C ♥ C Taste of Melbourne, Victoria: 7D6N Travel Itinerary

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What to do if you have One Week in Melbourne?

1. Brunch & Coffee

Melbourne is food-obsessed, marvellously multicultural and a showpiece for Australian culture. Beyond city limits, Victoria offers soulful history, stirring wilderness and culinary excellence.
Melbourne. No contest really. Hobart is the only other major city we’ve visited, and though it’s nice, it has nothing on Melbourne. This city has it all, just try and ignore the crazy weather, and your growing waistline from all the coffee and cake.

For Coffee Place refer to our previous blog post HERE

 

2. To Phillip Island

Phillip Island – Home to the world-famous Penguin Parade and other popular wildlife attractions, all only 90 minutes from Melbourne.
There are so many activities to do in Philip Island itself, but we were there for the penguins. Thus, after visiting the Warrook Cattle Farm, we headed straight for the Penguin Parade.

However before The Penguin Parade starts, we were still in time to visit:

The Nobbies

This area offers spectacular coastal viewing from the boardwalks and lookout points set amongst natural sea bird gardens.
Things to do?
– Stroll along The Nobbies boardwalk and enjoy spectacular views along Phillip Island’s rugged south coast.
– See the awesome blowhole, a spectacular sea cave that thunders during big southern swells.
– Silver Gulls nest here and chicks can be seen during spring and early summer.

Little Penguins are also often seen here resting between seasonal and daily duties.

Inside the Nobbies Centre there is a gift shop, cafe, accessible toilets and the interactive interpretative centre nearest the main panoramic windows. Don’t forget to get some penguins here! So cute!

Penguin Parade

Experience one of Australia’s most popular attractions. Each night at sunset you’ll be amazed by Little Penguins returning ashore after a day’s fishing. We were just in time for the feeding season! And there were hundreds and hundreds of them!

Say hello to the world’s smallest penguin!

See the world’s smallest penguin in its natural habitat from viewing stands and boardwalks. As the sun fades in the sky, Little Penguins waddle up the beach to the safety of their homes in the sand dunes. We watched mommy Penguins feeding their offsprings!

The main penguin viewing area at Summerland Beach has tiered seating and provides a 180 degree elevated viewing of the Little Penguins on parade. Watching them arrive and waddle across the beach to their sand dune burrows at sunset is such a magical experience.

Visitors can also enjoy Little Penguins around their burrows from elevated timber boardwalks. They might walk up to your car park too! Haha.

**Please take not that photography and filming of the penguins is not allowed.

Phillip Island Nature Parks
1019 Ventnor Road, Ventnor, Victoria, 3922

The Nobbies
1320 Ventnor Rd, Summerlands VIC 3922, Australia

 

3. The Great Ocean Road

Famous in Australia and around the world as one of the best drives on the planet.

 

The Twelve Apostles

There are only eight remaining (the rest have fallen) and forming the backdrop are these magnificent cliffs up to 70 metres high.

Loch Ard Gorge

Loch Ard is the next stop from the 12 Apostles.
This area has a rich history involving a shipwreck where only 2 people lived to tell their story.

An advise:
DON’T do it in one day – Don’t just rush to the 12 Apostles for your tourist snap. Slow down and appreciate all it has to offer. Visit all the rock formations and towns, walk on a beach and in the rainforest, see a waterfall and wildlife, sit at a lookout and be present. I would suggest 2 days minimum although most travelogue that we read suggest 3 days minimum. Haha.

 

4. Pick Strawberries & Cherries @ Mornington Peninsula

Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm
244 Shands Rd, Main Ridge VIC 3928, Australia

We went for their “U-Pick” at Adults AUD9 that includes 500gm of strawberries.
Yes, definitely slightly more expensive than buying a packet of the same size but it’s the experience that counts!

 

How can we resist their famous strawberry temptation: farm made strawberry ice cream and sorbet!
Must eat! Perfect for summer right!

 

Ripe ‘N’ Ready Cherry Farm
52 Arkwells Ln, Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula, VIC 3937, Australia

Fruit season runs from Mid-November to Mid-January depending on the year’s weather.
Pick Your Own!
During the fruit picking season which runs approximately from early November to Mid-January
visitors can pick their own cherries.
At AUD10, pick & eat as much as you like!

 

5. Vineyard hopping / Wine Tasting @ Mornington Peninsula

We visited 3 vineyards in total.
– The Cups Estate
– Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove
– Tuck’s Ridge

The Cups Estate
269 Browns Rd, Fingal VIC 3939, Australia

The Cups Estate Restaurant offers spectacular views across the vineyard and olive grove. The casual yet sophisticated setting provides a perfect venue for relaxing and enjoying the company of friends and family. And we love their menu, that is designed to accompany the wines.
Only lunch is available.

We bought 2 bottle of wines from here and one of the must-get would be their Moscato 🙂

 

Montalto Vineyard & Olive Grove
33 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South VIC 3937, Australia

Their restaurant was under refurbishment that time so we missed their food 🙁

 

Tuck’s Ridge
37 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South VIC 3937, Australia

Located just next to Montalto, we didn’t want to drive too far for another vineyard so we settled to Tuck’s Ridge. What a wonderful encounter, the staff at Tuck’s were very professional and attentive. He was also very generous, letting us extra wines from the wine tasting menu.

