It's no wonder why everyone describes Melbourne as a city with four seasons in a day. I was there during Summer, but it felt like Winter most of the days. My number one advice to anyone who is traveling to Melbourne is to always pack clothes that can be layered - you’ll never know when the weather might change.
With so many activities to do and so many spots to hit, here are my top 10 things to do in Melbourne and its surrounding areas:
1) Watch a movie at an open air cinema – Unlike Singapore, where outdoor screenings are either rare or expensive, I was spoilt for choices in Melbourne! Nothing beats the experience of getting cozy and watching a great movie under the stars. You could pack a picnic basket, a bottle of wine and bring along your picnic rug (and lots of cushions for extra comfort!), or opt for an outdoor cinema that serves yummy food and provides lawn chairs.
Tip: Bring along inflatable pillows on your trip - you can stack them up and lean on them while watching the movie! They are super lightweight and can be easily packed into your little tote bag.
Visit http://themoderncon.com/open-air-cinemas/ for a list of outdoor cinemas in Melbourne.
2) BBQ for free at the park – Public BBQs can be found everywhere in Australia. It is extremely user-friendly because they use electric hot plates that can be switched on within seconds just by pressing a button. Don't worry about cleanliness because most public BBQs are cleaned daily by the local council.
Meat in a Park is a great website for locating the nearest public BBQ near you!
Tip: Avoid BBQ-ing during Summer, unless you don’t mind flies buzzing around you and your food ALL THE TIME.
3) Grab a beer and chill at Chuckle Park Bar and Cafe – a charming and cozy café hidden away in one of Melbourne’s city laneways.
4) Catch a Jazz show at Lido Jazz Room – Live music every Friday and Saturday in an intimate setting. This place is a great example of how you don’t have to pay a lot just to enjoy good music. Plus, there is a theatre and a roof top cinema in the building - you can easily spend half the day there!
5) Take an instagrammable picture at Brighton Beach – it isn’t exactly the cleanest and finest beach you can find in Melbourne, but the cute and colorful bath boxes make a long bus journey to Brighton almost worth it. Expect a huge crowd having “photoshoots” there though!
6) Get out of the city and get drunk in Yarra Valley – I am not the biggest fan of wine, but I am a fan of alcohol, and when a winery tour promises you more than 15 glasses of wine to taste for a small fee, JUST DO IT! I won’t recommend anyone to drive in Yarra Valley, unless you have designated your poor friend to stay sober and drive you around. Drink driving is a SERIOUS offense in Yarra Valley (or anywhere else), so don’t do it! You can also rent a driver for the day, but the driver doesn’t come cheap. The best way to do it? Go on a wine tour like what I did!
Tip: Check out Groupon for good deals on wine tours!
I did the winery tour with Dancing Kangaroo Tours – great host, great company.
7) Take a scenic road trip down Great Ocean Road – My trip to Melbourne wouldn’t be complete without a visit to The 12 Apostles. I am so glad my bf and I decided to do a 3-day road trip to explore the little towns along the way, instead of rushing everything in just one day. Each town has so much to offer, so take your time to explore them.
Tip: For the best view of The 12 Apostles – stop at the visitor centre and walk along the boardwalk. It is best to head down before sunrise to avoid the tour groups. There was just a handful of people when I was there at 5am. Remember to dress warmly, it is very chilly even during Summer time.
Loch Ard Gorge
The Loch Ard Gorge is part of Port Campbell National Park, Victoria, Australia, about three
minutes drive west of The 12 Apostles.
8) Practice Yoga by the beach – During a stopover at Torquay, we chanced upon a yoga class by the beach by Yoke and decided to join them. I don’t usually enjoy doing yoga as I prefer higher intensity workouts, but there is something especially appealing about doing yoga outdoors - by the sea and with the breeze in your hair. Or maybe, being overseas just made me want to be more spontaneous! It was so much fun! Even though everyone around me was obviously regular Yogi and I was just an amateur, it felt good doing yoga along with them. The point is - when you are traveling, be spontaneous and do things you usually won’t do! Who knows, you might pick up a new interest or skill along the way.
You can check out https://www.meetup.com/topics/outdoor-yoga/au/melbourne/ for outdoor yoga events in Melbourne.
10) Try the best pizza in the world at Nico’s Pizza & Pasta – It was past 6pm in Port Campbell. Restaurants and shops were closed, if not, starting to close for the day. We decided to order takeaway pizzas from Nico’s since they were one of the few restaurants still open. Not expecting much from the pizzas, I was blown away from the first bite. It was THAT good. If you are dropping by Port Campbell, they are well worth a visit!
