Melbourne Ahoy ! .. A guide to Moving to Melbourne Australia

The First Melbourne Victory Home game

2015-03-06T08:15:00.001-08:00

10 years ago in September 2005, the first Melbourne Victory home game in the A-League was played against Perth Glory with the final score being a 2-2 draw. On that historic day, Austrian import Richard Kitzbichler and current coach Kevin Muscat were the scorers.

However, it is a much lesser known fact that Melbourne Victory’s FIRST EVER home game was also against Perth Glory! This historic game was played as part of the pre-season challenge cup on the 30th July 2005 at MV’s first home ground – Olympic Park.

And I am very proud to say that I was one of the small crowd of 4,528 who attended the game!

The starting eleven on that night was …

1 Michael Theoklitos

2 Kevin Muscat (captain)

4 Mark Byrnes

5 Geoffrey Claeys

6 Steve Pantelidis

7 Michael Ferrante

9 Daniel Allsopp

10 Archie Thompson

12 Carl Recchia

13 Kristian Sarkies

17 Richard Kitzbichler

And the score was 1-0 to Melbourne Victory with Archie Thompson scoring the winning goal in the 60th minute ! It was a great night and I have been a loyal Melbourne Victory fan ever since.

Here are some pictures I took on the night. Apologies in the advance for the very poor photos! Bear in mind this was in 2005 – consumer compact digital cameras at the time was pretty basic and terrible at night photos. Not to mention my photographic skills are pretty non-existent!

Hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane. I will gladly take the same 1-0 scoreline for tomorrow’s A League match between Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory at AAMI Park !

Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - The First Melbourne Victory Home game

Cruise Holiday Tips For Your Christmas New Year Vacation

2014-12-28T08:04:00.001-08:00

This article is written exclusively for Melbourne Ahoy by best selling travel author Ben Better. Check out his latest book “Secret Cruise Tips For The First Time Cruiser: Your Key To An Enjoyable And Stress Free Cruise Holiday” now available on Amazon.

Cruise Ahoy !

With the Christmas and New Year festive period upon us, it also the time for many to take a break and have a well earned holiday. And top amongst vacation plans for many is a cruise holiday!

With the stressful and busy lives that many of us lead these days, it is not surprising that cruise holidays are the fastest growing section of the travel industry. After all, the ticket price is typically inclusive of ALMOST everything – notable exceptions include alcohol, spa treatments, professional photos, guided on-shore tours, etc.

The First Time Cruiser

Have you booked your first ever cruise holiday during the festive and new year holidays?

Are you feeling just a tad uncertain about how to make sure that your cruise holiday is smooth sailing (pardon the pun!) ?

If yes, then here are some quick tips to help you have an enjoyable and stress free cruise holiday.

Getting ready for theme parties

All cruise ships will have a few theme nights – e.g. Mexican, Caribbean, Bath Robe, Formal black tie, etc. – in the itinerary. These parties are always a blast when you are dressed appropriately as it helps to make you feel more involved.

So do give the cruise line a call to find out what are the themes beforehand so you can prepare your costume. Theme nights are always great fun and even more so when you dress up in costume. You will be pleasantly amazed as to how much effort some seasoned cruisers go into their custom-made outfits!

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To read on, continue on to the blog post on the Melbourne Ahoy website - Cruise Holiday Tips For Your Christmas New Year Vacation

How The Famous Melbourne Laneways Came About

2014-11-15T06:01:00.001-08:00

Melbourne laneways are a world renown phenomenon for its exciting combination of cafes, dining, hipsters and hidden gems. But have you ever wondered how the Melbourne laneways came about ?

Find out at my latest blog post on the Melbourne Ahoy website - How The Famous Melbourne Laneways Came About

FREE Lonely Planet eBook for Melbourne wheelchair travellers

2014-11-08T07:52:00.001-08:00

I was browsing around Amazon today and came across this FREE Lonely Planet ebook guide to Melbourne for wheelchair bound visitors.