**Please note that a AUD5 per pax will be charged for wine tasting at all vineyards but it will be FOC when you purchase wines from them.

 

6. Horse Riding @ Mornington Peninsula

Gunnamatta Trail Rides
150 Sandy Rd, Fingal VIC 3939, Australia

*Please book in advance: http://gunnamatta.com.au/

We went for their Truemans Bush Ride. The duration was about 50 – 55 minutes. It’s a Beginner suitable ride at AUD70 per person. We love this experience as it was our first time controlling the horses ourselves! The guides would also ride a horse themselves, guiding us along trail.

 

7. Brighton Bathing Boxes
Dendy Street Beach, Dendy Street and the Esplanade, Brighton, Victoria, 3186

Dive into Port Phillip Bay under the watch of 82 distinctive bathing boxes, a row of uniformly proportioned wooden structures lining the foreshore at Brighton Beach.
With distinctive decorations and being so colourful, the boxes turn the Brighton seaside into an immediately recognisable, iconic beachscape. We just can’t resist pulling out your camera and snap away.

 

8. Eat Oysters at South Melbourne Market
322 Coventry St, Melbourne VIC 3205‎, Australia

People come from far and wide to indulge in these freshly shucked 1 – 2 dollars oysters! Head over to Aptus Seafood!
Add a dollop of Tabasco, drizzle some lemon and slurp down the goodness!

We love the South Melbourne Market compared to Victoria Market as it is like a mini version of the Queen Victoria Market. It is far more intimate and is frequented by the locals in the area.
This market a fabulous range of the freshest and highest quality foods and Deli items and a small range of clothes, gifts, home wares etc.

Opening Hours:
Wed: 8am-4pm
Fri: 8am-5pm
Sat: 8am-4pm
Sun: 8am-4pm.

 

 

9. Eat all the International Cuisine! We had Japanese, Indian, Thai & Vietnamese! & a Korean Bar!

Thai: Ying Thai 2
110 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia

 

Japanese: Menya Ramen’s Gyutan Don
437 Elizabeth Street, CBD, Melbourne, VIC

 

Chadstone’s Food Court: Sashimi!
1341 Dandenong Rd, Chadstone VIC 3148, Australia

 

Vietnamese Cuinese: Hoa Tran Vietnamese
246A Springvale Rd, Springvale VIC 3171, Australia

 

Happy Hour @ Korean Bar: JooMak
407-409 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

An decent underground bar that you should try!

 

10. Warrook Cattle Farm
4170 South Gippsland Highway, Monomeith VIC 3984

http://www.warrook.com.au/
Entrance Fee: AUD 28 (ADULT) – farm tour included

Located half way between Melbourne and Phillip Island, Warrook Farm is an excellent stop over point for a meal break. And also some activities of course. Sheep shearing, milking, kangaroo feeding and whip cracking – it is all in a day’s fun at historic Warrook Farm.

There are specially tailored tours that run daily and showcase the history of the farm, its wildlife, homestead and gardens. We bottle feed baby calves, learn how to milk a cow, learn the art of whip cracking, see the working dog round up sheep and watch sheep shearing in the 1887 shearing shed. We also fed the kangaroos and view Australian and other wildlife in the Warrook Fauna Park.

 

11. Hosier Lane

Walk down the famous bluestone laneway and admire the street art that has made the Melbourne urban art scene known across the globe! Take in the dizzying array of colours, characters and shapes created by local and international artists alike. The street art change from time to time.

We were lucky enough, this art was just painted on the same day we were there! Should’ve checked if the paint was still wet! LOL!

 

12. Queen Victoria Market

513 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000‎

The historical Queen Victoria Market is visited by most tourists for its lively yelling spruikers in the seafood and meat department, colourful and aromatic fruit and vegetable section and the great variety of the delicatessen hall.

Opening hours:
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6am – 2pm
Fridays: 6am – 6pm
Saturday: 6am – 3pm
Sunday: 9am – 4pm

 

13. Have a Chocolate Break!

Koko Black
Shop 4 Royal Arcade, 335 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
*They have other outlets around Melbourne too!

 

14. Shopping

Well, we did quite a lot of “aunty-uncle” shopping. Not for our clothes or other branded stuffs but went for baby clothing, snacks, junks, chocolates and supplements! Haha.

How could we miss K-Mart & Target? Bought some clothes for Mini C and his cousins

 

Chips & Organic Baby Food: These were just a part of it. Must visit Coles & Woolworths!

Car Rental

RentalCars.com is the world’s biggest car rental booking service that compares all the major brands like Hertz, Avis, Alamo, and Europcar.

 

Our Accommodation at Mornington Peninsula

20, Dorothy Court, McCrae VIC 3938

We stayed at Helen’s one bedroom apartment with ensuite is conveniently located 1 km from McCrae beach. It comfortably sleeps two and is dog friendly

There are over 256 hotels in Mornington Peninsula that can be found on HotelsCombined. Do check them out here!

 

**Special thanks to our best friend YEN who brought us around and helped to plan this itinerary!

 

Till the next travel tale! Bye!

xoxo C&C