3 days itinerary for Melbourne- Suggestions required

Old Feb 13th, 2016, 11:51 PM
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3 days itinerary for Melbourne- Suggestions required

Hi,

My husband and I have 3 days to spend in Melbourne (excluding travel days) in March. We have the Great Ocean Road in mind, then Philip island. How long does one need to experience these 2 places? If these require 2 days, is it a good idea to spend the remaining one full day going around Melbourne city (Queen Victoria market, Eureka deck good options?)Also, is Mornington Peninsula worth visiting, considering the short time that we have. We are there on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Any ideas/ suggestions welcome . Thanks in advance
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 12:52 PM
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I'd spend two days doing the Great Ocean Road - follow the coast along as far as Port Fairy, stay overnight and return to Melbourne the next day. If time allows, take the Hamilton/Dunkeld/Halls Gap/Ballarat route back to Melbourne and you will see some spectacular country scenery.
Philip Island is about 2.5 hours drive from Melbourne. The penguins don't start coming in until almost dark so it will be a very late day by the time you get back to the city.
Mornington Peninsula is a very pleasant place but unless you particularly want to go swimming and walk on a beach, I'd spend my time on other things.
Have a full day in and around Melbourne CBD. You could walk through Treasury Gardens or the Botanical Gardens, see an excellent collection of Australian art at the Ian Potter Gallery in Federation Square, Queen Victoria market is great for souvenirs and people watching, the Emporium shopping mall has some great shops for more serious shopping. Use the free vintage tram around the city.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 02:36 PM
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Will you be taking tours from Melbourne or self-driving? Because three days is not a lot for city sightseeing, as well as for seeing the Great Ocean Road and Penguin Parade. You might be better off taking tours.

On my second solo trip to Melbourne, I took a one-day Great Ocean Road Sunset Tour and an 1-day Afternoon Phillip Island Tour with Bunyip Tours. Because I took two tours with them, I got a complimentary pass for the Eureka Sky Deck and Melbourne's Sea Life Aquarium, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
http://www.bunyiptours.com/our-packages/
They also offer a tour to the Mornington Peninsula, which was also of interest for you.

You don't need a car for exploring Melbourne city center. It's very walkable and trams in the center are free. See these two links:
http://ptv.vic.gov.au/1-january-2015-fare-changes/
https://ptv.vic.gov.au/route/view/1112

I've stayed a couple of times in a self-contained apartment two blocks from Queen Victoria Market, only a block from tram lines, 10-to 15-minute walking distance from Federation Square, as well as close to many restaurants. I found it really convenient as a base for seeing attractions in and around Melbourne. Car rental agencies were also a couple of blocks away, which made it handy on my third visit to Melbourne, when my husband and I rented a car to visit wineries in Yarra Valley. I'd previously toured Yarra Valley with Wine Bus. It was a great tour with a terrific lunch at a gorgeous winery.

Melbourne is a great city full of attractions and interesting architecture. As Marg recommends, visit Federation Square and Queen Victoria Market, walk through gardens. Near Federation Square are Hosier Lane (graffiti/murals/street art) and St. Paul's Cathedral (lovely interior). There are some terrific restaurants around Chinatown. I loved the Melbourne Museum for its natural history displays.
.
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Old Feb 18th, 2016, 07:09 AM
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Thanks so much for all the info. It's going to help a great deal in our trip planning we have decided not to self drive on GOR. Considering to book a 2 day overnight tour of GOR and Philip island. Any recommendations for the same will be of great help . I saw a couple of them on the net, but a bit unsure on the quality of accommodation provided and the overall quality of the tour. Checked bunyip tours but they don't seem to have an overnight tour of these 2 places. Any suggestions welcome.
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Old Feb 18th, 2016, 05:08 PM
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Sorry I can't help you with that particular request. Have a look at Viator:
http://www.viator.com/Melbourne-attr...4-a102?pref=02
Or Grayline:
http://www.grayline.com.au/australia...road-day-tours

Both of the tours I went on, to Phillip Island and the Sunset Tour of the Great Ocean Road, left later in the day, so I had my morning free to do other things, or just relax.
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Old Feb 20th, 2016, 02:40 PM
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Why do you want to go to Phillip Island - to see the penguins? Personally, I've never understood the attraction. I'm sure they are very cute but the idea of driving a couple of hours, hanging around to see a bunch of penguins come ashore (undeniably cute though they may be) and then driving two hours back again has never appealed. Given you have only 3 days, I certainly wouldn't do it.

