been here for a few weeks and have spent hours each day driving around to find a decent area to live. There arent many. Brighton was about the best that I saw, admittedly it is lovely there, but crazily expensive. I had a long list of possible places to live from recommendations, including Mornington and Mount Martha, and even those areas are not nice (in my opinion).

 

I had also heard that Melbourne had many great restaurants. Where are they? I have looked around the city, and all the restaurants I have seen look like school cafeterias, very small, run down, with only one or two customers, I wouldnt want to eat in any of them.

 

Ok, to be fair there are a few positive points. The people are friendly. The trams are great and seem to run on time. There is also a lot more parking in Melbourne than London. But thats it. The weather has rained non stop since we arrived 3 weeks ago and has been freezing - the locals say Spring will only come in November. Thats a few more months of miserable weather. Dont come to Melbourne if you are moving to Oz for the weather, its no better than the UK...!

 

Sorry if I sound negative, I am just incredibly shocked with Melbourne and very confused how many people love it here when I think its nothing short of awful! I am 24 and my OH is 29, so we are still 'with the times' - what are we missing with Melbourne that everyone else sees?

 

We will wait for our shipping to arrive in 3 weeks, and then we are heading up to Brisbane where the weather is a lot better, the areas are a lot better, there is less graffiti and the people are just as friendly. I'm afraid for us, the grass is 100 times greener in Queensland!

 

A word of advice - if you havent been to Melbourne, do not assume that you will like it. I only wish we had visited it first so we could have missed out on this horid place and went straight to Brissie!

 

Hayley[/quote]

Tottaly agree.....the great sunny weather in Australia is a bloody myth.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

We have been in Melbourne for 4 years, I must admit I had never been before and came with rose tinted spectacles. I thought Melbourne was going to be flat, deserts, red sand, lots of beaches and palm trees, umm no it wasn't anything like it, my first impression was that it was just like back in the UK. We arrived in winter and it did nothing but pour down for the first 3 weeks, everyone who we spoke to said "oh we love the rain, we need the water" we thought this was some kind of joke. Then came September, the weather changed it was reaching 40 degrees some days, and it then hit me how much I loved Melbourne. A few months later we drove up to Brisbane and although yes, that was more how I had imagined Australia to be, the heat was a killer, it was so hot and humid and we struggled doing anything.

Personally I do not think you have given Melbourne enough time, we have some gorgeous beaches especially down on the prom, we have some wonderful rainforests, some great restaurants and much more. I could never imagine leaving here. We don't get the rain, our dams are just over 30% full we are already on water restrictions because of the drought, we do need the rain. Maybe you should have moved over in the summer.

Every where gets rain, especially Brisbane and when it falls it hits heavy, we were up on the Gold Coast at Christmas with all the floods, the roads were closed and there were cows stranded in the middle of a field and the farmer couldn't reach them.

 

I must agree with you on one thing and that is the graffiti, where we live we don't have any but we are definitely in a minority. The other week we were going around properties in South Yarra with a 2 million price tag and they had graffiti outside of the property. It must be that all the children are budding artists!!!

[Guest catsinfrance]

" I must agree with you on one thing and that is the graffiti, where we live we don't have any but we are definitely in a minority. The other week we were going around properties in South Yarra with a 2 million price tag and they had graffiti outside of the property. It must be that all the children are budding artists!!!"

 

That is because most of the little sh*ts are actually private school boys with nothing better to show for their parents money or their education. And they live in South Yarra/Toorak, etc....

[Que Sera Sera]

" I must agree with you on one thing and that is the graffiti, where we live we don't have any but we are definitely in a minority. The other week we were going around properties in South Yarra with a 2 million price tag and they had graffiti outside of the property. It must be that all the children are budding artists!!!"

 

That is because most of the little sh*ts are actually private school boys with nothing better to show for their parents money or their education. And they live in South Yarra/Toorak, etc....

 

Yeah but here in Bristol we have loads of Grafitti by Banksy and his pieces are now worth hundreds of thousands so you never know!!:biglaugh:

[Guest earlswood]

We have been in Melbourne for 4 years, I must admit I had never been before and came with rose tinted spectacles. I thought Melbourne was going to be flat, deserts, red sand, lots of beaches and palm trees, umm no it wasn't anything like it, my first impression was that it was just like back in the UK. We arrived in winter and it did nothing but pour down for the first 3 weeks, everyone who we spoke to said "oh we love the rain, we need the water" we thought this was some kind of joke. Then came September, the weather changed it was reaching 40 degrees some days, and it then hit me how much I loved Melbourne. A few months later we drove up to Brisbane and although yes, that was more how I had imagined Australia to be, the heat was a killer, it was so hot and humid and we struggled doing anything.

Personally I do not think you have given Melbourne enough time, we have some gorgeous beaches especially down on the prom, we have some wonderful rainforests, some great restaurants and much more. I could never imagine leaving here. We don't get the rain, our dams are just over 30% full we are already on water restrictions because of the drought, we do need the rain. Maybe you should have moved over in the summer.

Every where gets rain, especially Brisbane and when it falls it hits heavy, we were up on the Gold Coast at Christmas with all the floods, the roads were closed and there were cows stranded in the middle of a field and the farmer couldn't reach them.

 

 

I must agree with you on one thing and that is the graffiti, where we live we don't have any but we are definitely in a minority. The other week we were going around properties in South Yarra with a 2 million price tag and they had graffiti outside of the property. It must be that all the children are budding artists!!!

No.....bloody yobs......Perth has loads of graffeti, what is it with this anti-social behaviour :no: that seems to be everywhere, you get it in the UK but they seem to have grown out of it...but over here:skeptical:

[Guest jewels1356]

i dont mind melbourne but not a great lover it does have some of the best restrants (lygone st) in ozz shoppings not bad either but saying that its to cold for me so iam going to qld hopefully

julie

xx

[tracy123]

Its gods fault melbourne is a wonderful place to live :biglaugh:

 

Well Aldo once again you are right! it is God's country!

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Its not gods fault melbourne sucks :biglaugh:

 

 

:biglaugh:

[Guest sanders family]

No.....bloody yobs......Perth has loads of graffeti, what is it with this anti-social behaviour :no: that seems to be everywhere, you get it in the UK but they seem to have grown out of it...but over here:skeptical:

Yes they have grown out of it ,they just love vandalizing peoples stuff and stabbing people instead!

[Guest Aldo]

Well Aldo once again you are right! it is God's country!

 

that's damn right lowdown and dirty (miss quoting that is). I just don't know what's happening to this forum these days :no:

[Guest haysgood]

Geoffrey - Just thought I'd mention that I am actually South African. Feel free to stereotype us as 'whinging' too, although collectively between UK and SA - you have just insulted in excess of 100 million people - very brave!!

 

I am allowed to express my opinion even if it differs from yours. I know Australians are lovely people, but if I were to stereotype them based on your comment - it would be 'intolerant' of other peoples opinions. Its a good thing I am not as narrow minded to insult and stereotype people...

 

As I have said before, there are many places in Oz that I love. Unfortunately Melbourne is the only place that I dislike.