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Sydney or Melbourne? |
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 When someone in Melbourne asks 'what's your view?' - they'll be expecting an answer about politics.
 When someone in Sydney asks 'what's your view?' - you’ll get a description of the harbour, beach or city skyline.
Melbourne
Where Sydney’s strengths are beaches and sunshine, Melbourne culture is more about the arts, books, sports, cafes and bars, with great shopping, and good town planning. Melbourne is the most European city in Australia and has been rated sixth in the global top 10 list of sustainable cities by the influential New York based Ethisphere Institute.
Food is generally of a high quality with great restaurants in just about every part of Melbourne, but especially the city center and inner and mid range suburbs. Both Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay chose to open their Australian restaurants in Melbourne.
Arts: The arts play a big role in Melbournians' lives. The Concert Hall, Arts Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Ian Potter Gallery of modern Australian art, and a few other smaller galleries and theatres are walking distance of each other.
Melbourne bars: There are a huge number of small and sophisticated bars in the city and inner suburbs. Many in the city are tucked away in tiny, narrow lanes and are very creatively designed and furnished.
Comedy and live music: Melbourne is Australia's comedy and live music centre.
Sport: Melbourne's true religion is sport. This is the home of Australian Rules Football and its sacred ground is the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). During footy season (April to September) thousands upon thousands of people set aside the weekend to go and watch a game and barrack for their team. The MCG holds 100,000 people and regularly fills to capacity. For some this is brilliant, for non sports lovers, it can be hell.
Beaches: The beaches in Melbourne are bay beaches - so there is no surf. They are nowhere near as spectacular as the beaches in Sydney, and some would even call them unappealing. To do some surfing, you'll need to travel to Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island or the Great Ocean Road. That can take anywhere from one to three hours, depending on where you live in Melbourne, and the traffic. But the trip is worth it because beaches along any of the coastlines are superb and huge.
Trams, trains, buses: Melbourne's public transport system is user friendly with a single ticketing system; but the trains, trams and buses tend to be overcrowded during morning and evening peak times. Melbourne is divided into two travel zones: Zone 1 takes in the inner and most middle suburbs. Zone 2 takes in the middle and outer suburbs. For more information, go to HELP, scroll down to Melbourne, and click on "bus, tram, train tickets".
Cost of living: The cost of living in Melbourne is cheaper too. Houses and rent are cheaper than Sydney, and so is public transport.
Clothes: When it comes to the way people dress, Australians generally have a relaxed style about them. Melbourne, however, tends to be more stylish. You won't see so many thongs (flip flops) and shorts or mini dresses in the city as you would in Sydney.
Melbourne is very multicultural. Most areas of Melbourne have a good mix of people from all different backgrounds.
Weather: Melbourne has four distinct seasons, some would say there are four seasons in one day.
Summer - temperatures range from low 20s to 40C. Melbourne has dry summers. January and February are the hottest months. Usually after three hot stinking days in a row, there tends to be a cool change. Overnights can range from 12C to 30C.
Autumn - temperatures are in the high to low 20's. March and April can be sublime with temperatures in the mid 20s, and blue skies. Overnights can range from 10C to 18C.
Winter - it is cool, not cold. Temperatures range from around 11C to 16C. The wind is a killer. It can be bone chilling. When forecasters say Melbourne will have a top of 14C, what they mean is the temperature will slowly rise to a top of 14C, stay there for about 10 seconds, and then go down again. Overnights can range from 3C to 10C.
Spring - Temperatures can range from 15C to the low 20s. But in the past few years, October has had temperatures in the 30s and mammoth bushfires. It can be windy but generally the skies are blue. Overnights can range from 8C to around 15C.
To find a suburb that will suit you - go to the SHOE INDEX
Sydney
Sydney is Australia's largest city and the most popular destination for overseas tourists. It is Australia's most expensive city, where people with huge bank accounts live, and where residents tend to have flashier homes and cars. Bling bling, kaching! It is a big, fast, confident city where boredom is non-existant.
The outdoors: Because of its warm weather, Sydney has a big focus on beaches and outdoor living. All the beaches are great, most are surf beaches and are easily accessed by train or bus. On weekends and warm days, the beaches fill to capacity.
Sydney harbour: The harbour is one of the most beautiful harbours in the world and travelling on the ferry to and from work or for fun is fabulous. There are some excellent walking tracks along the harbour that provide sensational views of Sydney. More...
Food: The food in Sydney is generally good to very good with plenty of outstanding cafes and restaurants. There is a great fresh seafood market, and plenty of quality farmers' markets. Check out our "MUSTS"
Pubs: Sydney has plenty of large pubs with beer gardens. Small bars are almost non existant here.
Village: There are more suburbs here with a village feel (than Melbourne), and that could be because they do not have major roads cutting right through them.
Who lives there: Sydney has a more transient population than Melbourne.
It is multicultural, but because of the high property prices all round, many new migrants gravitate to the outer suburbs. This means most of Sydney's inner city and the mid range suburbs tend to be less multicultural and more Anglo than in Melbourne.
Sport: Where Melbourne is into Aussie Rules Football, Sydney is huge on rugby. There are two varieties: League (which some say is the sport of the working class), and Union (said to be the sport of gentlemen). Either way, blokes who play this sport tend to have thick necks. Aussie Rules Footy players are more lean.
Transport: Transport in Sydney is comprehensive but the ticketing system can do your head in. Unlike Melbourne where one ticket will get you access to all forms of transport, in Sydney, there are a whole range of tickets. Go to A-Z and scroll down to the "tickets" section to get more information.
Shopping: While Melbourne tends to have the best reputation for shopping, Sydney really is just as good. More...
Weather: The climate is subtropical with more greenery year round.
Summer: is very humid with temperatures in the low 20s to low 30s. If you do not live in a house or apartment with decent ventilation, your furnishings, clothes and sheets will feel wet for several months of the year. Oh yeah, this is cockroach season too. Overnights range from mid teens to low 20s.
Autumn: low to high 20s, blue skies, warm breezes, sun showers, low humidity. Overnights range from 14C to low 20s.
Winter: the weather in winter can get cool but generally, its anywhere from 17C to mid 20s. Most winters have sunny skies. You may see Sydneysiders walking around with gloves on in 17C. Hilarious!! Overnights: 11C to 15C.
Spring: Hello, this is gorgeous weather time. Low 20s to high 20s. Blue skies, sun, warm breeze. Bliss. Overnights 11C to low 20s. It can start getting humid in November, which sees the cockroaches coming out.
So are you a Sydney or a Melbourne person?
To find a suburb that will suit you - go to the SHOE INDEX. Pick your suburb according to your favourite shoe. It's wacky!
Or click on HELP, and scroll down to "Where to live"
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