So I just wanted to take some time to give you guys an idea of what we got up to in Melbourne.
We spent about seven days there, and we stayed in the suburbs (Croydon area) with friends for the duration of our trip. We were lucky enough to drive around and be taken to many places outside of the city, which are worth seeing in the outside areas of Melbourne.
I understand that this may not be easy for anyone who is predominantly visiting the city and may not have access to a car whilst visiting. However, if you have a chance to stay in the suburbs or see some of the outside areas, I’d like to share with you where we visited, as we have some fantastic days out.
Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley is an area with lots of different wineries and attractions. We went for lunch at a brewhouse with a restaurant called Meletos.
We then finished up at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. Yep, my idea of heaven. If you know me at all, you’ll see that I LOVE chocolate. Let me tell you; their chocolate was delicious. They have some chocolate drops for you to try as soon as you come in, a big bowl of milk, white and dark chocolate drops. The white chocolate may have been the best I have ever tasted. It was hard not just to put my face in the vast bowl. I feel that would have been frowned upon. After looking at all the delicious chocolate treats they sold, we sat down for ice cream. I had a chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. Now I am very fussy when it comes to a chocolate brownie – I have very high expectations. This brownie was not only HUGE, but it was also delicious! Craig had a giant Chocolate Honeycomb Sundae and polished it all off.
I would recommend a trip here if you can get to Yarra Valley and enjoy chocolate.
Healesville Sanctuary
Healesville Sanctuary is also about an hour from Melbourne CBD, just by the Yarra Valley area, and it is a small animal sanctuary full of only Australian animals.
I love it here. It has many walkthrough areas where the animals can roam around, and sometimes you’ll be lucky enough for them to be real close to you! We managed to feed a wallaby which was cute! And they have Koala’s which are just gorgeous; I could sit and watch them for ages (even though they barely move)!
There are many animals you can see, such as Koala’s, Kangaroo’s, Wallaby’s, Tasmanian Devils, Emu’s, Dingos and Platypus. In addition, there are keeper talks at specific times. However, we found that many of the staff are always happy to talk to you about the animals in the area you’re in if you have any questions, and they have a fantastic bird show.
Prices are roughly $38 for adults and $19 for children.
If you enjoy seeing animals and want to know many Australian animals specifically, then this is a great place to visit.
Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula is an area south of Melbourne CBD along the coast. There are lots of beaches, viewpoints and walking tracks that you can stop at. We spent some time at one of the beaches, and it was stunning. We also took a short walk down a path to a rocky area that had a beautiful view.
It’s honestly a beautiful area to spend the day, moving from beach to beach and taking short walks to see amazing views.
Mount Dandenong
We drove from Croydon up to Mount Dandenong, stopping in some charming little villages along the way – as we drove up and up the mountains.
I love taking the drive up here because it just feels like somewhere completely different; as you wind up the roads between the trees, little villages pop up with the cutest little shops and cafes.
One of the small towns we visited was Sassafras, a gorgeous tea room called Miss Marple’s Tearoom. We didn’t stop there on this trip, but I have visited there before, and it’s the cutest little tearoom with tea and scones.
We continued driving up to SkyHigh Mount Dandenong. We drove up here to show Craig our friends’ wedding venue and lunch in their restaurant. SkyHigh is a reserve that you have to pay a small amount to enter and walk around their grounds, but it is beautiful. There are beautiful gardens you can walk around, and the view of the city and the rest of Melbourne is pretty amazing.
Melbourne CBD (Central Business District)
We spent a day in the city, and it was so much fun! First, we got the train into Flinders Street Station, Australia’s oldest station and one of the main transport links in the city.
If you like street art, make sure to walk around Hosier Street and the other lanes around there. I loved this area. There were several unique pieces of art to look at and so many good photo ops! Plus a few good shops too!
Next was one of my fave things to do in any city, visit a tall building with a good view. In Melbourne, this is the Eureka Skydeck 88. Eighty-eight floors up, you can get a fantastic 360-degree view of the city – it is beautiful. They also have this mad lift type thing, which takes you out of the building, so there is nothing but glass beneath you. I did fancy this, but there was a long wait for it, so it’s on my list for next time!
Another great way to enjoy your trip to Melbourne is to visit Crown Melbourne, the casino. Not just a casino, but also a hotel, food court, arcade, restaurants and shops.
Lastly, we spent some time along the Yarra River, stopping in some bars for a drink and having dinner at a seafood restaurant called the Waterfront.
