do you know if dick smith or an apple centre can match an edu discount???
I very much doubt it. Either you qualify for it or you don't unfortunately. Apple are very strict with their pricing so resellers don't have the ability to "bargain" on the price. They're far more likely to throw in free stuff.
As for Melbourne - it's a wonderful place to live. Very diverse, lively (there's always something going on), friendly atmosphere, shops, cafes, markets galore and still reasonable in terms of expense.