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Discover Melbourne: Bike game ‘1000 Cities’ to help students explore city

Meld Magazine

Wed Jan 14 2015

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INTERNATIONAL students are invited to explore Melbourne’s city all through February with the bike game, 1000 Cities. Gabriella Ariffin has more.

Be prepared for a two-wheeled adventure this February! In partnership with Pop Up Playground, City of Melbourne challenges international students to explore Melbourne on a bike share (or with their own bike) with their ‘1000 Cities‘ initiative.

Designed as an interactive game, the month-long activity invites international students to explore Melbourne’s city from a completely new perspective. Using the blue bike shares located around the city, students are encouraged to discover and become familiar with the city that they’ll be living and studying in.

To participate, simply follow these these steps for an enjoyable and safe journey around town!

1. Download the 1000 Cities App!

The ‘1000 Cities’ is a free to download app for your smart phone. Once you’ve acquired the app (which you can get from the official event page at City of Melbourne once it goes live on February 2), you’ll be able to take part in the challenges that the app puts in front of you; complete games, unlock hidden clues, collect treasures and fight monsters with Melbourne’s city as one giant playing board!

2. Get a Bike!

While the game is free for all international students, you will need a credit card to participate if you’re renting from the blue bike shares located all around the city.

To unlock a bike, you also have to give a refundable deposit of $50. There will be additional charges if you fail to return a bike within the time period. For casual users, a 30 minute trip is free as long as you’re able to get to another docking station within that time. Learn more about Melbourne Bike Share pricing to smooth your experience.

For students who don’t have credit cards, City of Melbourne will provide 20 – 30 free tokens daily that can be picked up from the Visitor Information Centre at Federation Square.

Or if you have your own bike, bring it along!

3. Safety First!

Don’t forget to wear a helmet when cycling anywhere and anytime. There are free helmets available when renting the blue bike share, or you could purchase one for $5 in retail outlets and vending machines around the CBD.

Make sure to also have a look at the Melbourne bike share regulations and safety precautions before you start exploring.

4. Have fun!

‘1000 Cities’ by Pop Up Playground is inspired by one of Joseph Campbell’s books, The Hero with A Thousand Faces. It includes mythical journeys, engaging tasks and hidden secrets; all of which need to be unlocked by you, the hero of the adventure! So get excited and expect to be surprised by the city you thought you knew so well.

‘1000 Cities’ starts at the bike share station at Federation Square, on the second day of February and will last the entire month. For more information on this unique Melbourne experience, visit the official event page over at the City of Melbourne’s official website

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