Here’s the description from Amazon …

Lonely Planet Accessible Melbourne is your free passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see, with tips and recommendations for travellers with special needs. Discover Melbourne’s best wheelchair-friendly restaurants and shops, get active with accessible sports, enjoy spectacular scenery, food and wine along the Great Ocean Road. No matter what your ability, get to the heart of Melbourne and begin your journey now

To find out how to get the ebook, head down to the the Melbourne Ahoy website - FREE Lonely Planet eBook for Melbourne wheelchair travellers

A few facts about the Ice Bucket Challenge and ALS/MND

2014-09-11T07:51:00.001-07:00

I am sure all of us would have seen the Ice Bucket Challenge videos that has totally gone viral. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t see a video on Facebook of someone pouring ice water over themselves!

I did a quick straw poll among my mates and while many know roughly what is ALS / MND, almost all still didn’t know much about the disease and how its impact in Australia. So I thought I would write this quick blog post to help communicate a few facts about ALS / MND in Australia and the Ice Bucket Challenge.

... To read more, visit the blog post on the Melbourne Ahoy website - A few facts about the Ice Bucket Challenge and ALS/MND

Melbourne Day 2014

2014-08-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

Happy 179th birthday Melbourne ! Yes, it’s Melbourne Day again.

First a little bit of history …

Melbourne was founded on 30 August 1835 by settlers who sailed from Tasmania aboard the schooner Enterprize. They landed on the north bank of the Yarra River and established the first permanent settlement, close to where the Immigration Museum at the Old Customs House stands and the place today known as Enterprize Park.

This year, there’s a full program of activities with the main feature – an all-ages free concert at Federation Square from noon including free birthday cake and candy floss to boot!

There’s also ..

a spectacular Docklands regatta where a flotilla of private and commercial vessels will fill Victoria Harbour

an Urban Explorer tour around town

a flag-raising ceremony at Enterprize Park by our Lord Mayor and other VIPs

discounted entry for the Aquarium, Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne Star, etc

special offers at a number of participating restaurants, pubs & cafes

For details on this special day, visit the official Melbourne Day website.

So, head down to Melbourne City tomorrow and enjoy the festivities !

Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Melbourne Day 2014

Best Comic Book Store in The World is in Melbourne!

2014-07-29T07:22:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that Melbourne’s very own All Star Comics has been voted best Comic Book Store in the World!

This is yet another accolade that shows what a great place Melbourne is and another reason why Melbourne is the world’s most liveable city.

To read more about this fantastic win and why I feel that All Star Comics truly deserves the Eisner Award, check out my new blog post the Melbourne Ahoy website - Best Comic Book Store in The World is in Melbourne!

FIFA World Cup in Australia

2014-07-04T06:01:00.001-07:00

With the FIFA World Cup 2014 in full swing, this is a good time for a blog post about what the FIFA World Cup means to Australia and Melbourne.

King for a Day (or a few weeks to be exact)

With the indigenous Aussie Rules or AFL the dominant spectator sport in Melbourne, football (also called soccer locally) normally takes a back seat in terms of media coverage. Which is really odd as football is by far the sport with the highest participation numbers. Somehow, it doesn’t translate to spectators on ground.

However, every four years when the FIFA World Cup swings around, football steps into the limelight and leads the sports news ....

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To continue reading, please visit the full blog post at the Melbourne Ahoy website - FIFA World Cup in Australia

Best Melbourne Day Trips - Phillip Island

2014-06-05T08:17:00.001-07:00

With the Queen’s birthday long weekend just around the corner, I reckon a perfect article for this week would be the kick off a new blog post series where I cover the best day trips out of Melbourne.

What better way to start of the series than to cover one of my top few favorite local holiday destinations – Phillip Island.

There is so much things to see and do on this relatively small but beautiful island. A reasonable drive from Melbourne CBD of around 2 hours, it is also a very popular tourist destination.

