21 of My Favourite Photo Spots in Melbourne [From a Local]
There are heaps of great photo spots in Melbourne, hardly a surprise for such a photogenic city!
Having lived and worked here for just under two years I’ve been lucky enough to spend lots of time exploring and have hundreds of photos.
In this post, I share with you my favourite photo spots in the city and where to find them.
Map of Melbourne Photo Spots
‘Across the Water’ Melbourne Skyline
This classic photo of Melbourne is taken from the pretty seaside town of Williamstown, which can be quickly accessed via ferry or train.
Flinders Street Station
If you’d not been to Melbourne before, it would be hard to pick out an iconic building. There are no huge famous landmarks of the type you’d find in New York, Sydney or Paris however there are lots of wonderful smaller structures, the most memorable of which would have to be Flinders Street Station.
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Looking Down The Yarra
The Yarra River is at the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, jump on any of the bridges for a great photo.
The City From St Kilda Pier at Dusk
St Kilda Pier is famous for its colony of Little Penguins, but it’s also one of the best photo spots in Melbourne, thanks to its great views back over the city skyline.
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Kangaroos of Plenty Gorge Park
Plenty Gorge Park is the closest place to the centre of Melbourne that you can see kangaroos in the wild.
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The Melbourne Cricket Ground
A short walk from the city centre you’ll find all many of Melbourne’s iconic sporting venues grouped together around Yarra Park.
You’ll find the Olympic Park, AAMI Arena (Rugby and Soccer), Rod Laver Arena (Tennis), Punt Road Arena and Olympic Park Oval (Aussie Rules) and – most famous of them all – the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) also known as just ‘The G’ which host test matches and big Aussie Rules games.
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Melbourne Skyline from Port Melbourne
One of my favourite photo spots in Melbourne is on top of the car park for Coles Supermarket in Port Melbourne. From here the city skyline is in clear view, I was so pleased with this photo of the skyscrapers shrouded in morning mist.
Melbourne Star
Located in the Docklands the Melbourne Star was originally completed in 2008, but shut 40 days later due to structural defects, and wasn’t fully reopened for five years!
The seven spokes of the wheel represent the seven-pointed star of the Australian Flag.
We’ve not been on it yet, but I do love taking photos from underneath this 120m structure, which contrasts perfectly with a blue Victorian sky.
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Jawbone Sanctuary
The Jawbone Sanctuary is located to the west of Melbourne between the suburbs Williamstown and Altona.
This Melbourne hidden gem is a marine reserve and protected area of indigenous plants, and one of my absolute favourite photo spots in Melbourne, especially with the sun setting in the distance.
South Melbourne Market
South Melbourne Market is my favourite of the big markets in Melbourne, with a delicious mix of food stores and fresh produce.
Most of my photos from here are of food, but I do love the outside of the building, with the shiny glass buildings of Melbourne’s CBD popping up in the background.
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The Polly Woodside
The Polly Woodside is one of Australia’s last surviving 19th Century Tall Ships and is moored up in Melbourne’s South Wharf. Having had over 60,000 hours of restoration she is now the main exhibit at Melbourne’s Maritime Museum.
Melbourne Botanic Gardens
Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens are spectacular throughout the year a great place to escape the busy city and unwind.
There is a huge ornamental lake at the centre where it’s possible to take a voyage out on one of the traditional punts.
CBD After Dark
As with many modern cities, Melbourne is just as beautiful after dark as it is in the daytime.
Anywhere near the Yarra River will offers up some fantastic photos spots, with the lights of the skyscrapers reflected off of the brown waters.
Albert Park
In March, Albert Park gets converted into a racetrack for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
For the rest of the year, it’s a great spot to wander, run the loop of the lake or just sit back with a coffee and admire the views of Melbourne.
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Shrine of Remembrance
The Shrine of Remembrance is Victoria’s National Monument to Australians that have served in wars and peacekeeping operations.
It is located right beside the Botanic Gardens and offers great views of the city, as well as being very photogenic in its own right!
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Centre Place Laneway
Centre Place is my favourite of Melbourne’s famous laneways. The Victorian Capital’s answer to Diagon Alley, it’s flanked by hole-in-the-wall style restaurants filled with Melburninan’s catching up on the day’s gossip.
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The View From Mount Dandenong
Mount Dandenong rises high in the suburbs of Melbourne’s East and is the best spot to get photos back over the city and Port Philip Bay.
I simply love the views from up here and am always amazed at how low-rise most of Melbourne is and how compact the high-rise central business district is compared to other cities.
Skyscrapers from Victoria Market
One of the things I love about Melbourne’s skyline is the creative approach taken to the design of the buildings. From wonky angles to funky colours, the architects of Melbourne were working overtime to make their buildings stand out.
One of my favourite photos spots in Melbourne is right beside Victoria Market, where the most colourful of the glass monoliths rise high behind the traditional roofs of the 150-year-old stalls.
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The City from St Kilda Pier in Daytime
This might be cheating, but including a second photo from St Kilda Pier just reinforces why it is one of my favourite photo spots in Melbourne.
This snap was taken a few days before the 2020 Grand Prix, which got cancelled at the very last minute due to Covid-19. The Australian Air Force aerobatic team (The Roulettes) were practicing their display over the city and I was lucky enough to time this photo just as they came out of a synchronised loop.
Williamstown Botanic Gardens
Another vote for my hometown of Williamstown with the Botanic Gardens being one of my favourite places here.
The Central Palm Walkway was planted in 1988 brings a little Los Angeles style to Victoria. Get up before dawn and you might just be treated to some beautiful pink skies like I was. I love this picture so much, it sits in a photobook I had made of my favourite places in Australia.
Sandridge Lookout, Port Melbourne
One of my favourite places for sunrise photos, Sandridge Lookout and the Maritime Cove Community Park offer awesome views over the ever-growing Melbourne skyline.
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AUTHOR – BEN REEVE
Reeves Roam, is a first-hand travel blog. The Reeves have lived in the UK, South Africa and Australia and have travelled extensively in Europe and Southeast Asia.
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Thanks – Ben, Becca and Gracie