Over the weekend I took a trip to one of the world's most liveable cities, Melbourne, Victoria! Melbourne (MelBUN as a true local would say not MelBORN) is known for its coffee culture, hidden laneways, and incredible street art. And luckily I got to take part in all of these and some more!
** I also stayed at a hostel this trip called Nomad's which was perfectly located in Melbourne CBD. My room was clean, reception were always helpful, there's a bar on the ground floor with good happy hour deals, and there is free breakfast every morning!
Sights and Activities
Great Ocean Road- Right when I arrived in Melbourne on a Thursday morning, a friend picked me up from the airport to make the trip to the Great Ocean Road! The Great Ocean Road starts about 90 minutes southwest of Melbourne in the town of Torquay, but me and my friend drove inland a bit and started at the STUNNING Twelve Apostles which probably took around 3-4 hours as we stopped for lunch in the small town of Colac. The Twelve Apostles are a collection of limestone rocks off the coast of Port Campbell and their proximity to each other and the raging sea waters below makes it a beautiful site! Despite the name, there were only ever 8 in the grouping, but in 2005 one of the rock stacks crumbled due to erosion. The Twelve Apostles are one of the main sites along Great Ocean Road (alongside London Arch, The Grotto, and Loch Are Gorge) and it's easy to see why– it was gorgeous despite the crazy wind and rain. After stopping at The Twelve Apostles , we drove the Ocean Road to Apollo Bay before we turned back inland. The Great Ocean Road not only boasts beautiful views of the ocean, but also of the forest and lush farmland where I did see the occasional kangaroo sign and A LOT of cows and sheep. My friend even advised me a couple times to look up for koalas when we were driving through the forest– I didn't see any koalas as they were probably blending in, but I did see a kookaburra sitting on a branch. The Great Ocean Road was such a scenic drive and although I didn't get to see all of it it was still a fun road trip despite almost getting in a car accident due to the very windy roads.
Brighton Bathing Boxes- The Brighton Bathing Boxes are an iconic and greatly photographed row of 82-multi-coloured bathing boxes lining the shore of Brighton Beach. Each bathing box has their own design which is part of why this place is so popular with tourists. My favourite box had to be one with the Australian flag painted on it which had a line of people waiting to photograph! To get here I took a train from Flinder's Street Station to Middle Brighton and walked to the bathing boxes from there. It was a very windy day and I still have sand in my shoes from my visit, but visiting the Brighton Bathing Boxes definitely should be on your Melbourne bucket list! Get that Instagram shot girlfriend!!!
St Kilda- St Kilda is a beachside suburb of Melbourne with trendy shops, restaurants, and bars. St Kilda is also the home of Melbourne's Luna Park and fairy penguins. When I first got to St Kilda I needed to charge my phone in McDonald's, but after my recharging session I took to relaxing on the boardwalk despite the high winds. From there I walked down to the St Kilda pier where I got frose from the restaurant on the pier and waited for a glimpse of the penguins. The best time to see the penguins is right after sunset as they swim to the pier for shelter at night after a long day of fishing. I only saw two penguins: one in the rocks before the sun even set and one swimming right off the pier. Given this prime time to see the penguins, it was a little bit crowded, but who doesn't want to see wild penguins?
CBD Laneways- The beloved laneways in Melbourne CBD that connects many of the bigger streets together is a large part of Melbourne's culture and identity! The main laneways that I visited where AC/DC Lane, Hosier Lane, and Duckboard Place (left to right in the photos below) each boasting a wide array of intricate street art and murals. I passed through so many other different lanes which I don't know the name of, but that's what I love about Melbourne– you may just randomly stumble upon some cool street art while walking to get coffee. So if you decide to visit Melbourne be on the look out for some laneways and have your camera ready!
Queen Victoria Market- The Queen Victoria Market was right behind my hostel, so on Friday I spent the whole morning exploring the markets in search of some cheap souvenirs. The markets were HUGE with so many lanes filled with food vendors, meat shops, souvenir shops, novelty shops, and more! The Queen Victoria Market has been opened since 1878 and is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere which makes this a must visit in Melbourne.
National Gallery of Victoria- My last full day in Melbourne I visited the National Gallery of Victoria which has FREE admission and I have to be honest this was probably my least favourite museum that I've visited in Australia so far. I'm a big fan of contemporary art which this gallery lacked so that's probably why I didn't enjoy it too much, but nonetheless it is a museum and it's always fun to explore and admire the artwork!
State Library Victoria- I randomly stumbled upon Victoria's State Library on Friday afternoon as a place to charge my phone. The library was gorgeous with a few small galleries and exhibits and nice study areas! There is so much history and grand architecture to this building....it was fascinating.
Melbourne Central Clock- During my last evening in Melbourne, I was wandering around the city in search of something to eat and stumbled upon the gorgeous Melbourne Central complete with many stores and eateries as well as an ornate clock with [fake] galahs and cockatoos on it– native birds to Australia. It happened to be 6 pm when I was passing through so a crowd was lined up admiring the beauty of the clock.
Flinders Street Station- Located in the CBD, Flinders Street Station is an iconic structure of Melbourne and a bustling spot for tourists and locals alike! This is where I took the train to the Brighton Bathing Boxes so if you want to explore the outer city this is where you might depart from!
Yarra River- The Yarra River is the river that runs through Melbourne and can be viewed from many bridges surrounding the Melbourne area such as the Princes Bridge which connects the arts district to CBD, the West Gate Bridge, Queens Bridge, and several pedestrian bridges.
Bites
Patricia Coffee- Patricia was the perfect place for me to get acquainted with Melbourne's coffee culture on my first full day in Melbourne CBD! This place is such a cute and simple spot for coffee tucked away in Melbourne that's a little hard to find but it is worth it! The service was great and you can tell that the baristas value every customer – new and old – and you get a free glass of sparkling water while you wait for your coffee. I also loved how there were so many different kinds of people waiting in line for coffee: bankers, hipsters, and tourists (aka me).
Brother Baba Budan- Brother Baba Budan was another place I grabbed coffee at in Melbourne and thouroughly enjoyed– I even bought some coffee grounds for my family so they can have a taste of Melbourne coffee culture.
Rainbow Toastie- Rainbow Toastie is a small shop located in CBD that specializes in toasties (Australian speak for grilled cheese) but is better known for their rainbow cheese colored toastie! The toastie is a little bit overpriced at $12, but it was still delicious and looked pretty when pulled apart.
Overall, I had a fantastic time in Melbourne even though it was very short (3 nights). I still consider Sydney my favourite Australian city, I mean how can you beat the Opera House and Harbour Bridge? But Melbourne still has its own personality with its many coffee shops and laneways. There are pros and cons to both cities! Melbourne was a little more chillier than expected, but it was a great trip– when I arrived back to my place in Sydney Sunday morning after an early flight I immediately fell back asleep and dreamt about the time I had in Melbourne.
Cheers,
Sarah