To make things really easy for you, here is my recommended day trip itinerary for Phillip Island ...

To read more, please visit the blog post at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Best Melbourne Day Trips - Phillip Island

The adorable Fairy Penguins (aka Little Penguins) at the world famous Phillip Island Penguin Parade

Why Melbourne Is The Most Liveable City In The World

2014-05-28T08:58:00.001-07:00

There are many reasons why Melbourne has won the coveted title of Most Liveable City in the World for the past 3 years. But here are my top reasons why I love Melbourne and why she totally deserves the title.

Balance
Sporting Capital of Australia
A Vibrant CBD

To read more, please visit my latest blog post at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Why Melbourne Is The Most Liveable City In The World

Federal Budget 2014 and Australian Visa Categories

2014-05-19T09:09:00.001-07:00

The ramifications of the recently released Federal Budget has been widespread and there has been some impact on the Australian Visa categories as well.

Despite the perceived harshness of the Budget savings measures and the majority of Australians expressing disapproval (and even downright anger!), PM Tony Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey has remained steadfast in their support of the Budget.

There hasn’t been much details released so far but from the information I have gathered, the 2 main points are:

No reduction in Australian visa numbers
Change in focus for the Family Stream visa

To find out more details, please read my latest blog article at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Federal Budget 2014 and Australian Visa Categories

Bollywood comes to Melbourne !

2014-05-02T08:11:00.001-07:00

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2014

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) is back in town! The IFFM is a Victorian Government initiative that aims to strengthen ties between the Indian film industry and Victoria.

This year, the festival will be establishing an international competition with the presentation of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Awards at the historic Princess Theatre on Spring Street. The festival is the southern hemisphere’s greatest annual celebration of Indian cinema and takes place from Thursday 1 to Friday 11 May.

The inaugural Indian Film Festival Awards (IFFM Awards) will honour films in five categories: Best Film, Best Performance, Best Director, Best Independent Film and the People’s Choice Award. This will be the first Indian cinema awards of its kind in Australia.

The Guests

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan

No doubt the star attraction this year is Bollywood Megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Attending the festival as a special guest, he opened the 11 day festival on Thursday – along with the brand ambassador Vidya Balan – with the Australian premiere of the recently remastered Sholay 3D.

The 71-year-old will be honoured as the IFFM International Screen Icon for 2014. He will also be giving away a scholarship, created after him by the La Trobe University, to a student there.

The other notable guests at the festival includes:

Malaika Arora Khan

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Konkona Sen Sharma

Vijay Krishna Acharya

Simi Garewal

And many more!

What’s Happening

The 11-day festival presents a world-class program overflowing with gala events, master classes with India’s leading film figures, and over 45 films screenings across four Melbourne venues.

Don’t miss the Bollywood Dance Competition that will be held this Sunday at Federation Square. The beautiful Malaika Arora Khan leads the judging panel with dancers from all over the country doing battle in solo and group categories. It’s an interactive event and everyone at Fed Square gets a chance to vote.

For more details, visit the official IFFM website.

Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Bollywood comes to Melbourne !

Moving To Melbourne Tip: How To Choose A Suburb To Live In

2014-04-25T09:17:00.001-07:00

Being a city spanning a very large land area, Melbourne consists of many suburbs of differing traits and character. Comparing all the various areas can be mind-boggling for anyone, let alone an immigrant moving to Melbourne.

So how do you choose a suburb to live in Melbourne that is suitable for you?

Here are 3 areas of considerations that I reckon will be help to narrow down your shortlist to just a few suburbs making your choice a whole lot easier!

Distance

A good starting strategy would be to draw a 10 km radius around either the Melbourne CBD or your place of work, and see which suburbs fit into your budget.

Since you’re only just moving to Melbourne, I would recommend you start off renting first so as not to commit to a big mortgage on a house until you are more familiar with the lay of the land and eventually find the suburb of your dreams.

