Hi my dearest readers, if you’ve been keeping up on this blog, you’ll know that I’ve just returned from a 16 ish days trip. This entire trip was definitely one of the more strenuous trips I’ve been on but it is also the best and one filled with memories that I’ll hold dear to my heart.
This Melbourne trip was part 2 of the trip. For the first leg, we headed to Tasmania which you can read all about it here.
There were a total of 6 of us on this part of the trip. 2 of us were the designated drivers.
Tip: you should have at least 2 drivers take turns while driving. My friend drove in the mornings and evenings while I drove mostly in the afternoons. So we could nap and rest while the other is driving. The drives can be physically demanding for people who have never done it before.
THE TRIP [8 DAYS 7 NIGHTS]
DAY 1: HOB – MEL, MEL – SIN, Christmas Dinner, Dragon Hot Pot, Melbourne City
We took one of the morning flights out of Hobart. For domestic flights, we only had to be there 2 hours before, otherwise, they won’t check you in just yet. Everything was a quick process, from getting our tickets to checking in. Since we were traveling as a group, the airline allowed us to combine our luggage weight. Originally, they only allowed up to 20kg per passenger. So this is great news for some of us with slightly overweight luggage.
After a simple baggage check through the X-Ray, we were off waiting for our flight. We decided to have our breakfast at the airport. There were two eateries there serving wraps and pies. There was also a shop where I got some manuka honey back for my grandmother. They do also sell some souvenirs. Finally, there’s a bookstore for passengers who’d love to read a book on board the plane.
Another interesting and slightly unique experience is that we had to walk on the airport grounds to get to our airplane.
A quick 1.5 hours flight took us to Melbourne. We got our rental car which is often situated opposite T2, below the Park Royal Hotel and we were off to my grandparents for Christmas. We had a nice Christmas lunch with the family.
After lunch, we hung around and chat with the old folks and headed towards our Airbnb in Sunshine West. That aside, this was one of my favourite Airbnb. Everything was so clean, there was a huge island in the house and a large living room to hang around after a long day of exploring. The house was also beautifully decorated. It is the real-life version of my dream house. We actually made a small blunder of pressing the alarm systems while trying to find the aircon control. Note: Don’t press any devices near the door! The owner was so nice and helpful in helping us deactivate the alarm system. Although if there were a burglary I wouldn’t count on anyone in the neighbourhood to help us out. We stayed here for 4 nights.
Soon, it was dinner time. We headed to Dragon Hot Pot for some nice Malatang, as recommended by a friend who studied in the city. There was a constant queue and its tables are filled with patrons the minute the others leave. This is pretty much like the hot pot that we have in Singapore, the only difference is that they weighed all the ingredients at the same price! Their broth was so rich and delicious. They are also refillable, so don’t be shy about asking for more broth. I didn’t like the dried mala as much because it was too “ma” [aka numb] for me. I’d prefer if they had lesser peppercorn seeds so I decided to add the broth that was served separately. Overall, I enjoyed the food here and would definitely come here again! Maybe this time, I’ll ask them to “shao ma” [aka make it less numbing].
Address: Dragon Hot Pot 213 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. They’ve got a few branches around the city.
The city was bustling with activities on Christmas Day. We started walking from QV (We parked our car here. The flat rate after 6 pm was $12) and headed towards Flinders Station. Melbourne City is definitely very walkable. We went past lots of street buskers each bringing their own talent to their audience. If you’re in the city during Christmas, there are Christmas Projections along Flinders Street, the City Of Melbourne’s Christmas Square at Fed Square, Myer Christmas window displays, and Rows of Lights at Bourke Street Malls [In the latter location, just be careful of incoming trams while you’re on the road taking photos!].
Address: Bourke Street Mall, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Note: 2 things about driving in the city. First, there are flat rates for parking after certain times of the day. Before those hours, parking fees in the city are exorbitant. You’ve been warned! Second, there are things called Hook Turns, where drivers are prompted to the left lane in order to make a right turn. You can find out more about this turn unique to the Melbourne City Roads here.
