MELBOURNE 5 DAYS 4 NIGHTS
I CANT PRAISE ENOUGH ABOUT MELBOURNE.
GOOD TRANSPORTATION
CLEAN
SAFE
LOTS OF GOOD FOOD
SIGHTSEEING
we stayed at Airbnb for the 4 nights. The location is in Abbortsford, it takes about 20 minutes to reach the city centre by tram.
abbortsford is largely dominated by vietnamese neighbourhood.
the Airbnb is rather weird, we paid for the cleaning fees but they still want us to clean up and remove our rubbish
i have stayed at several airbnbs but none of the owners/agents have this type of request before.
thus, to prevent extra charges, we cleaned up, dumped the rubbish, wash all plates.
the bedroom is very comfortable, everything is clean, and the security system is also very good.
I took this photo when we depart, so the sheets were in fact intact when we arrived
Everything looks neat and tidy, the cleaner did a good job, as AirBnb charge seperately for cleaning fees
Plenty of Sunlight
The dining table is long and we love putting our groceries here
There is a balcony where you can just enjoy and chit chat
changing some currencies
alright, so i bought my tickets a few months ago. im ready to go ......
my flight was on saturday, !0am.... so i pre-order a lunch
the typical air asia meal Rm15 (pre-book) only
the reason i chose this was because i knew i have a long flight so i need something filling. taste wise, spicy and hot! also they gave a 330ml water for free
i have done my research and knows that there are literally 2 ways to get into the city
1. cab (easily AUD$70)
skybus (AUD$19.50) person
the service was fast a quick, there are counters outside the airport where you can purchase these tickets one way or 2 ways. then we queue up about 5 minutes and a skybus picked us up.
its a double decker bus and they advice us to leave the downstairs for the elderly.
after 30 minutes we arrived at southern cross station, as it was night time, it wasnt too busy. our next challenge is finding out way back to our airbnb which is 20 minutes away from southern cross station. we were famished so as no shops are open already, we went into woolsworth to buy so snacks.
the chocolate milk was thick and yummy
also, we ordered hungry jacks. just a typical cheeseburger, nuggets that are way too small, a soft drink and an ice cream all for AUD$7.65
these chobani are a must try!!!! 5 for AUD$4.!!! how awesome!
its only AUD$0.8 per pack!
the weird thing is that when i first ate it, it feels very sour!, then i realised the fruit compote is at the bottom. all flavours are awesome but they are RM8 in Malaysia per pack
free ice cream from hungry jacks meal. i never liked hungry jacks, if you are drunk and just need fried food, this is the place to go, otherwise dont bother
the interior of woolsworth at southern cross, i like the concept of wide spaces, whereas in Malaysia i sometimes feel claustrophobic looking for the stuff i want
we made a mistake of not buying our sim cards, and we have trouble finding our way home. luckily, the citizens are very friendly and they will try to show us the directions. nevertheless, i realised that we are actually taking a tram to our house. so trams are on the road, now, im worried that the stations will be closed as it is reaching 11pm. the security told me trams are open all night! so im a little relieved, then finally we boarded 109 to our airbnb
the Public Transport in Melbourne goes by the Myki System where you tap it when you go onboard and tap off where you leave... it is very easy. all you need is to purchase a myki card .
as you can see, i have paid AUD$15.
AUD$6 = value of card
AUD$9 = myki money
they have a cap system where you travel anywhere within 2 hours and it will be AUD$4.3
a daily cap is AUD$8.6
so no matter how far or little you travel, thats the daily cap
this is applicable to bus, trams and train in the city
for interstate, different charges will apply
Remember to get your Myki card as it is so cheap if you are travelling in the same zone!
so if you have run out of credit, just top up at the self service counters/7 eleven....
trains and trams come very frequently, just make sure you are in the right direction
if it is after work, it gets very cramped so try to avoid that rush hour
Sunday , 9th September
the view from our apartment
i woke up early, 5am and then i realised its too early for me to do anything. so i slept in until 8am, then i decided to go to the nearby supermarket. it is just 8 minutes away from our stay. EASY!
