Melbourne Itinerary for first timers!

Rajesh and I absolutely love visiting Melbourne and the three years we have been in Australia, we have visited Melbourne thrice! Be it sports, art, food or cafe culture, Melbourne is comparatively superior! (Also neither of us understand the friendly rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne!) We love both cities equally and perhaps that is why we visit it so often! 
While Sydney has a strong beach culture, Melbourne is often touted as the culture capital and boasts of an enviable art and music scene. Sydney is more beautiful and has a better climate compared to Melbourne. Melbourne has better food and nightlife! And while both places have a good cafe culture/coffee, Rajesh seems to think that Melbourne does it better!  I don’t know how to rate coffee (It’s brown. And it’s hot… or cold. It’s a brown liquid with a temperature) Coffee makes my taste buds weep (Yeah,I am not much of a coffee drinker!) My taste buds interpret the flavour of coffee as mud, Rajesh loves his coffee and enjoys his cuppa every time we visit Melbourne! Melbourne is a labyrinth of hipster cafes!

Rajesh and I usually visit Melbourne during the Australian Open! I never really watched any tennis before I met Rajesh! I started watching the game with Rajesh who was patient enough to explain to me what the hell I was even watching! I went from “Oh look! He hit the ball, now the ball is across the court! The other person has it now… Maybe he will hit it back…. aaaaannnd he has indeed and apparently that deserves a round of applause! YAWNN!” to “MUST YOU BREATHE SO LOUDLY WHEN DJOKOVIC IS PLAYING!!!??”. Yup, I love tennis (What’s not to love??!) and the vibe in Melbourne around that time is electric! We also take some time after the Australian Open to drive to the Great Ocean Road, one of the most celebrated scenic coastal drives in the world! And therefore I shall split this blog into two parts. One outlining the road trip to the Great Ocean Road and the other for things to do in Melbourne city!

Part 1: The Great Ocean Road Itinerary
Part 2: Things to do in Melbourne

Best time to visit Melbourne

Summer (December- February) is a fantastic time to visit Melbourne, the weather is….craptastic BUT better than other seasons! Even if you visit Melbourne in the summer, you probably need to be prepared for any kind of weather! I don’t know who controls the weather in Melbourne, but they definitely got it on shuffle mode! Too cold for shorts. Too warm for pants. Too warm to sleep with a doona. Too cold for just a sheet. Too cold to live, too warm to die! (JEEZUZZ!! JUST PICK A LEVEL AND STICK WITH IT WEATHER!!)

It also rains when you least expect it (Our umbrellas have suffered persecution and death by rain and hail being pelted down by sky demons in Melbourne! *sobs*). On the bright side, the city is bustling with people and there are plenty of events to attend. Summer also happens to be the cricket season, so you can catch a match at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground or even attend the Australian Open! 

Part 1:  The Great Ocean Road Itinerary

The beginning of the Great Ocean Road is a 90 min drive from Melbourne city! We totally recommend hiring a car and spending at least 2 days here to be able to leisurely see everything it has to offer! Three days, if you want to squeeze in some hikes! The drive is spectacular! It’s just one scenic view WTFIHAVENOSIGNALBARSONMYPHONEAGAIN after another! It is a great experience (except for the bits where the GPS is trying to murder me!)! There is so much to see and learn while driving along the Great Ocean Road, like why is the Great Ocean Road sign so far away from the start of the drive? Or who are these mysterious people who leave one shoe on the side of the freeway? Are they there to balance out the socks that disappear in dryers (something..something..inter-dimensional vortex!)?? Ah, The mysteries of life!

Driving Route

The Great Ocean Road drive begins at Torquay and stretches all the way to Port Campbell. We started early from Melbourne city, and were on the road at 8 AM giving us plenty of time to see everything on the way.  If you have more than a day, you can stop by at the Bells Beach where the Rip Curl Classic Surf competition is held annually! Rip Curl, the famous brand for surfing gear and apparels was also born in Torquay! 

• Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery:

We made a quick stop here because we saw a sign on the road that said – Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery! (DUH!) It’s the kind of sign that makes us think, WE WANT TO EAT EVERYTHING INSIDE YOU (That’s not just us, I hope!) And also Rajesh wanted a coffee. We were expecting a small boutique store and were blown away by the sheer size of this place! The place is huge and they have every type of chocolate you can imagine. They even do chocolate tasting here! We decided to share an ice-cream because the scoops were plentiful (and also absolutely delicious)! Don’t get a boring flavour that you can get anywhere else cos that’s…. BORING! It can be hard to pick a flavour when faced with so many options of mind numbing deliciousness, we tried the Turkish Delight among many others! Rajesh approved of it after his intense taste tests! It was our favourite!

