Gap year travellers and backpackers from the UK who intend to travel around Australia have been encouraged to check out Melbourne's famous cafe culture.
The trend started in Lygon Street and gathered pace after migrants from Europe introduced quality espresso to the area in the 1950s.
Special espresso machines from Italy were brought in and Melbourne's central business district and busy retail stretches in suburbia were soon awash with busy coffee shops.
Nowadays, there are a wide range of top cafes to choose from, as travel website TravelBite explains: "Today, Melbourne's cafes are havens where you can sip a delicious cup and enjoy the passing parade.
"Wander around the city and pop into some of Melbourne's famous coffee shops: Quists, Brunetti, Coffea, Icoco Cafe, Pellegrini's Espresso Bar, Mr Tulk, Laurent Patisserie and St Ali."
The quintessentially European feel to the cafe scene in Melbourne is underlined by that fact that coffee giant Starbucks recently announced that it intends to shut 61 of its 84 Australian coffee shops.
While taking in such delights is part and parcel of a gap year, make sure it is not ruined by failing to secure backpacker travel insurance to cover any eventuality while staying in Australia.