DAY 2: Dumbo Melbourne Cafe, Aussie Barbecue with the Family, St Kilda’s Beach, Luna Park, Brighton Beach Houses, Hama Film
Many of the cafes that we wanted to visit weren’t open on Boxing Day, thus, we used all our Googling skills to find one. Dumbo Melbourne was a cafe in the neighbourhood and we parked along the streets.
Address: Dumbo 11 Argyle St, West Footscray VIC 3012, Australia
Afterward, we headed to a nearby Coles for some simple shopping as we were staying at our Airbnb slightly longer this time.
Note: I’d recommend choosing a more centralized location each time and making day trips as we did for these first 4 days! We did a lot of packing and unpacking since we move into a new Airbnb for our Tasmania tour and that was pretty tiring.
For lunch, we picked up the rest of the crew to head toward my Uncle’s place for some Aussie barbecue. It was fun hanging out with family and friends over Christmas. We had some of my Uncle’s Barbecue and some of my Aunt’s Cheesecake, which I am missing now.
We decided to spend the rest of the day exploring more of Melbourne. We headed towards St Kilda’s Beach where there were loads of people chilling around the beach and setting up picnics. We parked at the St Kilda Sea Baths Complex and even got an ice cream as it was hot summer indeed.
Address: St Kilda Sea Baths Complex 10/18 Jacka Blvd, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
Note: For parking in Melbourne, upon entering you’ll need to take the ticket. When you are retrieving the car and leaving the car park, find the machine to pay for your parking. Retrieve that same ticket, you’ll be using that for the exit of the car park by putting it in the machine when you exit.
We also dropped by Luna Park which is a famous theme park in Australia. We weren’t that interested in going for the rides so we skipped them. We did have a mandatory shot in front of their entrance though.
Address: Luna Park Lower Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
The last touristy spot of the day was at the equally famous Brighton Bathing Boxes. These beach boxes are still in use by some of its owners where they keep surfboards and other necessities.
Address: Brighton Bathing Boxes Esplanade, Brighton VIC 3186, Australia
Finally, we headed to the city as we wanted some Korean. However, the earliest booking for the restaurant we wanted to go to was 10 pm. Walking around without a reservation meant that a lot of the other restaurants also rejected us. Oops.
Note: Be sure to make reservations if you’re looking to eat at more famous restaurants or eat in the city.
We ended up at a photo studio with a very enthusiastic receptionist. It was tucked in a little corner, although they have other branches scattered around the city. This place, Hama Film, was a place where you could take cute photos with your friends. We managed to take a few with the props that were given too. A set of 3 will be $15, payable in 5-dollar bills. We had 3 sets of photos taken in two different rooms, the Pink and Blue Room. The Grey Room was under renovation. I did sneak a peek at other branches and they do offer more rooms, meaning more variety of photos. Still, we had plenty of fun!
Address: Hama Film 601 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
DAY 3: Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm, Kori Ice Cream, South Wharf Shopping
On this morning, we headed to Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm to pick some berries, finally after all the farms that we visited since Tasmania.
Note: There was a jam on the way to the farm, thus, do schedule extra time while you’re making your way there.
We had our first meal of the day at the cafe in Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm. They actually forgot our order but once we reminded them, they came really quickly. Their foods are not only served with their homemade strawberry sauce but also with some dippable chocolate too. Yum!
Across the road from the cafe’s parking entrance is where the farm was situated. There were aisles and aisles of strawberries which are so ripe for picking. I may or may not have eaten a few while picking. As much as they allow you to pick to the brim of the box, do leave some room for the fruit to move around or they’ll get squished like the ones we had! While they are bruised, they probably will spoil faster too. It didn’t help that they stayed in the car which became as hot as the oven.
Note: Do remember to drink up and bring a hat! The sun in Australia is really hot when it shines directly on you. Do take a rest under the shade of the trees. I almost got a heat stroke as a result. Also, do bring a cooler bag large enough to store the strawberries.