fruit coma
the aisle are very clean and organised, this COLES is actually recently renovated. its not too big but i have trouble locating the items because its my first time
so i have spent AUD$56.40
bought
1. sim card 15GB, 100 minutes international call AUD$20
2. uncle toby cereal AUD$2.25
3. lettuce AUD$2.5
4. oranges AUD$2.87
5. turkey ham AUD$28 per kg AUD$2.97
6. coles juice AUD$1.5
7. smoked leg ham AUD$24 per kg AUD$2.21
8.flatbread AUD$3
9. uncle toby oats AUD$2
10. the juice bro orange 1.5 Litre AUD$6.9
11. coles 2 litre milk AUD$2
12. strawberries AUD$1.6
13. farmpride eggs 12 , 600gm AUD$3
in my opinion, lettuce, juice, bread are very expensive
milk and oats are cheap
next i proceeded to make my breakfast
1. chobani
2. oats -uncle toby
3. greens
4. wrap
5.eggs
6. chocolate milk
7. orange juice
8. strawberries are in season! so cheap!
9. granola -uncle toby
10. avocado
My Fav, creamy and decadent
after breakfast, we have decided to visit st kilda and brighton beach! little did we know, these places are not very accessible and we are literally walking in circles.
the trip to st kilda isnt too hard! so we boarded a tram there. basically you can expect seaside view, piers and stuff like that
the skies are getting darker and suddenly there was rain, like drizzles
Luna park
entrance: AUD$2
rides: AUD$11 per ride (very expensive)
there is a market next to Luna Park and its lunch time
the portion is alright, huge amount of fries, like any other western food, fries are a must.
the fish is nicely battered, albeit too salty as after they fry it, they will sprinkle salt generously on top of fries and fish! well 2 persons can share the fries as there is indeed a lot.
price wise, its quite expensive since its just by the roadside!
fish and chips AUD$15
next, we visited the pier! lots of people will take a ferry ride to the penguin island
my myki has run out of credit so the only way is to top up at the nearby 7 eleven
then the trouble comes, we have to go to brighton beach, which is further down from St kilda but it was a sunday, buses only come once an hour, the trams are hard to locate as we are going further anf further into the neighbourhood, it looks like its going to rain,
out of desperation, i simply boarded a tram and as the conductor for directions, she said that this tram doesnt go to brighton beach as she told me she will drop me off at a nearby station to take a train straight to brighton beach! GENIUS!
then on the tram, an elderly man told me he is going to brighton beach as he stays there.
THANK GOODNESS! the train station is hard to locate and you will be notice you unless you are familiar!
its a narrow alleyway to the station and 20 minutes later, we reach the beach. the elderly man gave me so directions and we parted ways. the station to the bathing boxes takes 15 to 20 minutes my walking.
there is no tourist in sight, the locals hurried home as the skies are very dark!
i feel lonely and deserted but finally after walking alone the beach for some time i spotted the colourful bathing houses.
when i approach them, suddenly the clouds drifted away and there comes the sun!
lots and lots of tourist are talking photos and posing
after taking some photos, im too tired and i really want to get back to the city.
the sun sets around 5.45PM and around 6 something, its pitch black and i dont want to stay in such a deserted place.
the tourist all came by tour buses, a few locals drove there! so i was the only one using the public transport. i was a little scared and really prefer to go to the city at the moment.
so from Middle Brighton we went straight to the city, Melbourne Central
Woolworths are everywhere
the train station
we're walking on the streets and the time was about 5pm
the famous cheesecakes are also available in Malaysia
when i was walking on the streets, i realised a lot of franchise shops so i dont really bother.
LUSH!
