Nothing trademarks Melbourne better than its inner-city network of nearly 480 hectares of parks and gardens (this guide lays them out in all their glory).
“Melbourne is blessed with the vision shown by our forefathers who had a major influence on the city’s future liveability,” says the city’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle in Domain. “Robert Hoddle laid out the CBD grid which means our streets are lovely and wide and easy to navigate while Charles Latrobe set aside large parcels of land around the city for parks and open spaces, which we enjoy to this day.”
Beyond the freeway, hidden behind that thick shrub, off that back street — “that's where a secret garden is waiting,” writes Concrete Playground. “Why wouldn't you want to swap the cement jungle for a green oasis and breathe in the heavenly scent of eucalyptus trees? Sit back, slip off your shoes, feel the grass between your toes and chase a frisbee around one of these top-secret spots.”