I visited St Kilda with my husband earlier this year for a short 3 day stay. The beachside suburb boasts an eclectic collection of entertainment, relaxation, and dining choices. Conveniently located just a short tram ride from the CBD in Melbourne, coming via the 96 from Bourke St. (Nothing says “you are in Melbourne” better than tapping on with your Myki card for a ride on the tram network.)
We made our way from the airport to Southern Cross station using the SkyBus service. From there we caught the #96 tram out to Adina Apartments on Fitzroy St in St Kilda. We were a little disappointed with the housekeeping for our stay this time, but the location was perfect for us, sitting between two different tram lines, the 16 and the 96.
Fitzroy and Acland streets offer numerous selections of fast food, boutique restaurants, and pub dining. There is also a beautiful beachfront restaurant called Donovans where we had an amazing meal for lunch. Decisions, decisions…. After dinner each night, we walked along the foreshore paths and out onto the iconic pier. Walking the pier takes you past sailboats waiting patiently in the marina. We also saw Kite-surfers rocketing along across the water and jumping waves with style as we walked along the pier.
Here’s a quick video of the kite-boarder in action
St Kilda highlights
St Kilda Pier
Out at the very end of the St Kilda Pier, there is a breakwater wall which is home to a colony of little penguins – Eudyptula minor. The penguins arrive home from their days fishing after sunset to scrabble over the rocks, making a fair amount of noise in the process, as they climb their way back home. They are gorgeous to see, but not so easy to get a good photo of in the dark (“no flash please, it hurts our eyes”) . Each night a crew of patient Earth Care volunteers act as penguin guides
Luna Park at St Kilda
Melbourne’s Luna Park has been open since 1912 and can be found in St Kilda on the Esplanade, just near the beach overlooking Port Philip Bay, with a tram stop at the door. The park boasts the world’s oldest continuously operated wooden roller coaster. It is the only one of its kind with a standing break-man controlling speed from the break station in the middle of the two carriages.
Markets
- Every Sunday the Esplanade Markets come to life, complete with food trucks and many interesting stalls displaying their wares.
- Another market that is also within reach is the South Melbourne Markets on tram route 96 between the CBD and St Kilda. Get off at South Melbourne, Stop 127. I could easily have spent a full day here wandering around. A section of the market is set up as a food court, where you can sit down for a coffee, or grab a bite to eat. There are also many fresh seafood places with trays of oyster shots on offer – very popular with the market goers!
St Kilda Film Festival
- Also of interest coming up soon in May is the St Kilda Film Festival – Australia’s longest running short film festival which has been showcasing Australian Short Films since 1983. The film festival is held in the Palais Theatre St Kilda (next to Luna Park) with a capacity of 2896 people, it is the largest seated theatre in Australia, presently used for concerts, theatre, and cinema.
With all that there is to see and do, what will you choose when you are next in St Kilda?
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