Chinatown! it lacks personality and i prefer the Chinatown in London! bigger, more choices. the Chinatown here basically sells noodles and dumplings
so, we went back to the shop we passed by!
i ordered (AUD$9)
1. sushi roll -salmon
2. salmon sushi
3. beancurd with tuna
4. fried prawn sushi
my brother ordered (AUD$11)
1. 2 sushi rolls
2. 3 sushis
they have these small counters where you can sit in, free access to soy sauce, wasabi, picked ginger and water.
all in all, the food prices are pretty standard, and the sushi roll is huge
nightview by the river
Coles again! i have ran out of ham so this time we bought the pre-packaged ones
total damage : AUD$32.20
1. coles snack bites AUD$ 1.4
2. daily juice nourish 1 litre AUD$ 4.3
3. daily juice kids 250ml AUD$ 2.0
4. coles english ham 100gm AUD$ 1.8
5. lindt mint AUD$ 5.0
6. lindt bags 125gm AUD$ 5.0
7. lindt lindor 70% bag 123gm AUD$ 5.0
8. lindt lindor Choc 100gm AUD$ 4.25*
9. lindt lindor bar 38gm AUD$ 1.0
10. lindt lindor chocola 100gm AUD$ 4.25*
11. lemons AUD$ 0.70
Coles have a program where you spend AUD$30 and above and you can get a miniature! HOW CUTE
they have 30 over collections so they randomly gave me one
Day 3 Monday 10th September
i woke up at 6am as we are leaving at 7pm to take the tram to Extragreen Tour office at Swanston Street
i heated the wraps
cooked the ham i bought yesterday
made oatmeals for myself
sliced the avocado i bought the day before and made a wrap to bring it for lunch.
i have joined a chinese tour to the great ocean road http://extragreen.com.au/ for AUD$35
i think this is extremely good value as the other tours i have research are AUD$100 and above
Fare includes:
• Return coach transfer
• Sightseeing
• Professional Tour Guide
Optional: Helicopter Ride $140
Attractions
• Anglesea
• Memorial Arch
• Apollo Bay
• Port Campbell National Park
• 12 Apostles
• Loch Ard Gorge
the tour bus return to the city at 7pm so i consider it a full day tour
the first stop the tour brought us to is a Chocolate factory, inside, you can eat ice creams, confectionaries, chocolates
they have lots of samples for us to try!
chocolates with fancy packaging
really nice ambiance here
loving the large panel windows
Onto some delectable pastries
this chocolate ice cream is AUD$5 , it tastes very rich and decadent! Not Bad!
the journey to the 12 apostles take 3 hours approximately and the bus conductor took the scenic route!nevertheless, the roads are very narrow and bend at each corner, but the bus conductor expectly drives the bus in a very fast speed!
OH NO! this results in a lot of passengers feeling nauseous and vomited!
the tour guide treated this as a normal occurance and gave all passengers the plastic bag to vomit!
Next, we stopped at this quaint town to have lunch. Port Campbell
the restaurants are along the main road and there are many varieties to choose from
1.chinese
2. vietnamese
3.western
the famous anzac biscuits
we entered a pie shop and ordered a chicken pie AUS$7.5
the pie is a decent size, the fillings are flavourful, the linings are cripsy!
we dare not eat too much as we too are afraid of vomitting
next, we are walking further down and found a FOODWORKS
they have timtam on sale so i bought a few
then, we are are returning, the bus conductor took us to another sightseeing place!, this is Loch Ard George!
im getting really bored as the bus conductor took the inland road on our way back to prevent more people from getting nauseous! HAHA!
so i took photographs of the bank notes!
there arent much options expect for chain restaurants and fast food
so i passed by this store, its beside Melbourne Central and its a few small shop with a few tables only.
the service was fast, you order and the food comes in 10 minutes!
imagine my excitement when they served the eel which is similar to that in the picture!
this never happen in Malaysia as Unagi is known to be expensive !easily Rm 70 and above
AUD$13.9
the ramen was good but pale in comparison!
the tram is the most popular transport in the city!
the drivers are all law-abiding!
when a tram approaches, they will give way to the tram and follow behind!
i wonder if this actually happens in Malaysia
State Victoria Library! this library has history of over 100 years.
the top floors are all closed as its pass 5pm
we just wander in the lower ground, just to admire the beautiful architecture
anyone can come in, regardless of whether you are a student or not!
there is a chess board printed on the table and anyone can sit down and play
the rest of the students are revising, discussing...