Address: Rocky Creek Strawberry Farm 244 Shands Rd, Main Ridge VIC 3928, Australia
After the farm visit, we headed for an ice cream run as it was so hot that day. Kori was one of the must-visit ice cream parlours in Melbourne. They’ve got so many different unique flavours. The one I got was a Cheesecake flavour. My friends got the houjicha. They also got Fuji Apple, Tofu Vanilla, and the best thing is that you can try them before making your selection!
Address: Kōri Ice Cream 659 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia
The last stop of the day was to head toward my favourite shopping centre, South Wharf DFO where its stores are factory outlets of many brands, including Pandora, Kate Spade, Cotton On and Valley Girl. Stores closed promptly at 7 pm, so we had exactly 2 hours to shop. One thing about shopping after Christmas is that there are lots of sales and good deals happening all around the shops. I’ve got a couple of pairs of shoes from Nike at just $50 and $60 each, amongst other things! I’d definitely schedule a bit more time to shop here.
Address: DFO South Wharf 20 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006, Australia
The rest of the night was spent cooking our own dinner and chilling as the next day was a day filled with activities.
DAY 4: Gunnamatta Trails, Daniel’s Donuts, Ace Karts
This morning, we made some brekkie before we headed for Gunnamatta Trails.
We met the resident cats alongside the beautiful horses. Fortunately for us, we practically got a private tour because of the size of the group. Ryanne even managed to get to ride on the same horse as she did the other time, Chewy. I was given Eclipse, who turned out to be a procrastinator but when he does things when he wants to, he does it with such diligence. The most interesting this was that, after the ride, we came to a consensus that we ended up with horses with similar personalities as us.
We took the St Andrew’s Beach Trail which was about 2 hours. Since we were going past the beach, I borrow their jackets as it gets really windy down there. Alongside the beach, you’re also allowed to use your phones.
Note: Do book the ride in advance. If there aren’t sufficient slots on the website, send them an email. I booked for 6 people but could only do so for 5 initially. I sent them an email and they managed to adjust it for me.
Address: Gunnamatta Trail Rides 150 Sandy Rd, Fingal VIC 3939, Australia
We got a bit hungry after the ride so we decided to get a snack for the rest of the trip back to the city. We’ve been craving donuts since we saw a guy holding some Krispy Kreme at the Tasmanian airport but we weren’t able to find any until today.
Daniel’s Donuts is an Australian donut chain. With so many mouth-watering flavours of donuts, it was difficult to stop at just 2 choices. This branch is even operating 24 hours.
Address: Daniel’s Donuts 819 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171, Australia
Finally, we headed back towards Ace Kart where our next activity was held. We also pre-booked this in place of our previous reservation for the Hot Springs.
I’d seen a lot of photos of the Hot Springs and wanted to head there. However, due to some last-minute personal reasons, we weren’t able to go. After sending the team an email, they were kind enough to send us a refund. Still, this is definitely a place that I’ll visit the next time that I’m there!
Address: Peninsula Hot Springs 140 Springs Ln, Fingal VIC 3939, Australia
Ace Karts was another activity that was filled with adrenaline. We were booked for 2 sessions. The first session started after a safety video and strapping us up in the helmets. Each session lasts for 12 minutes and you can race as many laps as you’d like in that time period. We aren’t required to have a driver’s license to operate this kart. The top speed for the kart is up to 75km/h. The results are determined by the best race lap time. Ryanne had full bragging rights over my dad and was faster than him in the first session. We were all much faster in the second session after much practice and it helped when the drizzle came to a complete stop.
Address: Ace Karts 20 Carrington Dr, Albion VIC 3020, Australia
The night ended at my grandma’s place for her signature chicken soup after braving the drizzle the whole day.
DAY 5: Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery, HOPETOUN FALLS, The Redwoods Otways, TWELVE APOSTLES, 12 Rocks Beach Bar Cafe
Today was the start of the road trip that was planned for Melbourne’s leg.
