Fish and Chips by the Beach – Exploring Seaside St Kilda

Getting there

St Kilda, and the suburbs surrounding it, are in-demand rental spots, especially for students, as they’re just a short commute to the city centre, but allow for relaxing, beachside living. As such, there are plenty of transport options via tram and bus to St Kilda. The Sandringham train line runs through nearby stations, too. By using Public Transport Victoria’s handy Journey Planner, you can see what transport options and routes are available to you.

If you’re an international undergraduate student, you may be eligible for an Undergraduate Student Education pass (iUSEpass), which will save you 50% on unlimited public transport travel for a year.

Stop 1: St Kilda Beach and Promenade

During the day, cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers and strolling families dominate the St Kilda Promenade. As the day ends, it’s the perfect spot to watch the sunset over the ocean, which is exactly what we did. Tarzon and Ilasha complemented this viewing with some takeaway fish and chips as we sat on the edge of the beach.

Stop 2: St Kilda Pier

The unmissable St Kilda Pier stretches a kilometre out into the water. It offers incredible, panoramic views of the city centre – perfect for an Instagram shot. If you come at night, join a tour of the Breakwater and try and spot the colony of Little Penguins coming ashore.

Stop 4: Luna Park and the Palais Theatre

The art deco Palais Theatre is the largest seated theatre in Australia and is St Kilda’s home of live music. There are a range of shows to choose from across all genres, so as a student living in Melbourne, there’s no excuse for not catching at least one performance at this iconic venue. Right next door, you’ll find Mr Moon’s mouth, the gateway to Luna Park. Opened in 1912, Luna Park might not offer the big thrills of giant roller coaster rides, but its unique, old-school carnival atmosphere makes it well worth a visit. Plus, Mr Moon is a great photo subject.

Stop 5: Acland St

Route 96 – Melbourne’s busiest tram route – ends on Acland St. It’s pretty much the perfect place you could dismount – surrounded by shops, busy restaurants and traditional cake shops.

Cake shops here have been a signature icon of Acland Street since the opening of Monarch Cakes in 1934 – they’ve been baking the same recipes for the last 80 years! So, of course, we had to stop for a few sweet treats to finish our day.

How will you spend your day in St Kilda?