Our trip to Australia was split equally between Sydney and Melbourne. We wanted to combine it with New Zealand but that would have been a very long trip and leaves were a problem. But if you have 20-25 days in hand then do both of them together as the flights to ANZ region are very expensive. Melbourne always tops the chart of the best places to live and we fell in love with that city. Four to five days are good enough to explore the city and the surrounding places.
Reaching there: Melbourne is very well connected to all major international airports. This is the first city where we saw a free public transportation system. There is a circular tram that goes around the main city and people are free to use it as much as they want. For visiting places outside the city it is better to take one of the many available day tours which cover Philip Island, Great Ocean Road etc.
Accommodation: Its better to take accommodation somewhere along the circular tram route. All the pick ups for day tours also start along this route only. Several budget hotels are available here.
Visa: Australia is one of the many countries which have started using the electronic visa. We did not even have to go to the consulate or the visa services office. We got an agent to submit and collect our applications. They do ask for the passport for verification purposes and return it within a day. The overall visa processing time was 4-5 business days. A completely hassle free process.
Things to do:
–Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles: Obviously the most popular place in this area. We did a day trip in a minivan along with 10-12 other people. We stopped at some nice places to take photographs as well. Towards the end we reached the twelve apostles. Lot of tourists crowd this place so better to have some time in hand if you want to take good pictures of limestone rocks. They are formed by erosion and on this date only eight pillars remain.
–Philip Island: This place is famous for the little ferry penguins. We made a stop in a farm for a quick tour and lunch. We spent some time in a vineyard for wine and cheese tasting. We also saw the track for Moto GP race. Enroute we also crossed a lot of Kangaroos and Wallabies. The weather might get very windy and cold at the penguin watching spot. So do check the weather beforehand and be prepared with some warm clothes. We ended up purchasing a fleece blanket from the souvenir shop. The penguins go inside the ocean during the day for hunting and return in the evening. That’s when the penguin parade starts. They go from the shore to their nests which are inside the land. There is a track dedicated to them and people are advised not to obstruct it. The light was too low and we could not capture a good pic of them.
–Walk along the banks of Yara river: The federation square is a very happening place along the river. There is usually some concert or event happening out here. Both sides of the river have green sitting area and you can spend the evenings having snacks and looking at the Melbourne skyline.
–Melbourne cricket ground: Even if you are not a cricket fan still you should visit this holy Mecca of the sport which is followed by billions of people around the globe. We visited when the stadium was completely empty and got a good tour of the ground.
–Carlton Gardens: Its a nice garden inside the city. Not as big as the Sydney Hyde park but still worth a visit.
–Shopping: Even though not widely famous but the few malls in Melbourne give some very good shopping options and can add a lot of variety to your wardrobe. The District Docklands and Emporium Melbourne are couple of good places to check out.
Apart from these just walk along the town to see the street arts, visit the old China Town and just look around at the hustle bustle of the Victoria market.
Some day we want to settle in Melbourne. 🙂