Planning a trip to Melbourne

Old Jan 5th, 2014, 02:06 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Planning a trip to Melbourne

I'm from the uk and I am planning my first trip to Australia. I was thinking about flying to Melbourne and staying there for a short while then doing the great ocean road drive. I was then planning to make my way to Brisbane making stops along the way. My interests are beautiful views and scenery. I want to see what Australia has to offer and capture it with my camera. The walking trails are interesting too. The trip will be with my partner, hoping to fly out late June early July and return the end of August.. So a two month trip.
I was hoping I could get advice and tips about where to go , what to do and what's worth giving a miss...

No plans have been 100 percent decided so any input is welcome.

Thank you in advance
gemmalj is offline  
Old Jan 5th, 2014, 03:14 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Middle of winter ah? Great Ocean Road is a good start. It is lovely down at Port Fairy but it will be cold and windy on the Great Ocean Road. Stop for a meal at the Wye River Hotel at Wye River. You can sit in the pub and look out at the beach and keep warm. Visit the Loch Ard Gorge along this road. You can walk down to it.
Melbourne has lovely laneways. Walk through from Degraves St. There are often really good buskers around the city centre. I was just there yesterday and there were all style of music in various places throughout the city. There are walking tours that will take you to all of them. The weekend is best for this. The football will be on at that time of year. Try and get to a game at the MCG or Etihad Stadium.
Get tram 1 or 8 from Swanston St and go up to Lygon St past Melbourne University to eat Italian. Melbourne Cemetery is up there too.
Get tram 19 to Coburg from Elizabeth St and visit Sydney Road, the longest continual shopping strip in the Southern Hemisphere. Sydney Rd has its own website. You will find Middle Eastern shops and other interesting shops here. If you go far enough you will see the old Pentridge Prison which is now houses and apartments but the old buildings are there and you can walk around.
Visit places around town like the Victoria Market and the Old Melbourne Gaol and Watchhouse.
There are lots of bike paths and you can hire bikes in the city. There is a nice track along the Yarra River which goes for miles and miles from Flinders St. It is the law to wear bike helmets here when riding on the road, but you can buy a cheap one from 7 Eleven stores I think. Sometimes people just leave used ones with the bikes.
Try a visit to Carlton and United Breweries in Abbotsford. If you get a tram that goes along Victoria Pde which you can pick up in Bourke or Collins St (can't remember which one) you can walk down to it. Victoria St in Richmond has lots of Vietnamese shops.
Melbourne is famous for its live music scene and you will find music in some pubs in the Brunswick end of Sydney Rd. There is a pub in Union Rd, Brunswick that has live music. It is just off Sydney Rd, Brunswick.
St. Kilda on the southern side of the city is interesting. I hardly go there. There are warm sea baths there which are nice to swim in. I am from Sydney originally and can't see all the fuss about St. Kilda Beach after growing up around Sydney beaches. There are lots of Jewish cake shops down there.
Williamstown which is a Melbourne suburb is a nice place to visit. You can get a boat over to there from near Flinders St Station or you can get a train there.
Perhaps you could go to the races at Flemington Racecourse. There is a train there from Flinders St on race days, which are always Saturday at that time of year. The view of the city is lovely and that is where the Melbourne Cup is run.
Walking in the Dandenong ranges is nice too. It will be cold at that time of year. Go to places like Sassafras or Olinda. They are nice little villages and walking tracks are nearby. I particularly like the gardens around there which were once owned by wealthy people, but now owned by National Parks and Gardens and you can walk around those. eg. Nicholas Gardens.
A trip to Qeenscliff is also very pleasant. It is on the coast past Geelong. You could include this in your Great Ocean Road trip.
A trip to North East Victoria would be worth it if you have the time. There are lots of wineries in the King Valley and around Milawa and Rutherglen. You could base yourself in Wangaratta which is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Melbourne.
There are nice wineries in the Yarra Valley too which is closer to Melbourne. Hope this has given you ideas.
manlygirl is offline  
Old Jan 5th, 2014, 03:21 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
By the way, Wangaratta is on the Hume Highway on the way to Sydney. I lived there a long time. If you can find your way up to the Warby Ranges, there are a couple of nice walking tracks. You get to them by turning down Dell'oro Rd which is just off to the left of the old Hume Hwy which is the road into Wangaratta off the freeway coming from Melbourne. It is just past the house with the hundreds of old bomb cars parked there. Follow Dell'oro Rd all the way to the end and park your car there. You will see those grass trees on your walk which are very old and get a nice view over the area.
You will see kangaroos if you drive to Jubilee Golf Course at dusk. They come down from the Warbies to Graze. Have a good trip.
manlygirl is offline  
Old Jan 5th, 2014, 05:21 PM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you very much..it's a lot to take in and I better begin digging for more information so I'm not clue less when I arrive ha. All I really want to do is see the nature and walking trails. I'm a photographer and intend to take a great deal of photographs whilst I'm there too. Pleased to see that there are bike paths, also nice to hear about the music scene.

