This is the second in a three-part series on beating jet lag after a long flight to Australia. If you’re touching down in Sydney, read our tips for overcoming jet lag in Sydney. This installment is all about beating jet lag after an arrival in Melbourne. The third post will focus on Brisbane arrivals.

Beat jet lag on your next trip to Melbourne

From almost anywhere in the world, landing in Australia is usually the culmination of an epic, tiring, dehydrating flight. Unless you’re in business class, the Australia-bound flight usually offers little more than a tattered in-flight magazine, a recent Woody Allen ‘comedy’, a 15-hour (if you’re lucky) battle over the armrest and the tantalising prospect of deep vein thrombosis.

And then you finally arrive in Melbourne, bleary-eyed, disoriented and slightly incredulous that the locals really talk like that! And now it’s 11am and you feel that sleepy-time feeling coming on. So what do you do?

The weak-willed simply fold like a cheap tent and hit the pillow. That’s not for you! Those not wanting to succumb fall into two camps:

1. Drugs – Whether it be melatonin (a natural sleep-inducer now conveniently available in pill form), sleeping pills, booze or – to tip you the other way - a caffeine OD (four espressos or maybe a couple of No Doz), people who hit the artificial remedies may or may not beat the jet lag, but they inevitably feel the icky side-effects.
2. Apathy: Yes – easily the most common reaction is to do nothing, try to slip into the new time zone, and just crash through. Better than artificial assistance, but with no planning, the jet lag could continue for days. Australia is a long way to come just to feel a bit crap for half a week. Could do better.

The best approach to jet lag is to tackle the causes. Melbourne is a great city to be jet lagged in, offering tons of opportunities to beat that weary feeling. Here’s how.

John’s Melbourne Jet Lag Tips

Your body doesn’t know what time it is. Let it know by spending time outside in the daylight. Sunlight is the best all-natural melatonin blocker around, so don’t spend the first day in your darkened hotel room and don’t schedule that spelunking expedition until Day 2.

Melbourne, happily, is custom-built for walking. Try Southgate, on the south bank of the Yarra River, for shopping and people-watching. It’s also the departure point for ferries and cruises in Melbourne, particularly the maritime suburb of Williamstown. This is also a great way to get blustery fresh air into your lungs.

Jump a tram south to St Kilda for more shopping and bayside pleasures, or hop on the #12 or #112 north to Brunswick Street to see what the cool kids are up to. These inner-suburban shopping strips (along with Chapel St for boutique shopping, Bridge Rd for clearance-centre shopping and Sydney Rd for a unique blend of the groovy, the grimy and the best of Turkish food) are all within 15 minutes of the city by tram. (Also read Jane’s pick for a tram ride in Melbourne - the famous 96 Line.)

For the more active, join thousands of locals for a run around “the Tan”, Melbourne’s busy, iconic running track laps the beautiful Botanical Gardens, just south of the city centre.

There’s lots to do in Melbourne. For more ideas, check out our description of Bohemian Melbourne and our run-down of Melbourne’s unique winter charms – remember the seasons are opposite in the southern hemisphere!

To fight jet lag, your body also needs the right food at the right time. Protein is great in the morning, while carbs will help you sleep.

Melbourne’s cafes are the envy of the rest of Australia, so start the day with a big breakfast. Lots of great places, depending on where you’re based. If you’re in the CBD, head to The European on Spring St. If you’re south, get yourself to Mart 130 in chic Middle Park or Circa in St Kilda, and if you’re north side, head to perennial favourite Mario’s or take a short taxi ride to the fabulous Apte in the unlikely suburb of Alphington. Eggs and bacon should do the trick. And, although it’s not great for your poor, tired body, treat yourself to a great coffee.

For dinner, carb up with some Italian food. Skip the tourist prices of Lygon St (although the food’s usually pretty good) and either splurge at Florentino’s or cram in to Pellegrini’s (both in the CBD). For pizza, we love the traditional wood-fired work at Piazza 51 in Brunswick. Pasta or pizza should do the trick, working with fading daylight to let your body know it’s time for some shut-eye. Skip the after-dinner coffee.

Sadly, you’ll also have to skip Melbourne’s fantastic after-hours bars. Ah well, there’s always tomorrow night.

-John Ryan

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours and things to do in Melbourne, from Colonial Tram Car dinners to Yarra Valley Wine Tasting.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am and is filed under Australia & Pacific, Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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