• Point Addis:

This is a short detour from the Great Ocean road but offers lovely views of rugged coastline. There are well defined boardwalks. It’s 2km return if you just do the cultural walk but you can continue on the path and it leads further inland through the peaceful coastal bushland.

• Memorial Arch:

We stopped by the memorial arch next, to take a few pictures, stretch our legs and also read a bit about the history of the Great Ocean Road! The arch commemorates the building of the Great Ocean Road as a memorial to those who served in the First World War!

• Teddys Lookout:

This is another lookout which boasts of great views of the coastline and Great Ocean Road! We skipped this as we spent an awful lot of time eating breakfast on the way here! We would have told you where we stopped for breakfast but the hunger was clouding the part of our brain that makes a note of places we eat in so we can share them later on our blog. I guess you will just have to go through the rest of your life never knowing where you can get this delicious toast with mushroom and feta cheese and halloumi and eggs..OHGODYES! [Insert drooling sound effects]

• Kennett River Koala Walk:

Finding Koalas on the Kennett River Koala Walk isn’t very difficult as there are plenty in this area. Just walk along the Grey River and look in the Eucalyptus trees (especially the forks in the trees). Koalas are sooo cute! With their big fluffy ears and cuddly bodies! They also love sleeping as much as I do! (Sorry can’t hang out, I need to rest for 20 hours a day!) But please be aware these are wild animals and kindly be respectful of the wildlife here! Keep the noise down and just observe them from afar! There are also multiple signs that say don’t feed the animals or birds but you can often see tourists feeding bird seeds to the wild parrots! It is heartbreaking that places such as this are being ruined by tourism, so please be mindful!

• Lorne:

Next we stopped at Lorne to grab some lunch and also take a walk on the Lorne Pier. There is a popular fish and chips restaurant at the bottom of the pier! The pier is usually busy with fishermen and their families! There were also a few excited bunch of kids jumping off the pier into the beautiful blue waters! Rajesh was all riled up to try the same! It’s funny that I picked a partner who is the exact opposite of me! Remember, when your mother used to ask you “If your friends jump off the bridge, would you too?”, I think Rajesh is that friend!! The closest thing I have done that is the same level of exciting would be doing my homework while the teacher is collecting it!

• Cape Patton Lookout:

When you depart Lorne and head west, this is one of the first lookouts that you come across! You can see for miles the ocean meeting the shore! It is definitely worth a stop! Take in the views and snap a few pictures!

• Gibsons steps:

This is the first place you will visit when you enter the Port Campbell National Park. All of the glorious limestone wonders are just 5 minutes from each other. You could previously make your way down the steps that are carved into the face of the cliff and spend some time at the bottom of the beach. There is a sign that says falling rocks! I am not really sure what we are supposed to do with that information? They might just as well have a sign that says “Life is a gamble, try not to die”. However, when we went earlier this year (In April of 2020), it was closed off to the public due to potentially hazardous falling rocks! 

Oh! And we also saw the cutest Alpacas/Llamas on the way to Port Campbell! Also, you can’t tell either if it is an Alpaca or a Llama, so we’ll just say it is both! Alpacallama’s are cute as a button! (Why is this even a phrase?? I have literally never seen a button and thought …HOW CUTE!). Anyway Alpaca’s are sooo darn cute, I think we (not you and me, but Rajesh and I) should totally get a pet Alpaca! (Not sure why Rajesh is running away…) If I had an Alpaca, I’d totally have an Alpaca-blog. (Be glad that I don’t).

•12 Apostles:

It is one of those places that somehow finds a way to be more stunning in person than in pictures (And the pictures ARE GORGEOUS!). Although they are named the 12 Apostles, only 8 rocks remain. The remaining rocks have eroded away over the years by the strong waves and the winds! It is only a matter of time before more stone pillars fall into the ocean! [weeps silently] Also the place can be pretty busy with never-ending swarms of tourists and other travellers!