The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery was the first stop of the day for some brunch. This was the main store for chocolates in Melbourne, they do have another branch in Yarra Valley which I’ve visited, which you can read about here.
The store itself makes the chocolates that are sold at the store, you can see them through the glass windows. There were so many uniquely flavoured chocolates to pick as souvenirs too!
Address: Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery 1200 Great Ocean Rd, Bellbrae VIC 3228, Australia
We drove towards the town, Colac, to pump petrol for the rest of the trip and had a short toilet break.
Note: I’d suggest breaking the drive between each location up, ensuring that you take sufficient breaks. It can be much more difficult to find toilets while in nature parks.
The second stop of the day was Hopetoun falls. I’ve been chasing waterfalls the whole of this trip. There is a 30 minutes hike return, up and down some stairs. Many people parked alongside the road, however, you can try your luck at the car park which is just outside the entrance of the trail.
Note: Do download your maps as you might not get reception in that area. We weren’t able to rely on the tiny bit of reception that we did manage to get to load the maps.
Address: Hopetoun Falls Great Otway National Park, Cape Otway VIC 3233, Australia
My friend also wanted to visit the Redwood Californian Trees. Thus, this was the best place to visit since they were next to each other, about 10 minutes apart by car.
Address: The Redwoods Otways Binns Rd, Beech Forest VIC 3237, Australia
The final stop of the day was the main highlight, the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are regarded as one of the must-visit locations in Melbourne if not Australia. There are a couple of lookouts that you can visit along the way which are near the Twelve Apostles. You can read all about it in this upcoming post.
Address: Twelve Apostles Princetown VIC 3269, Australia
We ended the day after tabaoing [aka take away] from 12 Rocks Beach Bar Cafe. The food was probably good but it was very cold by the time we reached our next Airbnb in Glenthompson.
Note: If you are headed to stay in Port Campbell, do book earlier as there aren’t a lot of accommodations in the area. We opted to stay closer to the Grampians so we can wake up slightly later in the morning. But this does mean that this road trip was slightly longer than usual. Again, your instant noodles will come in handy in such situations.
Address: 12 Rocks Beach Bar Cafe 19 Lord St, Port Campbell VIC 3269, Australia
I wouldn’t really recommend this Airbnb unless you are looking to do some digital detox. This place has no Wifi so we just ended up watching cable TV. If you can look past that, it is a wonderful property. It comes with the necessary amenities such as a microwave, oven, and anything that you’ll need sans the wifi.
DAY 6: Flame Brothers Restaurant and Bar, The Grampians [Grand Canyon, The Balconies]
We headed towards Halls Gap for some breakfast. We were about to head to another brekkie location when we saw this one and decided to try it out.
Their Pancakes were one of the best that we had on the trip and we had to order a second plate.
Address: Flame Brothers Restaurant & Bar 10/97 Grampians Rd, Halls Gap VIC 3381, Australia
The Grand Canyons was the first stop of the day. We wanted to hike up the Pinnacle but one of us was unable to hike up with a sprained ankle. The hike to the Grand Canyons and Pinnacle would be in opposite directions. It is less direct as it is currently under renovation. You’ll need to use the alternative way to hike up. You can park at Wonderland Carpark.
Address: Wonderland Carpark Wonderland Rd, Halls Gap VIC 3381, Australia
We made a small drive to the next location, the Balconies. This location was definitely one of the must-visit at the Grampians. The notable instagrammable location was situated here. It is a rough 1-hour return walk. We parked at Reed Carpark.
Note: Just be careful and don’t do anything that you aren’t comfortable with.
Address: Reed Carpark Ararat-Halls Gap Rd, Zumsteins VIC 3381, Australia
We ended the day in Ballarat and checked into our next accommodation. This was a nice little location that we stayed at. The rooms are very spacious, as there’s both a living room and still enough space to fit a small kitchen and two queen-sized beds.
Address: Newington Apartments 401A Pleasant St S, Ballarat Central VIC 3350, Australia
After walking through the town, we opted to get some Asian noodles for dinner with a side of fried chicken.