Education

If you have children, a key driving factor might be the location of a specific school.

Many public schools (especially the popular ones) are “zoned”. What this means is that you must live within the defined neighborhood boundary in order for your child to be eligible to study there.

Lifestyle

If you like a specific lifestyle then that may influence your decision. For example,

If you like beaches, places like St Kilda and Altona might appeal to you

If you like rivers, you can’t go past the scenic locations around the Yarra or Maribyrnong rivers

If you enjoy shopping and a poshier lifestyle, South Yarra or Prahran might appeal to you

If you like the artsy and hippie crowd, then places like Fitzroy would be your pick

And many more!

Conclusion

Moving to Melbourne is a big change in anyone’s life and filled with many decisions to make. I hope this article about how to choose a suburb to live in will help to make things a bit easier.

Whichever suburb you have shortlisted, have a leisurely walk around the town centre, sit down for a coffee and soak up the area’s ambience. Also do drive around the neighbourhood, visit the schools, chat with the locals, pay a visit both day and night, etc .. then decide.

As usual, local knowledge helps a lot so feel free to post questions on specific suburbs here and I will do my best to answer them.

Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Moving To Melbourne Tip: How To Choose A Suburb To Live In

ANZAC Day

2014-04-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

ANZAC Day is tomorrow and it marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I. (ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Corps)

Starting in 1916, Anzac Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who had died during WWI. As the years passed and more wars too place, the focus broadend to include all the military operations in which Australia has been involved.

Hence these days in Australia, ANZAC Day is an occasion to reflect on the cost of war and commemorates all Australians who served and died in military conflict. (There are also commerative ceremonies held in New Zealand)

In Melbourne, it is celebrated by a dawn service at the Shrine of Remembrance. This is followed by various ceremonies including the traditional ANZAC Day march from the CBD down to the Shrine. An emotionally moving experience, the ANZAC Day march involves past and present servicemen and families representing those who have been lost.

Lest We Forget.

Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - ANZAC Day

Good Friday Appeal 2014

2014-04-17T09:31:00.001-07:00

It’s the Good Friday / Easter long weekend again !

It is also time when Melbournians open their hearts (and wallets) and show the world what a beautiful caring society we have here in Melbourne.

The Good Friday Appeal is a proud Melbourne tradition and is held every year to raise much needed funds for equipment, research and education to support the work of The Royal Children’s Hospital.

The strength of the Good Friday Appeal lies with the thousands of people who volunteer their time, expertise and creativity to organise fundraising activities throughout the year. This includes many individuals, small business and large corporates all running their small activities in order to raise funds in the days leading up to the appeal. Together they have raised more than $258 million for the benefit of the hospital since the Good Friday Appeal began in 1931. Last year in 2013, the appeal managed to raise over $16m.

The Good Friday Appeal comprises of many events such as:

The main event which is the telethon which is broadcast live on TV from 9am till midnight. Throughout the day, Australia’s most popular celebrities, athletes, etc will make appearances and performances to raise money. Many of them will actually man the donation hotlines. So dial in and donate ! You never know who you might get on the other line.

Kid’s Day Out – The Melbourne Exhibition Centre will be transformed into a wonderland for kids, with Australia’s biggest roller-skating rink, Laser Strike, the popular Teddy Bear Hospital, art and play zones, kids cooking classes, music and dancing and so much more.

The Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt & Family Picnic at Werribee Park on Good Friday which is the LARGEST Easter egg hunt in Australia.

Run For The Kids – This is a run event held on the Sunday before Good Friday. This year it attracted over 35,000 participants and raised $1.9m.

If you want to donate, please go to this page. I’m sure they will accept international donations as well.

From Melbourne Ahoy, May your world be a beautiful place today and always. Have a blessed Good Friday !

Ed: This post was originally posted at the Melbourne Ahoy website - Good Friday Appeal 2014

Top 5 Things To Do In Melbourne On A Rainy Day

2014-04-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

With all the gloomy wet weather recently in Melbourne, I thought the perfect blog topic would be – Top 5 Things To Do In Melbourne On A Rainy Day !!

