Travel Dates: December 2023
Things to do in Melbourne:
Great Ocean Road – A must-do for anyone visiting Melbourne is the Great Ocean Road drive. It starts from the coastal town of Torquay and ends in Allansford, with the entire drive almost 10 hours long non-stop. With only 1.5 days here, we didn’t have too much time, but here are the highlights as we ventured from the west to the east:
- Bay of Islands – vast coastal view of many rock formations scattered offshore
- The Grotto – a sinkhole/cave with a spectacular ocean view. Unfortunately we went during high tide so couldn’t get to see the bottom, but the views from the platforms above are still worthwhile
- London Bridge – rock formation of an arch offshore of Port Campbell National Park
- Sparks Gully – the path walking to the viewpoint is clearer than walking back to the parking area, so just be observant where you’re going
- Bakers Oven – rock formation with a hole in the middle like an oven opening
- Mutton Bird Island Lookout – while driving here, look for a street sign to follow in order to park close to the viewpoint
- Tom and Eva Lookout & Razorback Lookout – nice and easy stroll to see these two viewpoints from the main Loch Ard Gorge parking lot
- Twelve Apostles – the main attraction of the Great Ocean Road of the most iconic group of rock formations. These group of rocks were named “Twelve Apostles” despite only ever having nine rocks; and as of 2023, only seven remain. This is the only viewpoint stop with a bathroom
- Wild Koalas – on Grey River Road, left of Kafe Koala, you’ll see groups of people stopping to look up in the trees. This is where you can find a couple of wild koalas sleeping high up in the eucalyptus trees.
- Anglesea Golf Club – from 10am – 4pm daily, this golf club has kangaroo tours where you can see up close the semi-wild kangaroos that inhabit the golf course. We unfortunately got there after 4pm but were still able to observe the kangaroos through the fence from afar.
There are other stops we made, but if you’re pressed on time or not too interested, feel free to skip these:
- Thunder Cave – a bit of a walk to get to, although it was easy (~15 – 20 minutes roundtrip)
- Gibson Steps – one of the few stops where you can walk down to the beach
- Teddy’s Lookout – although a nice viewpoint, it is a bit out of the way
- Memorial Arch at Eastern View – quick and easy stop for the Great Ocean Road signage
- Reef Lookout – a bit difficult to find as there are no signs or clear places to park in the area
- Split Point Lookout, Cape Patton Lookout, Mount Defiance, Castle Cove Lookout, Point Addis, Sancho Lookout, Bay Of Martyrs
There are a few other things to be aware of for the Great Ocean Road. Some of the lookouts, especially around Port Campbell, are slightly off road and on narrow paths so be mindful of the car you drive (we had a BMW M340 which wasn’t the best but still manageable). In addition, driving east to west may be easier since all the views will be on the left side (we drove the opposite and the only benefit was the flow of traffic was a bit better since most people drive east to west).
Philip Island Penguin Parade – The last time I came to Melbourne, I booked a tour to see the penguin colonies at Philip Island, and highly recommend this. The Penguin Parade lets you see Little Penguins swim ashore to the beach at sunset, where they then waddle to their burrows every evening. It’s such an amazing experience to see this natural phenomena, and the penguins are utterly adorable. Please keep in mind photography is not allowed here to minimize disruptions to penguins (flash photography can harm penguins’ eyes and disorientate them).
Queen Victoria Market – Marketplace where you can buy souvenirs, food, and drinks. It’s typically only open during the day, but in the summer they have night markets (check out https://qvm.com.au for more details). Although the Summer Night Market is crowded, the food is delicious–I recommend Bboy’s BBQ for Filipino chicken & pork BBQ skewers.
Hosier Lane – If you are interested in graffiti art, make a quick stop here to snap some pictures and view the street art that is ever changing.
Where to eat in Melbourne:
Lune Croissanterie – Delicious pastries (I recommend the almond croissant), but the lines are long–we waited at least 30 minutes on a Wednesday at 10am.
Rice Paper Scissors – Although a bit pricey, this South East Asian eatery does not disappoint when it comes to flavorful dishes. We ordered the crispy barramundi fish, king prawns, peach slaw salad, chickpea curry, and crispy pork hot pockets as part of the shared plate special (choose 5 items for $55 AUD per person during lunch). The fish and pork pockets were my favorite, along with the refreshing lemongrass spritz and piña colada special they had that day.
IKKAI – Sukiyaki, Izakaya & Donburi – Right around the corner from our hotel, this was a delicious dinner spot with tasty eel don (rice bowl) and Japanese-styled hot pot.
Tony’s Pies – A local favorite for meat pies, we thought this bakery was decent–the curry one was the best in our opinion.
Where to stay in Melbourne:
Brady Apartment Hotel Hardware Lane – A good hotel for its price, location, and amenities. This city-center building is essentially apartments, with certain floors being converted for hotel usage. Thus the rooms are perfect if you need multi-bedrooms and bathrooms, and a kitchen. There is also free laundry on-premise (front desk provides complementary laundry detergent).
Port Campbell Parkview Motel & Apartments – We stayed at this location given price and proximity to the Great Ocean Drive/Twelve Apostles. The room we had was two stories–first floor was a small living space with kitchen and half bath, and the second floor had two bedrooms and a three-quarter bath. Parking is complementary and conveniently located directly outside of the room. It’s not a bad accommodation, but it’s definitely no-frills though it gets the job done.
Globe Trotter 