Day 4 Tuesday
its a busy day ahead as we plan to go to Lune Croissants
Victoria Market
CitySightseeing
Museum
as usual, the typical breakfast spread! i cooked up some eggs as i have bought a dozen of eggs and somehow, they are way tastier that the eggs in Malaysia
i believe they are free range eggs and they are sought by mg
the one i bought is 600 mg (12 per pack) AUD$3
in Malaysia, eggs are sold by sizes like Grade A, B, C
the famous lune croissants
crispy, flaky, just the way i like it, but they didnt heat it up for me
really pricy at AUD9
our lunch did not disappoint. this van is in Queen Victoria Market and i saw lots of people eating.
i decided to order the basic one. half kg of mussels cooked with lemon juice! AUD$10
Luckily i have brought my own sauce.
i went to coles and look for the cheapest tomato sauce ! one huge bottle for AUD$1
then i put it in small containers and bring it out!
American doughnuts! these are super famous and you can always expect a line!
Doughnuts are known to be very sweet so this is no exception! the doughnuts are fried and then dumped into a put full of sugar!
the special thing is the strawberry filing inside!
AUD$1.2 each
came back to state victoria library again! this time with aerial view!
MECCA MAXIMA! the equivalent of sephora!
this outlet is huge! and they have their own line of products
i love the fact that they have tatcha and dermalogica
MOMA
this is a museum which showcases porcelains, japanese history, contemporaries which i dont know how to appreciate!
entrance is free
for exhibitions you have to purchase tickets
went to DFO South Wharf
this is an outlet where you can scout for offseasons apparels for a fraction of the price!
this outlet closes at 6pm and there is a foodcourt at the lower ground
there is a flour dedicated to sportswear, Sketchers, Nike, Puma, Adidas, Northface.......
not everything is cheap, some with only 10-20% off
after a few hours of browsing and shopping. i bought a pair of shorts fro AUD$5 from billabong just for homewear
im too tired and i decided to eat the strawberries i bought beside the river!
the sun is about to set and we just sat on the benches, took a lot of photos and ate fruits
Crown casino and next to it is the DFO
so beautiful
the reflections on the river
we are too tired and the restaurants are mostly closed, the ones by the riverside are pricy and needs bookings.
so we went back to the city and found a burger place
Chicken burger AUD$15
what a humongous burger
for the beast
5th day Wednesday, 13 September - Princess Pier
south melbourne market
south melbourne market is much less touristy than Queen Victoria Market, its like a neighbourhood market, they have everything you can think of, fruits, vegetables, meat, coffee, pastries, household items
Agathe pattisterie
yes, when i browse the market, everything looks mouth-watering
i ordered the spinach and cheese, this is something like a roti canai where they stuff cheese, which i think is ricotta. and some spinach, pairing it with sour cream, the price is a bit high and the staff are rude, whatever
GOZLEME is actually a turkish food
My first time trying gozleme
My first time trying gozleme
these tomatoes are super cheap at AUD$0.99
how can i resist
how can i resist
bought a goat milk soap 200gm AUD$3.4
fried chicken bau AUD$8.5
i ate 3 unagi sushis for AUD$7.5
all the sushis and seafood looks so fresh and tempting. i regret not getting the soft shell crab 3 for AUD$10
the scallop looks good as well
baked lobster with cheese, so sinful....
an unforgettable sunset
this is a weird fruit
Royal Arcade
my first encounter with this brand, they have 2 types of reviews
one is super bad and one is excellent
so they will be a salesperson giving out free hand cream samples and then lure you in the shop
after they demonstrate the products on you
they will subsequently ask you to buy
a pot of manuka Honey Peel sets you back about AUD$160
then they will tell you that since it is manufactured in Melbourne, it is way cheaper than if i get it in Malaysia .....
when i say i dont want to buy, they will be like, WHY????
Nitrolab ice cream- i chose Raspberry flavour and nutella, it is a weird combination
AUD$8.5
This is a very nice flavour- tomato herbs and spice
AUD$2.0
food at the airport
Chicken pie and veggies AUD$9.0
Plenty of Tim Tam flavours
it's time to head home
Goodbye Melbourne, i hope i get to visit australia soon
The Visa is fairly simple to apply for, the food is alright unless you dine out, i love the air, the bright sun, the blue skies, and the varieties of food
Comments
Post a Comment