A Local’s Guide To Melbourne With Rachael Bettiens

Rachel Bettiens lives and breathes Melbourne. As the Events Manager & Tour Guide for United Backpackers, she spends her time organising ridiculously cool things for guests to see and do, and showing them around the city she calls home. With such a passion and knowledge of the city, we took our questions to her to provide a local’s guide to Melbourne just for you.

How long have you been living in Melbourne?
Just over three years but in two stints!

Where’s the best place to hang out in Melbourne?
United! We’re smack bang across from Flinders Street Station so we’re legit so close to everything that’s cool in this city. Not only that, but I’ll take you on a tour of all the hot spots in the city and its fringe! There’s always something going on at Federation Square or along the banks of the Yarra River at Birrarung Marr, the laneways around us are ever evolving with street art and there are unreal cafes and restaurants everywhere!

Where can you get the best breakfast in Melbourne?
Can you say Smashed Avocado & Feta? Personally, brunch is my preferred dining option – it’s at a much more civilised time! The Grain Store up on Flinders Lane is exceptional (if you can get a table), Mr Tulk, which is tucked in the side of the National Gallery of Victoria is great for people watching out the front windows… And heading North: anywhere along Brunswick Street in Fitzroy or Sydney Road in Brunswick – you can’t really go wrong!

What about the best coffee in Melbourne?
Cup of Truth hidden beneath United in Campbell Arcade is a fantastic hole-in-wall spot to grab a coffee to go, but if you want to enjoy a great dose of caffeine indoors, I’m a fan of Journal on Flinders Lane.

Do you have a favourite restaurant?
Melbourne is all about the Food Truck these days. There are so many Food Truck villages popping up in and around Melbourne, and they’re fantastic because they give a wide variety of options so you can sample a bit of everything and everyone in your group will be catered for – and there’s a bar too! My fave new hangout is Welcome to Thornbury, but then there’s the equivalent down in St Kilda in Hank Marvins, and Food Trucks are always popping up in Fed Square – Mr Burger & Super Taco are fab!

How do you spend a weekend in Melbourne?
• Brunching and markets! There are always unreal artist markets going on in Melbourne and I’m a fan of supporting local artists by investing in their wares to accessorise and home decorations, quirky jewellery and clothes, delicious smelling candles, and I think I’m onto the my fourth dinosaur cacti planter now too.
• As the weather’s warming up for spring it’s hitting peak picnic season too, and there are plenty of parks around to lie around in the sunshine – Carlton Gardens or the Royal Botanical Gardens are ace spots!
• Then there’s all the sporting events too. During the footy seasons I’ll be at the MCG cheering on Richmond one afternoon, then at AAMI Park for Melbourne Storm the next night – I can’t wait for the Big Bash League to start over summer too! And don’t even get me started on how amazing Australian Open will be!

What are the best day trips from Melbourne?
There are so many options for day trips from Melbourne – Phillip Island, Mornington Peninsula, Great Ocean Road, the Dandenongs, the Grampians, then all the exploring you can do within it – spoilt for choice!

What’s your favourite thing about living and working in Melbourne?
What’s not to love? My job is showing off this fine city to a bunch of visitors and I’m so passionate about it because I’ve lived all over Australia and I *know* for a fact Melbourne is where it’s at! It is the culture, theatre, arts, food and sporting capital of Australia! It’s forever evolving and it’s a city that knows how to celebrate its history while embracing its future at the same time – I love looking at Melbourne’s architecture and how it’s a beautiful clash of old and new.

If you could travel to any place in the world, where would it be and why?
Hawaii – seeing an active volcano is on my bucket list, and anyone at the hostel will tell you I’m a Jurassic Park diehard so I’d love to check out a bunch of the Jurassic Park filming locations for that too! Oh yeah, and those stretches of beaches look good too, but you can always head up to United Port Douglas for that!

Book your stay United Backpackers Melbourne at unitedbackpackers.com.au