•Loch Ard Gorge:

This was our absolute favourite on the great ocean road and we totally recommend visiting this beautiful gorge – home to an inlet of clear bluish green water flanked by two yellow washed cliffs! You can go for a swim here or walk up to the cave at the far end of this gorge! We came back the next morning for a swim and it was hands down one of our favouritessstt experiences of the trip!

• Razorback, London Bridge, Arch and the Grotto:

These are some of the other attractions on the Great Ocean Road that are worth a visit! There are short walks that lead up to the lookout! If you are lucky, you can spot Kangaroos and pademelons here! We were also lucky to witness a bunch of Kangaroos (around 20 of them) in the wild, it was amazing!! So keep your eyes open while driving around here!! NOT suggesting that you close your eyes while driving around elsewhere…that would be fatal! Then you’d have to find a way to read my blog from beyond the grave!

Part 2: Things to do in Melbourne

Since Rajesh and I visit Melbourne mostly during the Australian Open, we spend a lot of time in Melbourne at the Australian Open or visiting friends! Other times we like to explore all the hipster cafes/restaurants and pubs! (We may not look like it but we love to eat!! And fortunately for me, I am not the only hungry hippo in this relationship! Melbourne has so many places to eat at! This is by no means a comprehensive list of what you can do in Melbourne! Just a few of our favourite things!

• Visit the Hosier Ln:

The Hosier lane is famous for its graffiti lined walls and urban art! It is a 2 minute walk From Flinders St Station. It is ever changing! The artwork is being painted over regularly, in a clear reflection of the times. It is beautiful! Earlier this year, a few people in masks used paint guns to spray over all the street art in this lane. However, when we visited it again in April this year (not expecting to see much), THERE WAS NEW ART EVERYWHERE!!!

THE LANE WAS FIXED AND REFRESHED!! THIS WAS A REALLY EXCITING DEVELOPMENT!! WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO EMBARK ON THIS ART-VENTURE?
THE ANSWER IS “NO-ONE!!! EVERYONE WANTS TO GO ON AN ART-VENTURE, MRINALI. ALSO, PLEASE STOP SHOUTING.”

• Visit Flinders Street and Federation Square:

Flinders street station is a picturesque cultural symbol of Melbourne. You might recognise it from travel brochures or postcards! It is also the busiest railway station! Across the road from the station is the Federation Square, another Melbourne icon! You can sit here and listen to live music, or even watch a tennis match that is broadcast during the Australian Open!

• Stroll around the Yarra River:

The Yarra river is lined with pubs and restaurants on both sides! You can even take a cruise down the river! It is also possible to go kayaking here! But the water quality is pretty low, so if you are good at capsizing and getting swallowed by water (like I am), I wouldn’t recommend it! 

• Watch the sunset at St Kilda:

The beach itself isn’t that great, but the vibe and the culture in this area is pretty vibrant all day long! You can walk along the pier which offers wonderful views of the beach to the south and the city skyline to the north! There is also a lookout for the fairy penguin colony here! You can also get settled with a coffee or a cocktail and watch the sun go down!

• Eat:

Melbourne is a foodie’s paradise with restaurants to suit every taste. We usually roam around the neighbourhood until our desired food is found, devour food, get upset for forgetting to take pictures of food, stick a gold-star next to “Feed Self” on our mental to-do list. I however, have failed to come up with my top food picks in Melbourne for reasons that do not exist! Even though the food is much better than Sydney, I don’t have a list of favourites yet! I’m burning with shame! Please turn away DON’T LOOK AT ME (but continue reading).

• Stroll around the city:

Stroll around the city streets, parade around the parks or even rent a bike if you can! Melbourne is famous for its quirky arcades and laneways. There are many art work hidden in the street corners waiting to be discovered! You can even take a free tram ride in the city! For someone who feels lazy to walk up to her fridge, walking around Melbourne is quite enjoyable!

We also took a tour of the MCG since Rajesh is very interested in Cricket. The guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions and also gave us all sorts of interesting facts about the ground and its multi uses throughout the year! However, the tour was underwhelming for such a fantastic stadium. We would recommend skipping the tour and trying to catch a match in the stadium instead!

We highly recommend visiting the Australian Open, it is our favourite event to attend in Melbourne and we try to go almost every year! It is hard to describe the vibe during the Australian Open to you. You just need to go and experience it for yourself. Are you still reading?? Alright, this entry is finally over.

Posted By: admin · In: australia, Featured, Travel