Melbourne
Arrival
After another seamless flight experience we arrived in Melbourne. A friend of ours graciously picked us up from the airport during his work day and welcomed us to the city. We made our way to the hotel in South Yarra (situated near the train station and an all-around nice area) and got settled in. The hotel’s rooms were set up apartment style and were beautiful. We got balconies overlooking the city, the usual apartment amenities, and our rooms were adjacent to each other.
After taking a little bit to relax, we met up with a couple friends to get drinks at this Irish pub before heading out for dinner. The pub itself was fun as there was some catching up, relaxing, and a shot taken after a quick drinking game. We made our way to Hawker Hall and sat down for one of the largest meals I’ve tried to eat in my entire life. Someone in the group casually ordered the “Feed Me” for everyone. The next thing we knew there were appetizers flying across the table, main dishes galore, and desserts, for the brave, to top it all off. It was a blur of food and drink in the best way possible. We all enjoyed a great time before heading our separate ways so that we could get ready for the next day’s adventure: The Great Ocean Road!
Great Ocean Road
We heard a lot about how long this excursion is before our trip. Put simply: it’s absolutely worth it. I’ve posted an estimate of the route we took below in the form of Google Maps. Our tour guide, Rachael, was superb with the small talk and letting people do their thing. Plus, we didn’t lose anyone, so props to her!
I’ve also listed three main categories below that can be expanded upon by pressing on them for more details. This provides an overview of the excursion in text form.
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We left Melbourne on our way to Torquay for tea, the Memorial Arch (official start of the road) for photos, Kennett River Township to see koalas, and Apollo Bay for a quick meat pie lunch.
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We journeyed through the Great Otway National Park (rainforest) to Port Campbell National Park (site of the Twelve Apostles) and Loch Ard Gorge.
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To kick off the return trip we ventured to Gibson Steps before seeing the Australian countryside inland on our way back to Melbourne.
I’ll share some of the highlights that stood out to me in favor of an exhaustive description of every detail. Firstly, the drive itself was idyllic. The scenes of mountains married to the sea and blending into beaches was unlike anything I’d seen before. Secondly, the little towns off the coast that we made pitstops in (Apollo Bay specifically) had the group contemplating making the move to Australia full-time. Thirdly, koalas like to hide and aren’t all that blind-friendly. They mostly kept to themselves high up in the trees and I can’t really blame them. There’re Eucalyptus leaves to eat after all.
The pictures/video below will speak for themselves, but I’ll share some brief thoughts on the main events. The Otway National Park is home to the second tallest trees in the world and it showed with how massive they were. The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and Gibson Steps all had their own unique beauty and features. It’s easy to see why someone like our tour guide would be willing to make the trek out to see them so often. This excursion was, point blank, a no brainer.
Experiencing the City
Something we heard about more than once during our time in Melbourne was a croissant place called Lune. It’s one of those things that people were talking it up so much that I was skeptical if it’d live up to the hype. Lo and behold, a couple friends met us there one morning after suggesting it and the croissants we got were easily the best I’ve ever had (it’s not particularly close). I’m now one of those people hyping it up.
After taking a minute to digest our croissants we followed our friends through a commercialized area down some alleyways (or laneways for Australian folk) covered in art. The imagery varied and included references to sports, music, politics, and a smorgasbord of other topics. Plenty of photos later, we encountered Queen Victoria Market. I can’t begin to explain the sheer number of goods available here. Between getting more food (donuts, deli options, etc) and touching kangaroo and other animal pelts, we got to experience a shocking amount in a short period of time.
We had planned on attending an Australian Football League (AFL) game so we stopped on a nearby riverboat to grab a couple of drinks. Imagine ambient music, temperate weather, and refreshing drinks. We were fortunate to have experienced all of the above while watching people paddle or ride their way down the river. When we felt ready we walked the short distance to the stadium (Melbourne Cricket Ground) and bought our tickets.
The game was between Collingwood and Port Adelaide. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, that’s cool. It didn’t to us either! The sport of Aussie Football is something I’d describe as a mix of rugby, American football, and soccer. I tried to follow the game, but I kept getting distracted with how massive the stadium was. You know the Roman Coliseum? Double its capacity and you’ll still fall slightly short of MCG’s max of 100,024. So, cricket is a pretty big deal in Melbourne.
Unfortunately, I became quite ill at this point in the trip and had to head back to the hotel after the game. The rest of the group went to go out for the night. It was pretty evident the next morning that the group had a great time based on the late wake-ups. I spent the rest of the trip coughing and sneezing prior to us heading back home.
A massive thanks to friends on the trip for providing great company, assistance navigating, and being all-around wonderful people. Trips like these aren’t easy to manage, so it’s a special thing when I’m able to embark on them with great people. Thanks again, and to next time!