The rain has been forecast to last a whole week and with the school holidays in full swing, the kids must be bored out of their mind too !

So here is a list of interesting things to do in Melbourne and hopefully stay dry in the process ! There’s a bit of something for everyone and not just the little ones.

Without further ado and in no particular order …

1. Attend an exhibition or show event

Melbourne is The Event Capital of Australia so there is ALWAYS something on throughout the whole year !

In fact, just this weekend alone there are the following awesome events to choose from:

- Supanova

The Sci-Fi and Pop culture event of the year featuring Lucy Lawless (Xena) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) among many others. A must attend event for all fans of sci-fi, anime, comics, etc.

Supanova

- Dreamworks Animation exhibition

Produced directly by the people who brought you Shrek, Madagascar and the awesome Kung Fu Panda a world-first behind the scenes celebration of 20-years of DreamWorks Animation!

It features over 400 items including rare and never-before-seen concept drawings, models and original artworks, interviews and interactive displays from DreamWorks much-loved and favourite animated classics.

A bit more time to attend this one though as it will last until October.

- Melbourne Home Show

Building, renovating or making home improvements? Then visit Melbourne’s largest, most popular Home Show for all the latest products, services and innovations in home renovation and new home building.

- Australian Quilt Convention

Australian Quilt Convention

The Australasian Quilt Convention is Australia’s largest event dedicated specifically to quilting and held at the Royal Exhibition Building. This annual gathering presents quilters with opportunities to be involved on a number of levels.

Not my cup of tea but apparently this event is wildly popular attracting visitors from all over Australia and even international. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, it is expected to be even more crowded this year.

2. Rock Wall Climbing

Situated conveniently in the CBD, the Hardrock wall climbing venue caters for climbers of all ages. Perfect fun for both singles and families alike.

Not for those who are afraid of heights !

Hardrock Wall Climbing

3. Catch a movie at iMax Melbourne

IMAX Melbourne’s screen is the world’s third largest and combines with a set of revolutionary projection systems, customised theatre geometry and 15,000 watts of digital surround sound to deliver the ultimate movie going experience.

The last movie I watched there was the robot-monster fight fest “Pacific Rim” and it was amazing. It’s currently showing “Captain America : Winter Soldier”.

Imax Melbourne

4. Melbourne Aquarium

A favorite haunt of mine as there is just something peaceful and de-stressing about a visit to the Aquarium. I have been there numerous times and it’s definitely not just for tourist.

Home to over 10,000 aquatic animals, including one of the world’s largest crocodiles, SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium takes you on an interactive adventure from the depths of the ocean to icy Antarctica.

The King Penguins are always a crowd favorite!

Melbourne Aquarium

5. Spend a day at the Victoria State Library

A visit to the library may sound boring but not the Victoria State Library. This HUGE building is more than just a place to read books, magazines and newspaper. There’s classic architecture to admire, art galleries, historical books and maps museum, etc.

And to increase the fun factor, you can play high tech games on the Playstation / Xbox / Nintendo Wii consoles, have an intellectual game of Chess room, and enjoy the large collection of films and music.

Victoria State Library

Top 5 Things To Do In Melbourne On A Rainy Day

H&M arrives in Melbourne !!

2014-04-05T09:31:00.001-07:00


H&M opening day queue

H&M arrives in Melbourne !

The global superstore opened to much fanfare yesterday and was greeted by thousands of Melbournians eager to check out this new shopping experience.

A typical queue wait time – for most of the day – to get into the massive store was around 3 hours ! I do love shopping but personally, I think I shall wait for the buzz to settle down a bit and avoid the queues !

Located in the historic Melbourne GPO (General Post Office) building, this iconic Swedish retailer is the latest in a growing list of new overseas stores to hit Aussie shores like Zara, Topshop, Muji and GAP just to name a few.