I'm thinking it may be worth me hiring a car for the duration
gemmalj is offline  
Old Jan 11th, 2014, 12:22 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good idea. You won't need a car in Melbourne itself because the trams, trains and buses are good. You will need to buy a Myki Card to pay for your travel which for Zone 1 is just over $7 a day. Zone 1 will meet most of your needs. You can't pay for individual fares as you go in Melbourne,you have to have a Myki pass. This is very inconvenient for the people who live here too. If the ticket inspectors get you for not having one or validiating it you will be fined heavily. We don't like the ticket inspectors here either. There are machines in railway stations and I think you can buy a Myki on buses now too. You will definitely need a car to go up to the Dandenong Ranges just east of Melbourne and it will be nice to do the Great Ocean Road by car although there are bus tours. If you want to travel up to Sydney and beyond, the Hume Highway is the shortest and the inland route or you can take longer and go the coast way. Trains are not that good and slow. There are also the long distance buses. When you get to Sydney, parking is a nightmare, so it might be a good idea to drop off the car there and get another one when you leave. I know Sydney and Melbourne and inbetween fairly well, so if you have any questions please ask.
manlygirl is offline  
Old Jan 14th, 2014, 09:25 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Very nice. I like it.
DexterEmmert is offline  
Old Jan 15th, 2014, 12:26 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There is another thing on the way on the Great Ocean Road if you want to see kangaroos without being in a zoo, they hang out at the Anglesea Golf Club day and night (they do love golf courses, must be good grazing), just drive through the town follow the signs (turn right) and then turn left when it directs you to the club. Just park in the car park there. You will just see them laying around under the trees etc. At Lorne camp grounds are often koalas. Echnidas can be spotted especially during the detours to see waterfalls etc.
The free tram around Melbourne itself is great (with commentary) called City Circle Tram, it is marked at the top. You can hop on and off.
The most scenic mountain type drive IMHO is the Acheron Way. If you google it you will see it, but it might not fit in with your schedule. I do love the road between Korumburra and Warrigal (called Korumburra-Warrigal Road). It's different again.
Naturally if money was not a big issue, Flinders Island, You would need to take Sharp Airlines from Essendon in Melbourne to get there though. I have never seen a more naturally beautiful place nor friendly people.
Anyway happy planning!!! Good luck
maplebjb is offline  
Old Apr 7th, 2014, 03:44 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Victoria in winter, Jane, July, August is cold, wet and windy. I live in Victoria and in winter look to go north in Australia to say Queensland, N.T. or Northern W.A. Victoria is lovely but winter is not the best time for a vist.
janpeter3 is offline  
Old Apr 8th, 2014, 01:09 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It is winter, and will be cold in Victoria, but given you are from the UK, our cold won't be as cold as your cold. Suggest for route to Brisbane that you take the Coast road from Sydney heading north to Brisbane about 1000 kms. Many National Parks and beautiful beaches along the way.

Do you plan on hiring a car ?

Given your generous time here in Oz, I would highly recommend Kakadu NP in the NT or even the Kimberley region in WA, it's remote and not the easiest place to get to, but absolutely spectacular scenery. A photographers dream, and July or August is perfect weather.
sartoric is offline  
Old Jan 7th, 2015, 05:46 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi there,

I've stayed here during my last visit to Melbourne. Not bad. It is a NY Style Loft in Melbourne City. A very convenient location around the city and cosy and affordable too. The below link gives a review about the unit. Check it out...

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1603051
mlisan is offline  
Old Jan 23rd, 2015, 05:46 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,007
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you want to try walking trails, the Great Ocean Road Walk is one of the best. There is a shuttle bus service which allows you to walk a section at a time if you don't have time for all of it. The weather may not be ideal for the walk but winter in Victoria has some beautiful cool sunny days and one of those would be perfect. There are also some lovely walks in behind Lorne and the Grampians are full of walking trails. Lots of walks also in the Dandenong Ranges, just east of Melbourne.
dreamon is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
StuQ
Australia & the Pacific
20
Mar 18th, 2010 04:28 PM
PollyR
Australia & the Pacific
14
Jun 20th, 2009 10:25 PM
Pitzikat
Australia & the Pacific
8
Nov 2nd, 2008 03:24 AM
LabLover
Australia & the Pacific
6
Apr 21st, 2008 09:20 AM
midwestcoup
Australia & the Pacific
7
Oct 29th, 2005 05:45 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -