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Information
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The
Victoria Visitor Information Centre
is housed in the Town Hall on Swanston Street, corner of Little Collins Street (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm; tel 03/9658 9955 or 13 2842; transport, tour and accommodation
telephone-booking service
is available through AUSRES: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat, Sun & public holidays 9am-5pm; tel 03/9650 1522). There are free pamphlets galore although some, such as the
Golden Mile Heritage Walk
($2) describing
self-guided walking tours
to many of Melbourne's older attractions, attract a small charge. Next to the information centre is the
City Experience Centre
(Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat, Sun & public holidays 9am-5pm), which has up-to-date information on Melbourne, in particular on events and activities around town, provided by helpful staff, or from videos, touch-screens and permanent displays. Of special interest is the Centre's free
Greeter Service
(tel 03/9658 9955, fax 9650 6168,
greeter@melbourne.vic.gov.au
), whereby visitors are matched up for two to four hours with local volunteers according to language and interests, which gives you an unparalleled insider's viewpoint, though you need to book at least three days in advance.
Information Victoria
, at 356 Collins St (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm; tel 1300/366 356), has free maps and brochures, as well as a notice board of city events and a shop selling the city's largest range of local maps, while
Victoria Tourism
(daily 8am-6pm; tel 13 2842,
www.visitvictoria.com
) is a phone-only service providing information on attractions, accommodation and upcoming events.
Around the city are two volunteer-staffed Visitor Information Booths , in the middle of Bourke Street Mall (Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm) and Flinders Street Station (same opening times except Fri until 5pm). An interactive touch-screen terminal, where you can look up anything from a cab phone number to a Chinese restaurant, is located on Collins Street outside the Sportsgirl Centre (between Swanston and Elizabeth streets).
Alternative sources of information include the
NRE Information Centre
, 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne, run by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm; tel 03/9637 8080,
www.nre.vic.gov.au
); and
Parks Victoria
(telephone information service only tel 13 1963,
www.parkweb.vic.gov.au
). Both dispense information about national parks and conservation areas in Victoria. Another good resource is the
National Trust
office, Tasma Terrace, 6 Parliament Place (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 03/9654 4711), which sells several historical walking-tour guides.
Melway
, available from all newsagents, is the best
street directory
. The Friday edition of
The Age
contains an excellent pull-out
listings
section, "EG", detailing the week's entertainment as well as fairs and markets, art and craft exhibitions, sport, and other events in and around town. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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