Ahhh Melbourne. One of my favourite places to go for time away from work.
It was a long weekend over here in Perth, so we decided to take a girls trip and meet the rest of our family from Sydney in Melbourne.
Melbourne is a beautiful city; full of things to do, places to see and the atmosphere is electric. When we go on a girls trip away we focus on three main things:
1. Shopping
2. Coffee
3. Food
I also think that these three points are ones you should never have low standards about!
Melbourne has all of this and more.
So with this, I've devised a list of the best places to shop.
1. Bourke Street Mall
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to start your shopping adventure. Filled with a variety of shops and treasures, this is considered the heart of Melbourne's retail therapy. Located between Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street, it is only accessible by tram or on foot. We took the free City Circle tram from our apartment straight up Flinders Street and walked up to this shopping haven. Housing a fantastic David Jones, Myer, H&M and so much more, this mall is impressive from the get go. There is also access to the new Emporium which is full of great retail stores from Chanel to Uniqlo.
2. Chadstone Shopping Centre
With its status as Australia's largest shopping centre, the Chadstone complex on Melbourne's outskirts is a massive, sprawling and modern hub of shopping activity that's big enough to dwarf Perth city. High end retail mixes with boutique shops and department stores to ensure that almost every shop you've heard of is represented here. If you've got money to burn and are happy to spend an entire day (or three!) shopping here, Chadstone is easy to recommend. We spent one whole day here and got through maybe a third of what it had to offer.
3. Chapel Street
We didn't make it to Chapel Street on this trip but it certainly is a great place to visit. If you're going in winter, make sure to rug up as it is street shopping and it is quite chilly out in the open. Chapel Street is part of Melbourne's premier retail fashion districts where you will find a range of great boutiques as well as some ritzy cafes and restaurants.
4. Melbourne Central
Home to over 300 retail shops, Melbourne Central is a stylish destination for shopping, eating and entertainment. The architecture is beautiful and it is so easy to get to. Public transport drops you right out the front so you don't need to stress about getting to your favourite shop!
Melbourne has so much to offer and is such a fun and exciting place to visit....especially with people you love and don't get to see often.
In terms of what I purchased....I won't list everything as it's a bit embarrassing the amount I bought. But I will let you in on one of my favourites; courtesy of my Aunty G who wore this amazing piece on her wrist that I copied!
