April 18, 2017

Trip to Melbourne


A number of my friends recently moved to Melbourne so I spent a week over there as they've been persuading me to move there for ages! I booked my flight and accommodation back in September last year and was really looking forward to this trip. It was my first "solo" international travel which took place in the New Year so I don't know how much cliche I can get (my friends were already living/visiting there sooooo I guess that counts as solo?)


My first day there was mainly a tour around the city. I stayed at Travelodge Hotel in my entire holiday which was located in the CBD so getting around wasn't too much of a hassle. Had dinner right after checking in at Meat & Wine Co in Southbank and they had the most delicious steak! It was also my first full meal of the day so I'm probably biased for saying that but if I come back to Melbourne, I'm definitely dining there again.



Exploring Southbank was amazing. I'm a big fan of long bridges, boats, and rivers so even though my feet hurt from walking all day, it was pretty much worth it. I spent all of my mornings during my stay walking around the area and thought that it wouldn't be too bad living there one day ;) It's cheaper compared to living in Auckland so sounds good to me!


Of course, what's a trip to Melbourne without shopping? There are a lot of brands in Australia that haven't reached old New Zealand yet so believe me when I say that I spent 10 hours shopping in just one day! The weather was really humid and hot so I stayed inside the malls most of the time (which was quite a shame really, as I'm sure there were lots of places that I missed) A little note to self, come back to Melbourne anytime but summer!



A trip in Melbourne wouldn't be complete without visiting Great Ocean Road. Personally, I think it's one of the best roads for driving, as every direction you look at is just breathtaking. The photos don't do justice at all -  just don't forget to bring your insect repellant because hello, it's Australia. There were no near restaurants/cafes in the area so we drove a bit further and had some really delicious wood-fired pizza. That day was certainly my favourite.

I'm certainly keen to visit Melbourne again, maybe early next year. There were a lot of iconic places that I missed and locations I want to see again. Record store shops, libraries, famous cafes, etc. Melbourne is amazing and hopefully, I can do my OE there someday!
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© Gia M.