Coupled Up

With spring setting in, a romantic weekend getaway to Melbourne is the perfect escape. It’s time to experience some of the amazing attractions and live performances that are on show at this time of year.

Saturday

Leave the car at home and settle in on a V/Line train or coach. Getting to Melbourne is easy with public transport, and arriving into Southern Cross Station means you’re only a short tram ride away from Punthill Little Bourke [11-17 Cohen Place], where you’re sure to fall in love with a studio or one-bedroom spa apartment. What’s better, tram travel within the Melbourne city centre is free!

With Punthill located in the exuberant Chinatown district, embrace the fun and atmosphere in one of the finest restaurants in the precinct. For four decades, Flower Drum [17 Market Lane] has been regarded as one of Melbourne’s best restaurants, and with a sumptuous array of options for all tastebuds, it’s guaranteed to be a delicious afternoon.

From lunch, you might feel like stretching the legs and walking off all that food, so set your sights on the Eureka Skydeck, perched 88 storeys above the ground. Featuring (for a limited time) The Walk photo experience, as well as the exhilarating Edge Experience, you’ll go home with a lasting memento of your visit to Melbourne.

Stay in the Southbank precinct and have an early dinner at one of the many restaurants that line the Yarra River. The Meat & Wine Co [Freshwater Place, 3 Queensbridge Street, Southbank] is open from midday until late, so no matter what time you arrive you’ll be greeted by the African-inspired décor and ribs, steak and flame-grilled skewers galore.

A romantic night in Melbourne is not complete without taking in a show. Until 3 October, the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production Betrayal is showing at the Southbank Theatre [140 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank], an arresting drama written by Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Robert Pinter.

If you’re planning your trip for later in spring, Opera Australia’s production The Marriage of Figaro will show at the Arts Centre Melbourne [100 St Kilda Road] from 12-28 November. Mozart’s classic comedy is an opera with everything: lovers and liaisons, disguises and tricks, lust and laughter.

Sunday

Wake up and enjoy breakfast from one of the many cafés that can be found throughout the city centre. Even on a Sunday, specialty coffee and tasty food options abound at venues like hip Bowery to Williamsburg [16 Oliver Lane].

When breakfast is done, head south towards the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) [Federation Square, Flinders Street], where the David Bowie is exhibition runs until 1 November. Immerse yourself in one of music and fashion’s most iconic figures, as you trace the life and career of David Bowie.

After spending an hour or two with Bowie and visiting the permanent Screen Worlds exhibition at ACMI, wander west along Flinders Street and turn right up a nondescript street just before Queen Street. It’s there that you’ll find Maha [21 Bond Street], home to renowned chef Shane Delia’s Middle Eastern-inspired fine dining meals (bookings recommended, even for a Sunday lunch).

Then, continue along Flinders Street until you reach the SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium. Not just for kids, this Melbourne attraction is sure to impress with its huge array of over 10,000 fish, crustaceans, mammals, birds and reptiles, plus their newest exhibition, CLAWS, with a Japanese Spider Crab.

Once you’ve collected your bags, head on back to Southern Cross Station. Your Melbourne adventure will come to a relaxing end as your V/Line train or coach transports you safely home.