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*''(Last Verified: January 2014)''
* ''(Last verified: April 2014)''
== Food, public transport, sleep ==
To find on [http://nomadwiki.org/en/Melbourne Nomadwiki]!
Trashwiki link: [[trash:Melbourne]]
→Food, public transport, sleep
== Hitching out ==
=== Towards Northeast towards [[Sydney]] via the [[Hume Highway]] ===
There is a detailed route description outlining the major service stations along the way on the [[Hume Highway]] page. For a lift to Sydney via the [[Hume Highway]] (M31) catch a suburban train to Craigieburn (which is also the last stop on the line of the same name) Walk north down Hothlyn Drive and Walters Street about 10mins, until you get to a nice set of traffic lights with an onramp to the Hume Hwy. Here the cars must slow down for the lights and there is a lane for traffic to pull over. Thumb it or use a sign.
Similarly just walk east along a road that has an on-ramp onto the freeway, the walk should take a maximum of 15 minutes. Its pretty doable to get to Sydney within the same day as long as you leave Melbourne early enough in the morning. Follow the signs to Seymour (Road 55) and don't get confused with the different numbers on the signs, Seymour should be always right. Alternately, you can catch a 40 minute train from Melbourne Central Station or Southern Cross Station towards Seymour to Wallan. Wallan is just outside Melbourne and from the train station it's a 10 minute walk straight onto the Hume Highway.
If you're headed to Canberra follow the directions above onto the Hume Hwy. Once you have a lift that is taking you to Yass or further it's best to ask the driver if he/she can take you into Murrumbateman (a small town which is a 10-15 minute drive after the exit onto the Barton Hwy (25) off the Hume Hwy). From there all traffic must slow down and (if you're coming from Melbourne) it'll be late in the day when everyone is commuting back to Canberra. Alternatively, there is a large service and truck-stop station just outside of Yass but if it's late in the day most people are commuting back South and it could be awhile (and dark) before you find someone headed into Canberra.
''Some'' hitchhikers claim that it is very possible indeed to stick your thumb out anywhere on ''Sydney Road'' in Melbourne and just get lifts towards ''Sydney'' from there.
=== East towards [[Traralgon]], [[Bairnsdale]] (and [[Sydney]] the scenic way) via the [[Princes Highway]] ===
==== Option 1 ====
Take a train to Officer Station (on the Pakenham line), exit the station and walk south down Officer South Road, turn right at the roundabout and walk (or hitch) west down Rix Road about 1km, then turn left and walk south to the end of Stephens Road North. You should find yourself facing the Princes Freeway with a large wall leading away from you to the right. Follow this wall on the freeway side for about 500m and you will come to the BP Service Station (Officer) on the freeway. It is very easy to get a ride east from here by ask drivers filling up with petrol or in the carpark, its not unusual to get a ride within the first few people you ask. The walk from Officer station to the BP service station takes about 30 minutes.*''(Last Verified: April 2016)''
==== Option 2====
Take a train to the end of the Pakenham line to Pakenham Station, exit the station (theres only one platform) and go north straight up Henry St. Henry St turns left, follow it, then turn right at the first right into King St. Follow that north to the Princes Highway. Cross the highway and follow it to the right for around 100m where there is a dirt area where cars can pull over.
==== Option 2====
Take a train from Southern Cross in direction Ballarat and get off at '''Rockbank'''. ''Rockbank'' is in Myki zone 2, so it'll cost you around $6.50. If you yet haven't got a Myki card, they won't let you board the train without and no paper tickets are available. So be aware of another $6 for the card. The trip takes about 30 minutes, but the train goes only about every 2 hours, so check the timetable on [http://www.metlinkmelbourneptv.comvic.gov.au/ metlinkmelbourneptv.vic.comgov.au] beforehand.
Once in Rockbank, walk into the village eastwards into Westcott Parade and turn left at the roundabout or into Elizabeth street. Walk along the highway until you see a bus stop. This place is a good hitchhiking spot where cars can stop easily.
If you get a ride going to Ballarat it's a good idea to get dropped off at the BP gas station around 5 km before Ballarat.
=== Southwest along the Great Ocean Road ===
If you get a nice busdriver you might be able to convince him to drop you off at the BP gasstation/Macdonalds rest area in between the stops Calder Park and Duncans lane. If he doesn't want to then get dropped off the stop called --> Duncans lane/Calders Freeway. From there you can either choose to walk back to BP/McD's as that's a really good place to find long lifts (15 minute walk) or hitch directly from the busstop (beware of cops).
=== Towards Southeast towards [[Wilson Promontory]] ===
Catch the train to Cranbourne and get out at the last stop. There, walk 15 minutes on the Gippsland Highway to the M420 just after the intersection with the C047
You can start to hitchick there. I had to wait 15 minutes for my first lift and I took 7 lifts to reach the Wilson promontory national park (each time waiting less than 15 minutes)
Cross Korumburra, Leongatha, and Foster. In Foster, cross the city walking (it not a really big town) and follow the signs "Wilson Promontory". and you can start again C445 or wak until the C446 which goes to the park.
== Food, public transport, sleep ==
===Food===
[https://www.facebook.com/groups/foodnotbombsmelbourne/ Food Not Bombs Melbourne] cooks and serves vegan dinner on Mondays and Tuesdays in the city, and Wednesdays in Coburg.
===Regional Trains===
2023 update: Regional V/line fares have been capped at $9.80 full-fare and $4.60 concession state-wide, meaning you can get a ticket from anywhere to anywhere in Victoria on the V/line train and bus network for these ticket prices. There are a couple of exceptions that can be found on the v/line website though.
You can still save a couple of dollars on the regional myki train network by using the following method if you're really penny saving:
Regional Victorian V/Line trains have conductors that check myki cards and paper tickets on the train, and because of this blackriding is not so easy. However, there is a way to take vline trains with a full fare myki for $6.50. If you want to take a train to just say Traralgon for example, which now costs $9.80 full fare, just buy a new myki card and put $0.50 credit on it, touch on and jump on the train. When the conductor scans your myki card on the train, they don't care how much credit is on the card, they are just checking that the balance is not zero or negative, and that you have touched on. As long as there is some credit on the card there should be no problem. If the conductor comments on your low credit, just tell them you were running late for the train and didn't have time to top it up and that you will top it up when you get to your destination. When you do arrive, if there are security watching people touch off, just touch off as normal which will make the balance go to -$3.20, and then just throw the card away. You just saved $3.20.
Just make sure the station you want to get off at is a station you can travel to with myki. The solid purple line on this [https://static.ptv.vic.gov.au/PDFs/Maps/Network-maps/1485494075/PTV_Regional-Train-Coach_Network_Map_2017.pdf V/Line Map] is where you can go with a myki card.
===Wild Camping===
It is possible to find hidden bush places to wild camp in Studley Park, and along Merri Creek or Yarra River. Also there are many bush you can sleep in, and get covered from the wind on the beach on south of Melbourne. Be aware camping in these areas is probably not permitted by the council, but travelers and homeless do sometimes camp in those areas.
== Trashwiki & Nomadwiki ==
[[trash:Melbourne]]
[[nomad:Melbourne]]
{{IsIn|Australia}}
[[Category:Australia]]