I finally made it to Melbourne! My flight with REX took off at 4PM from Sydney and I was at my hotel by 6:30PM. Just a few hours later than originally planned. FYI - The city is about 45 minutes away from the airport, there is a Sky Bus right when you exit that runs frequently and takes you right into the city - No stops, you can buy a ticket there (~$15 USD). I did take this as the Uber was going to be ~60USD and it was super easy.
In case you didn't know (I didn't) Melbourne is known for being one of the most liveable cities on earth. Melbourne is also known for experiencing four seasons in one day, with very unpredictable and temperamental weather - I can attest!
Day 1
It was night time and I was quite tired but that didn't stop me from doing a little exploring. I asked the front desk at my hotel, Brady Hotel Jones Lane, what would be good to check out and she suggested the Yarra River.
About a 17 minute walk away, I took a stroll through this new city and wow, it is quite different from Sydney. First off, it was way colder. I was just wearing shorts and tank tops, now I needed long pants and a jacket. Second, I felt more of a city vibe, more people walking around, a bit grungier - not as posh, and a more diverse crowd. I arrive at the river, and it was a great view of the city. It was also quite quiet.
I was starving so I tried checking out a few restaurants by South Bank (right across the bridge) where many restaurants are right on the water - only to find out, like Sydney, most close there kitchens around 8/830PM and it was going on 9PM. Luckily, on the walk back there was a Sushi Hub open, where you can pick all different types of rolls to go. I got a few and they were delicious. I got to bed early to prepare for my early morning pick up for the 12 Apostles tour.
Day 2
5AM and my alarm goes off - I quickly get ready, and walk to the pickup spot (right by Flinders street station) for the Great Ocean Road, Otways & 12 Apostles tour. PSA: I booked all of my trip excursions, for Thailand as well, through AirBnb experiences. I highly recommend, I found they were better priced, hosted by knowledgeable locals, and were smaller groups of tourists.
This was a full day tour where I got picked up at 6:30AM and it goes till 6:30PM. It takes about 3 hours to get to the 12 Apostles so the tour starts early to get to there early before it gets swamped with tourists, which is great. The 12 Apostles are "giant stone monoliths, carved by the raging ocean over millions of years."
I tried to sleep as much as I can on the way there, and once we do arrive, around 9:30AM, it was stunning. Even with it being a partly cloudy day, the 12 Apostles is gorgeous and definitely one of my highlights in Melbourne and worth the drive.
We also visited a number of the other sites this area has to offer including the historic Loch Ard Gorge and the spectacular Erskine Falls, a 30m waterfall nestled in the Otway Mountains. We stopped at Apollo Bay for lunch, where I got the "Chicken Parma" which is a very popular dish in Australia, very similar to a chicken parmesan. We also made some stops to see some Kolas and Kangaroo's out in the wild!
The drive back is along the Great Ocean Road which is "Australia's best road trip with rolling hills, lush rainforest and spectacular coastal scenery." We did have a lot of time to talk, the group I was with had people from all over the world, and our tour guide was amazing, originally from Sydney - she gave us so much insight into each sight that we saw, as well as life in Australia. It was a beautiful day being surrounded by nature and along the coast watching the ocean.
We arrive back in the city right around 6:30PM and we are starving! I met Mattia on the tour, visiting from Venice, and we decide to walk around and find something.
We stumble upon Dragon Hot Pot (picture of food above!) - also the busiest place we saw, we decided to give it a try. We both have never experienced any hot pot place like this, basically you pick a pot, and then you select all of the ingredients you would like to be in it, they have over 100 options ranging from different vegetables, meats, fish, and noodles, as well as your spiciness level, and you pay by the weight of the pot - then they cook it. They don't explain anything too you - so beware how much you put in - we both put way too much, but it was so good!
And yes, you guessed it...bedtime.
Day 3
I woke up early, it was nice and sunny and had breakfast at the Operator Diner, right next to my hotel - I felt like a traditional American breakfast, and it didn't disappoint.
First stop was the National Gallery of Victoria, which is Australia's oldest public art museum. It's free to enter, unless you are attending a special exhibit. I walked from my hotel, ~25mins, and on the way was able to see the city, Federation Square (a plaza with restaurants, shops, & installations) and Flinders Street Station.
The NGV also has free guided tours daily, which I did - I attended the Collection Highlights Tour. I highly suggest the tour, our guide was very knowledgeable, and painted the picture about the piece of artwork she was highlighting, how it came about, what the artist's message is, and aspects of the art that would potentially be overlooked if you were roaming about yourself. The tour is an hour, and we went over about 10 pieces - this was the perfect amount of time for me! I am definitely one of those people that starts to get a bit antsy in museums.
Next, I was onto the Shrine of Remembrance, a 10 minute walk away from the NGV. Definitely cool to see and you can access the rooftop for free, and get a nice view of the city. Also - it got a bit cloudy and cooler from the morning. When traveling around Melbourne make sure to pack layers.
I love nature so I had to check out the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne as well, only a 7 minute walk away from the Shrine. They have different events and tours, but after Sydney - I decided to just walk around and explore myself.
If I had to choose one - I think Sydney's was my favorite. I headed back to my hotel and on the way stopped at the State Library Victoria, which was super close by. This is a must see! This Library is unreal - I felt like I was in a scene from Harry Potter. I would love to do work in a library like this.
Later that night I met a mutual friend with Mattia for drinks at a rooftop bar, Siglo - FYI they only serve drinks due to some law about smoking and food in the same area and then called it a night.
DAY 4
I wake up to another email from Jetstar (this happened in Sydney as well) - my flight at 3PM from Melbourne and landing at 9PM in Phuket has been canceled due to "mechanical issues." This was the only direct flight so I knew not to trust Jetstar and find the next best option. After some research, I book a flight with Scoot that leaves at 10:30PM from Melbourne, has a 5 hour layover in Singapore, and finally arrives in Phuket at 11AM. Not ideal, but I am going to Thailand!
I had a few more things I wanted to see in Melbourne, and hey, now I had more time to do it. I took a walk to the Queen Victoria Market - and there was no egg shortage here! You can basically find anything you want at this market.
I then went to go check out the Fitzroy area - this area has a ton of restaurants, bars, shopping - it gives me a Brooklyn vibe - students, young professionals. I really liked it and had coffee and a bite to eat at Proud Mary Coffee which seems like a staple with the locals.
Last, but definitely not least I checked out the awesome graffiti artwork on Hosier and AC/DC Lane (both walkable).
I also met Kristof while I was trying to take a selfie - he offered to help take some pics (that's how I got the cool ones above). Coincidentally, he was also killing some time before his flight that evening - we clicked and winded up spending the rest of the afternoon together, walking around, grabbing dinner, and heading to the airport together. It was a really nice end to the time in Melbourne!
Accommodation
-Stay 4 nights in a King Room; I paid $397 (Using a Corporate Discount)
-The Hotel is a '4 star hotel' - It was very nice, but quite small. It did have updated accommodations - Smart TV, USB Charging Ports. No pool or restaurant.
-I did use the Laundry - so that was a plus.
-Location is AMAZING. I was able to see pretty much everything by foot.
Would I go back? Probably not. I enjoyed Melbourne, but one time is good enough for me. From what I gather from locals, Melbourne seems to be a great city to live - there is a lot to do, nightlife, festivals, concerts etc.. To visit the weather isn't the best, the beaches aren't as nice, I will say the food was a lot better and people were friendlier in Melbourne! Whereas Sydney is a great place to travel and visit since it is a bit more visually pleasing, with nice weather and beautiful beaches.
Off to Phuket, Thailand!
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