Address: Noodle Box Ballarat 27 Armstrong St N, Ballarat Central VIC 3350, Australia
DAY 7: Sovereign Hill
In the old mining town of Ballarat, you have to visit their open-air museum, Sovereign Hill. It’ll be good to spend some time here as there is a lot to explore.
Tip: Do bring your student pass if you’re still a student. Sometimes, they are kind enough to give you the student price as we are foreigners. Again, do bring some hats and make sure to stand in the shade so as to not get a heat stroke!
This museum is a miniature town that is made to replicate the 1850s when Ballarat was becoming a gold mining town. There are heaps of activities that you could try out here and live like you’re in the 1800s! From panning for gold to ad hoc carnival games, old-school bowling, and performances. There is something for everyone!
Throughout the day, there were various demonstrations as well. Shannon, on the left, here makes handmade candies that use old-school methods. He also depicts the stories from the past and how they made the colouring for the candies using toxic substances. While the gentleman on the right is showing how he would separate the gold from the other minerals in the rock. If only my teachers were so interactive while in class. We even got to try the candies that he made on the spot and see the gold bar up close.
My favourite was their post office, where I got a seal and some calligraphy set as souvenirs.
We had our brunch at one of their restaurants.
The day ended after we split up to explore the lil’ town on our own. Then meeting again to visit the souvenir store to get some of the gold that we didn’t manage to pan for.
Address: Sovereign Hill Bradshaw St, Golden Point VIC 3350, Australia
We headed back to my grandparents’ for some dinner before moving into our Airbnb in Werribee.
It was new year’s eve but we opted to stay in. We’d heard that the crowd going in and out of the city would take too much time and we were tired after spending a whole day in the sun.
We loved this cosy Airbnb because it came with a pool table which we spent hours playing pool, even if the surface was uneven and a bit wonky.
DAY 8: MEL – SIN
Coming back to Singapore is always a bittersweet moment. I’d advise coming slightly early, at least 3 hours before your flight.
There was a slight delay for us to drop off our luggage at check-in because their conveyor belts did not work. Thus, after we checked in, half of us went on a hunt for the Krispy Kreme donut [Yes, we were still craving it] and the other half stayed to look after our luggage. This derailed our plans for lunch and we were almost late for the flight.
Tip: You can head inside the Terminal 4 airport to get food and drinks even if you don’t have a flight ticket. You just need to go through the X-Ray baggage scans. We didn’t manage to get our donuts but we did get bubble tea and subway sandwiches which weren’t available in Terminal 2.
Note: Always check the travel advisory before your flight. Due to the ongoing everchanging COVID situation, many countries are keeping up to date and changing their rules and regulations regarding air travel. The passengers headed for India on my flight had to get a last-minute COVID-19 PCR test as they weren’t aware of such requirements.
SOME THINGS TO NOTE
- No COVID regulations as of 2 January 2023. Although you should constantly check on travel advisories as the governments are changing as and when the situation develops.
- Whatever budget you’ve planned, you might want to add some buffer. If any of the drivers are below 25, there will be an additional surcharge.
- Make a shopping list while you’re there. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to go over budget and buy some unnecessaries. Some of your Airbnbs will have washers and dryers. So you can get laundry pods when you’re there. Water in As for chocolates, I may have bought a tad too many there. Oops.
- While in Australia, you’ll also need to get water throughout the trip. We opted to get disposable water bottles for road trips. Australia’s tap water is drinkable. You can also collect the bottles and recycle them back at the store where you bought them, just look at the directions on the bottles.
- While on the trip, be sure to check for the fuel status of your car. You won’t want to get stranded anywhere without any petrol. We made sure to plan the locations of petrol kiosks in our itinerary.
Overall, it had been a rewarding trip where I got to hang out with both my family and friends during the festive season.
This 8 Days 7 Nights trip is one which it’s not too tiring but you can still visit some of the renowned attractions. There’s something for both thrill seekers and nature lovers!
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