As a practical matter, the GOR and Phillip Island are in completely opposite directions so there's no way to combine the two. As for the GOR, I would drive - much easier to control the pace, where you stop etc. than if you're on an organised tour. If you want 2 days out of town, I would do the GOR on day 1 - leave early morning (and I mean early...) so you can get all the way along, stay the night somewhere like Warrnambool and then (leave early again) and visit Ballarat and Daylesford - both nice country Victoria towns - on the way back to Melbourne on day 2.

Exploring Melbourne can take days, particularly as Melbourne tends to hide its charms down laneways and alleys, down in basements or up on rooftops. You don't say what your interests are but the National Gallery of Victoria (on St. Kilda Road) and NGV Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square (which has the Australian Art collection) are worth a visit, as is the State Library on Swanston Street, which has exhibits related to early Melbourne (and a more-or-less complete set of Ned Kelly armour). If you want a nice walk, walk south from the NGV (down St. Kilda Road) to the Shrine of Remembrance then over into the Botanic Gardens and then walk back along the river [please ask if you want more specific directions].

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/visit/
http://www.shrine.org.au/Home
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Old Mar 1st, 2016, 07:22 PM
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I have to agree that Phillip Island is over-rated but then I'm not seeing it from a tourist point of view. Lots of people make the trip. If you do head down the Great Ocean Road, you might like to make time for Queenscliff, just past Geelong. It has some beautiful old buildings and nice cafes and shops. There is a ferry between Queenscliff and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula so a circle trip with a car is possible. Check the mileage though as it's a lot to do in only 3 days.

Kay
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Old Mar 1st, 2016, 11:36 PM
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As a conservation-minded bird lover, I can explain why I was interested in seeing Phillip Island, though I'd see Little Blue Penguins/Fairy Penguins before on Kangaroo Island. I've also see them all around New Zealand, including dead ones, perhaps killed by dogs, on local beaches around Dunedin. We have a predator-controlled viewing area for Little Blue Penguins here in Dunedin, as well, but numbers are more like 100 to 200 at peak season. It was amazing to see what seemed like thousands of Little Blue Penguins swimming ashore at Phillip Island, without fear of being attacked by foxes.

I recently saw a fictionalized film called Oddball based on the story of a nearly doomed Little Blue Penguin colony on Middle Island near Warrnamboll. The colony was nearly wiped out by foxes until Meremma sheep dogs were trained to protect them. This is the story behind the movie.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35039105

I've read that your Little Blue Penguins can also killed by domestic and feral cats, and even goannas. Here in NZ, it's mainly stoats, ferrets and dogs they need to fear on land. Over a few days, one stoat killed 29 Little Blue Penguins on a Dunedin beach.

For me, Phillip Island represents a victory for conservation. On our tour, we heard about how the Victorian govt. over 25 years purchased properties on the Summerland Peninsula, and then embarked on a 3-year $3.4 million habitat restoration program to create a sanctuary for wildlife. Pest control is ongoing, I understand. I've read Phillip Island is home to a population of about 32,000 to 70,000 (I've read various estimates) Little Blue Penguins, only a fraction of which can be seen swimming ashore from the approved tourist stands. Still, I was overjoyed to see so many happily waddling to the nests, hoards of them, oblivious to us humans.

Plus, they're cute. Maybe when I'm older, I'll learn to knit and be like this wonderful chap:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/...ectid=11400740
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Old Mar 4th, 2016, 11:35 AM
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GOR requires quite a long drive and time.
It depends of course what You like.
But a relaxed and have fun could be:
Enjoy Melbourne CDB, nice atmosphere lot to see,tram to st kilda if some beach in mind
Ballarat Great fun at Sovereign hill plus the zoo to pat kangaroos and koalas, even snakes if You like !
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Old Mar 4th, 2016, 04:14 PM
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That link is a hoot Diamantina!
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Old Mar 15th, 2016, 01:05 AM
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The Queen Victoria Market is just like your run of the mill market. I think the advertising makes it seem like it's so fabulous. If you are in the area, go there, but don't make a special trip for hours to go and see it.

You won't be able to pat kangaroos and koalas. Don't get your hopes up.
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Old May 10th, 2016, 11:06 AM
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Missgreen,
Why do you say that you cant pat kangaroos and koalas at Ballarat zoo?
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Old May 14th, 2016, 12:53 AM
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Diamantina that gentleman passed away very recently. What a legend!
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