I have been to H&M during overseas holidays and I reckon it is a nice addition to the department store landscape in Melbourne. It will be very interesting to see how the other big boys like Myer and David Jones react.

Hopefully, it’ll just mean more BARGAINS for Melbourne shoppers !

This post was originally posted in the Melbourne Ahoy website at http://melbourneahoy.com.au/hm-arrives-melbourne/

Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck comes to Melbourne !

2014-03-31T06:27:00.001-07:00

In news just in this morning, British celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has announced that he will be relocating the Fat Duck, his three-Michelin starred restaurant, to Melbourne for six months while the UK venue is undergoing renovations.

One of the top chefs in the world, Heston Bluementhal made his name with his food creations popularly tagged as “molecular gastronomy”. He openly hates the term though and very much prefers to call it a less extravagant “modernist cuisine”.

Voted Best restaurant in the world in 2005 and omnipresent among the top 10 list, the Fat Duck is a HUGE coup for the Melbourne dining scene and the big boost for Melbourne’s already glowing international reputation. Just another reason why Melbourne is the world’s most liveable city !

In a huge bonus, Heston has announced that he would bring his entire British staff and even parts of the Fat Duck restaurant to Melbourne ! That’s right – same quality of food, same staff / service and even a similar environment !

The new restaurant will open in the Crown Casino entertainment complex with Crown chairman James Packer saying this move will be a fantastic win for the resort and the Victorian tourism industry.

“To attract an internationally renowned chef and innovator of Heston’s calibre is a reflection on Melbourne’s culinary reputation,” Mr Packer said.

“The relocation of the coveted restaurant will be a big boost for local tourism, attracting interstate and international guests to Melbourne so they can experience a once in a lifetime dining opportunity.”

Melbourne triumphed for many reasons but not surprisingly with Heston a frequent visitor to Melbourne and with a good relationship with Crown over the years.

Heston Blumenthal said he would bring the Fat Duck’s tasting menu to Melbourne. ”It’s somewhere between 12 and 18 courses, it’s four hours of eating and it’s pure, total theatre – like falling down a rabbit hole into a wonderland.”

After six months, The Fat Duck will return to Britain and the Melbourne site will permanently become a branch of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – two-Michelin-starred London restaurant that specialises in British food - at the Melbourne site.

Bookings for the Fat Duck Melbourne will open in September. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that I can get a booking !

BON APPETIT !

Heston Blumenthal and The Fat Duck comes to Melbourne !

What property you get for $1m in Melbourne CBD

2014-03-25T07:33:00.003-07:00

Ever wondered what kind of property you can get in the Melbourne CBD for a cool $1 million ? Being a very built up area, houses are practically non-existent but there are many luxurious apartments to choose from.

Here are some examples of million dollar apartments ..

1. This 3 bedroom property on St Kilda Road is listed at $995,000.

2. You can still get a three bedroom penthouse property with skyline views in Melbourne for just over a $1 million.

3. This inner city three bedroom Melbourne penthouse is on the market for $995,000 and is around the same size as what you can buy in Darwin.

If you are living overseas or interstate and interested in buying or renting a particular property in Melbourne, Melbourne Ahoy can help ! We can conduct a property site visit and produce a detailed customised Property Profile report to set your mind at ease. To find out more, visit our services page here.

Moomba Festival 2014 ...

2014-03-04T06:02:00.000-08:00

Events galore !! White Night the week before and RAAF Centenary Airshow just last weekend. Now this week ... It's Moomba Festival time !

Head down to Birramung Marr by the Yarra river and join in the festivities. There's lots of rides, food, art displays, performances, etc. And not forgetting the famous Birdman Rally where competitors launch themselves off the bridge in hilarious costumes & ridiculous contraptions in a bid to see who can fly the furthest. Most result in spectacular crashes into the river!

Reads more about Moomba at my main website here ... http://bit.ly/1mSfZOH

And don't forget there's the Australian F1 Grand Prix being held next week from Thurs-Sun too.

There's always something happening in beautiful Melbourne !! Feel the buzz.

It's White Night time in Melbourne again !

2014-02-18T05:57:00.001-08:00

State Library

After holding the White Night event for the first time last year in 2013, White Night Melbourne is back this weekend on Saturday !!!

Last year, more than 300,000 people attended ! And I am betting this year will be even better especially with the pleasant weather predicted for this weekend.

If you don't now what White Night is, it is a special event starting at 7 pm where "Melbourne’s city streets, laneways, landmarks and cultural institutions will once again be transformed into a cultural playground from dusk-till-dawn". Originally held in St Petersburg Russia but made famous by the Nuit Blance festival in Paris, it has now spread to many cities around the world. And Melbourne is the only Australian city to host this amazing event !

But my favorite part is where they light up all the buildings in a psychedelic explosion of colour and creativity. Simply breathtaking. Here are some pictures to give you a taste but it doesn't even come close to conveying the wondrous sight and buzz of the atmosphere.

Hope you are in Melbourne to enjoy a night like no other.
:)

Melbourne heatwave continues ...

2014-02-06T05:48:00.000-08:00

35-36-40-24 .. that's the peak temperature for the next 4 days !

Buchan Caves

Frankly, I have had enough of this heatwave ! I can't wait for Summer to end and the cool of Autumn to come. Melbourne fall is my favorite season by far. I love the cool crisp weather and the lovely orange-red of the leaves.

First, I have to get past this stinking hot weather. If you hate weather like this, one place to hide from the heat would be the beautiful Buchan caves in eastern Victoria. It is very near the lovely beach town of Lakes Entrance - one of my favorite weekend escapes.

Stay cool my friends !

Melbourne property is fast growing yet affordable !

2014-01-23T04:45:00.001-08:00

Great news if you have invested in Melbourne real estate ! Despite the naysayers, Melbourne real estate has continued to grow from strength to strength.

According to an article from credit ratings agency Fitch, Australian house prices have grown faster than those in any other major economy and are forecast to outstrip even countries recovering from the GFC in 2014. Australian house prices have more than tripled since 1997, accelerating past other countries as the crisis bit in 2009.

As a long term property investor myself, I personally feel that there is much more growth to be appreciated as the real estate market evolves to a higher density environment. It definitely is not too late to grab your slice of the pie.

Are you an overseas or interstate investor looking to buy property in Melbourne ? What do you think about the prospects of the Melbourne real estate market ?

Australian Open is back !

2014-01-07T05:41:00.002-08:00

Maria Sharapova at the practice courts

When everyone starts dusting off their old tennis racquet for a hit, or you start seeing more people on the streets decked out in tennis gear, you know its that time of the year again ... Australian Open is back !

And what a great time it is to be in Melbourne. You can just feel the buzz and atmosphere. There's a big influx of tourists, the restaurants and pubs are packed and the weather this time of year is gorgeous.

And if you are lucky, you might even spot a tennis star or two !

Here's an exclusive Melbourne Ahoy tip if you enjoy "star gazing". Most of the tennis stars are sponsored by major retail brands and they always make an appearance at the main store. For example, my favourite player Maria Sharapova never fails to attend the Tag Heuer store function in the Melbourne CBD.

Melbourne property prices rise in 2013

2014-01-04T05:52:00.001-08:00

Surprise surprise, property prices haven risen again. According to the latest reports, Melbourne median property prices have risen 8.5%.

Great news for existing homeowners but not so if you are in the market to buy one! The naysayers keep on predicting a CRASH in prices every year but it has not looked close to happening yet.

So if you are in the market, go out and buy your property asap. You can't predict the future but based on almost 20 years worth of history, there is a higher chance that prices will continue to rise than it crashing.

If you are waiting out for a price plunge before buying a home, my advice is don't hold your breath !