"The 1880s were the glory days of Marvellous Melbourne - the city was booming, the British Empire was at its mightiest, Queen Victoria was approaching her Golden Jubilee and it was time to create a body devoted to the most famous English writer of all time..."

Discovering the secrets behind Melbourne's oldest societies.
Available for republication (print only).

"All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, and even Melbourne’s much-loved trams run out of track eventually. But that needn’t be the end of the journey. Near the scattered tram termini, there are interesting attractions worth hanging on to the end of the line for - sometimes humble, sometimes intriguing, and sometimes picturesque."

A profile of attractions near the termini of Melbourne's tram lines.
Available for republication (print only).

"It must be some sort of record – this privately-owned railway closed after running just one train in 1888. Ross’ dream was to build a sugar beet factory on the edge of the city, with a dedicated railway to transport the resultant sugar to its eager sweet-toothed inhabitants. However, the project was a white elephant from the moment construction began in 1883."

Traces the walking trails along former railways in and around Melbourne.
Available for republication (print only).

"When Indiana Jones grabbed the golden idol out of that lost temple back in 1981, young Andre Bishop mistakenly thought it was fashioned in the shape of a monkey. Decades later, Bishop helped preside over the opening of Golden Monkey. 'I just imagined the sort of Shanghai bar that Indiana Jones would walk into, meeting some dodgy antique dealer.' And it’s not the only city bar with an Asian theme..."

Profile of five cool inner-city bars with an Asian theme.
Available for republication (print only).

"The only question that occurs to visitors in this oh-so-cool Fitzroy bar is 'Am I cool enough?' There’s a certain studied nonchalance about the regular clientele that perfectly matches the dressed-down loungey aesthetic..."

A journey through Melbourne's vibrant bar scene, from grunge venues to glam premises.
Available for republication (print only).

"How often do we stick to the prescribed list of attractions in the guidebook, ticking them off while more interesting unplanned experiences wait just around the corner? Starting from Flinders Street Station, I’m going to take each successive left turn, then right turn, down streets and arcades, until I can go no further. Or decide to cheat, as long as it makes the experience more interesting."

Exploring central Melbourne via an experimental travel technique.
Available for republication from June 2007 (print only).

"What if you’ve been to Melbourne a million times and have 'done' all the tourist sights? Here’s a different approach: trainspotting without the trains. A number of railway reserves, remnants of unsuccessful rail lines, have been turned into routes for walking, cycling and riding. These 'rail trails' pass through attractive greenery or by interesting architecture, and allow a certain amount of stickybeaking into back yards along the way."

An investigation of four walking trails along former railway lines, in and near the city.
Available for republication (print only).
Images available.

"Although I'm concentrating on where my feet are, avoiding muddy patches and keeping to the track, I can't ignore the forest around me. It's dense and green, but with dramatic shadings of light and dark, so that it seems comforting rather than oppressive. And when I pick my way up a difficult slope and find myself on a small wooden bridge over a creek trickling its way down the hillside, I feel like I'm at the top of the world."

Escaping from the big city, into the leafy Dandenong ranges east of Melbourne.
Available for republication (print and Web).
Images available.

"Melbourne was once known as a city of conservative morals, early closing hours, and uninviting, rainswept streets. But times change. Those streets now lead to alleyways lined with fashionable boutiques, cool cafes and cutting-edge bars: quietly fashionable, architecturally quirky and deliberately off the map."

An exploration of Melbourne's vibrant alleyway bar scene, with short reviews of several bars.
Available for republication (print only).

"In the shadow of these structures lie a number of hidden treasures. Some are historical curiosities, others the forgotten debris of the past. These forgotten gems are reminders of the city’s eternal diversity, and the way it piles up new examples of the present without ever quite clearing away its history. Here are ten places to get you looking at Melbourne in a different light."

Investigation of ten little known places of interest in Melbourne. 
Available for republication (print and Web).

"Every museum has it. No matter how dusty the displays, how misspelled the cardboard labels, there's at least one unexpected item which makes you say 'cool'. A look through the specialist museums of Melbourne doesn’t disappoint. Each confirms this city's story is as complex as its people; just when you think you know it all, Marvellous Melbourne springs another surprise."

A look at a range of lesser-known Melbourne museums, including the Tank Museum and Chinese Museum. 
Available for republication (print and Web).
Images available.

I also have a selection of high-quality digital images available, depicting a variety of international locations. 
See examples of my travel photography.

If you'd like to republish one of these pieces, or would like a new piece written about the same location, please get in touch via the contacts below:

email:
tim@iwriter.com.au

phone:
0411-242327
(international +61-411-242327)

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• Aerohaveno, Tim's travel blog
• Aerohaveno Nights, a guide to Australian accommodation
• Travelroads.com