The city has a wide choice of bridges. Two rivers, the Yarra and the Maribyrnong, have the estuary in Melbourne. New Freeways have requested major bridges as well . The Yarra river has the most interesting ones and the best way to explore them is by bike or just walking. There is an awesome walking/riding path along the Yarra, which is part of the Capital City Trail.

The easiest way to explore the bridges along the Yarra is to start the walk/ride in South Yarra and move back to the CBD/Docklands (check the map below for more details). The best time is just before sunset sunset. I love photography and this is the optimal time to capture the bridges with the red/orange sunset light. If you do not have a camera remember to take your mobile 😉

The Docklands bridges are some of my favourites. All amazing with night light, though it is worth to visit them also on sunrise for the amazing colours

In the list below I have added my favourite 6 bridges in Melbourne, sequenced by location, from South Yarra to Docklands.

Beside my top 6 I have also added also a list of most of Melbourne bridges you may want to explore with the time

# 6  Church Street Bridge

This bridge connects Church Street in Richmond to Chapel Street in South Yarra/Prahran. This is the starting point of this photo walk/ride. You can also come here taking the tram nr.8 from CBD and getting off on the corner between Chapel Street and Toorak road. The bridge is an easy walk from there. The photo below was made from the side, around 100 metres from the bridge with the view towards the city. On sunset you have a fantastic light in the background

 

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# 5  Hoddle Bridge

This is one of the busiest bridges in Melbourne I believe. Traffic is intense, every hour of the day. If you take the photo from the Capital City Trail, facing the city, you can capture the intersection of two bridges actually, the Hoodle and the M1 bridge. Try to come here in a cloudy day for an awesome background.

 

# 4 Morell Bridge

Wikipedia has an interesting page with many links on this bridge. It is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, just few hundred meters from the CBD. There is a new stadium next to it, now called AAMI Stadium, with some interesting LED lights that change color every few seconds. It’s a great location. You can make a photo to this bridge from the side, on the Capital City Trail. My suggestion is to walk around it as there are many great corners and a lovely river reflection late in the afternoon/evening.

 

# 3  Princes Bridge

This is the main bridge connecting the Melbourne CBD to the south of the city. I think 80% of the trams ride this bridge making it the busiest for the transportation system. You can come in the sunrise or sunset. In both cases you have a lovely light. The choice is more on the background, the city or the South Wharf? The photo below was taken from below Federation Square in a special occasion, Australia Day.

 

# 2  Seafarers Bridge

We are now in Docklands, an area I love to approach in the night. If you are following this photo/ride walk in one go, you will be here mostly with the dark. There are few restaurants and bars if you want to take a rest. The bridge offers many corners and possibilities to take a great shot. Here below I am posting one of my favorite, in black and white.

 

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# 1  The Webb Bridge

The last bridge of this review is also the last bridge of the Yarra river. It is another walking/riding only bridge which leaves lots of time to position the camera and take a great shot. I highly suggest to visit it in the night. The cage lights are just fantastic.

 

Other bridges in Melbourne to experience

• Bolte Bridge: it connects the Airport to the south of Melbourne. It’s not a pedestrian bridge. You can have a beautiful view of it from the Docklands Library at night.
• West Gate Bridge:  this is another only-car bridge that connects Melbourne to the western suburbs and Geelong. It’s opened to bicycle only on special days like the Around The Bay in October.
• Yarra Boulevard Bridge: Interesting bridge in the Yarra Bend Park. Lots of bbq spots around. I once had a nice encounter with a kangaroo 😀
• Maribyrnong Railway Bridge: one of the most beautiful bridges of Melbourne. Dated back to the 1860, it can be seen from the walk along the Maribyrnong river
• Kane’s Bridge: another bridge along the Yarra river walk that connects to the Studley Park Boathouse, nice place for a tea or lunch in summer
• Victoria Bridge: next to IKEA
• Sandridge Bridge: it connects Southgate to Flinders Station. Once a train bridge, it has been nicely refurbished with an immigration “path” to be experienced
• Southbank Pedestrian Bridge: it connect Southbank to Flinders Station. The Ponyfish island, right in the middle, is a great place for a drink
• Jim Stynes Bridge: one of the latest added to fully connect Docklands to the CBD through the north side of the Yarra river
• Cremorne Railway Bridge: another interesting pedestrian bridge that connects South Yarra to Cremorne
• Charles Grimes Bridge: it’s not an interesting bridge by itself however from there you have a beautiful view on one side to the city and the Jim Stynes bridge and the other side to the Webb Bridge
• MacRobertson Bridge: almost 100 years old, the bridge connects Toorak to Richmond. Used mainly by cars and bicycles. This is where you can ride from the north side to the south side of the Yarra river.