WEX Worldwide: What’s to Love About Life Down Under

Want to know what it’s like to live and work in Melbourne, Australia? Our newest blog series, WEX Worldwide, goes straight to the source, asking our international employees why they love our locations—and why you will, too.

Following our profile on our payment solutions comrades in London, we’re heading across the Indian Ocean to catch up on life Down Under—thanks to the WEX employees who work in Melbourne’s Camberwell suburb.

The World’s Most Livable City

The first thing you should know about the second-most populous city in Australia: Melbourne has been dubbed the “world’s most livable city” by The Economist for the past seven years. And for good reason! Located in southeastern Australia, the city receives perfect scores for healthcare, education and infrastructure.

But that’s not all there is to love about Australia’s fastest-growing major city. With a population nearing 5 million, Melbourne attracts highly skilled and multicultural talent with global experience, providing employers with recruitment opportunities that make it easy to cultivate a diverse, talented and passionate workforce. Melbourne is also geographically well-positioned for expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.

Kudos for Camberwell

WEX’s Australian office sits in Camberwell, a suburb of Melbourne about 10 kilometers east of the city’s central business district. Employees say it’s a great place to work, ideally located for minimizing their commute times and is proximate to cafes and a great shopping precinct.

The office also gets high marks for friendly coworkers and great views of Camberwell. One Australian employee tells us, “Melbourne has amazing public transport, so getting to work is never a problem. It also boasts some of the best cafes and restaurants in the world, so lunch is never a boring affair. On top of that, everyone is very friendly, meaning you always meet new and interesting colleagues and clients.”

Must-See Melbourne Attractions

When it comes to lifestyle and leisure activities, Melbourne keeps things interesting with a multitude of sporting events, diverse eateries, entertainment venues and outdoor spaces. Our people call the city livable and vibrant, also citing its “relaxed pace of life.”

When we asked them about their favorite things to do and see, they had more than a few suggestions to remember for the next time you travel Down Under:

• The Melbourne night markets always offer an amazing evening—whether it’s sangria and gelato in the summer or spiced wine and warm pretzels in the winter.
• The Australian Football League at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is an iconic Melbourne experience for a sports-mad city.
• As the sporting capital of the world, Melbourne also regularly hosts sporting events like the Australian Open, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup.
• Depending on the time of year, specialty events include the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, White Night Melbourne, Melbourne Fashion Week and the Royal Melbourne Show.
• Worked up an appetite? Must-try foods on Melbourne’s menus include lamb on the barbecue and fish and chips. And several people from our office called out Chin Chin and Red Spice Road as favorite restaurants.

Says one Australian team member, “Melbourne is full of surprises, even for those who have lived here their whole lives. It’s a fast-growing multicultural city with lots to see and do, and there are always new and interesting people to meet.”

Interested in finding out for yourself what our Melbourne office has to offer? Check out what our Australian officemates do to give back and take a look at open positions on our careers page.