Melbourne’s sensible, ordered grid of the city gives way to an extensive network of lanes, alleys and arcades full of one-off boutiques, galleries, hole-in-the-wall cafés and secret bars and restaurants that are attractions for both locals and tourists.
Melbourne’s Laneways sprung up organically when Melbourne’s first surveyor, Robert Hoddle, had the daunting task of designing the city’s streets wide enough to fit goods-laden bullock carts. His final square design of broad main streets did not account for the huge population that swelled when gold was found in the 1850s and people created their own shortcuts, filling the lanes with workers' cottages, small businesses and pubs.
There are more than 180 of these miniscule streets, so it’s almost impossible to see them all in one visit. There are lanes lined with everything from graffiti art, second-hand books and celebrity wigs to hard-core fashion from the latest designers.
You will also find everything from old-fashioned European-inspired cafes to authentic Asian food, and bars in designer cool lofts and bohemian basements. No two lanes are alike and they’re all within blocks of each other.
To visit Melbourne or any other destination in Australia all international tourists must have an
Australian Travel Visa.
The most popular of these visas is the
ETA Visa, as is can be quickly and easily applied for online and allows the holder to enter Australia for up to three months.
