My most favourite place of all time is Melbourne. I went for ten days at the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 with Andrew. There are so many things I loved about this place and cannot wait to return next year so we can do the things we didn't get round to doing last trip.
The Great Ocean Road is the coastline that spans from Torquay to Allansford. The Twelve Apostles, which can be seen from the coastline, are the rock statues that have resulted from the erosion and detachment processes of the cliffs. We travelled on part of the Great Ocean Road when we went to Lorne, a small town about two hours outside of Melbourne, for a music festival called Falls. Unfortunately we did not get to see the Twelve Apostles, but were amazed by the sights of Bells Beach and the beautiful scenery that the drive had to offer.
St Kilda is Melbourne's main beach, located only six kilometres from the city. With my favourite AFL team being the Saints and my favourite television show as a teenager being "The Secret Life of Us" being set in the Melbourne suburb, I was disappointed when we ran out of time and didn't get there. The suburb is known for it's trendy culture, with streets lined with cafes and the site for many events and festivals, as well as it's beautiful beach.
The Queen Victoria Markets, situated on Victoria Street in Melbourne Central, are frequently visited by tourists. This is another place I would like to visit next trip, failing to do so last time. I remember when my Mum went about fifteen years ago, she visited the markets and brought home some beautiful presents. One present that particularly sticks out in my mind are the psotage stamps that she chose for me from big buckets, paying a minimal amount for some beautiful stamps from around the world to add to my collection.
The Eureka Skydeck 88 is situated in South Bank. It is the world's fourth tallest residential building, measuring at 297.3 metres tall. The observation deck is on the 88th floor, offering a breathtaking 360 degree view of Melbourne. For the stunning views, I was able to brave my terrible fear of heights and go to the 88th floor, but not enough to walk out into the glass box that protrudes from the building, allowing you to look down and see the city below.
Phillip Island, located 140 kilometres from Melbourne Central, is home to the fairy penguins. I was disappointed we didn't get to visit them, but with Andrew's love of fairy penguins and my desire to see them in their natural habitat, we will undoubtedly get there next time.
South Bank's Crown Casino is the biggest casino in the Southern Hemisphere. I'm not a huge gambler, so I was just amazed at the light shows and the fact that we were standing where the Logies ceremony is held each year.
I was so excited to sit in Federation Square amongst thousands of cricket fans watching parts of the Melbourne test on the big screen, surrounded by the art gallery, cafes and SBS headquarters. I loved the mix of sport and culture that we sat in the middle of, giving us a taste of the different flavours that Melbourne has to offer.
The love that Andrew and I have for animals made us save the best for the last day of our holiday - Melbourne Zoo. We were amazed by some of the animals we encountered and could have spent forever there. Such beautiful animals and such a beautiful environment.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground was a huge highlight of our trip. We went for the second day of the Boxing Day Test and I was astounded by the atmosphere and the size of the stadium. It's capacity is double that of Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium and it was definitely noticed when sitting in the top tier. I loved the walk leading up to the MCG along the Yarra River as well, getting a good view of surrounding sporting arenas such as Rod Laver and AAMI Stadium.
Flinders Street Station was amazing. Prior to leaving for our holiday, everybody I came across advised me to go and see it and although I gathered it must have been a must see, I did not imagine anything as spectacular as that. The beautiful station has a very vintage feel to it, making it feel as though we were catching a train in the olden days.
The Royal Botanic Gardens are breathtakingly gorgeous. The walk along the Yarra through some of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen was quite a beautiful way to enjoy a lovely afternoon. It reminded me a lot of my Nanny as she loved looking at gardens.
Andrew and I had a wonderful time at the Melbourne Aquarium. I loved that fact that we didn't have to leave the city in order to see the beautiful sea creatures and the amazing tunnel that allowed us to stand underneath some of the tanks, looking up and admiring all the animals.
Andrew has family in Williamstown, a suburb that's located by the water about fifteen minutes from Melbourne Central, allowing us to spend a bit of time in the lovely area. The pretty scenery, consisting of old buildings and gorgeous parks along the water made me sit on the swings for hours on end, taking in the beauty of my surroundings.
Southgate shopping precinct, the DFO and Melbourne Central created some of the best shopping memories I've ever had. The array of stores with bargains galore had my attention for hours. I had to forcibly remind myself that we only had ten days to enjoy the sights and sounds of Melbourne, not shopping centres. The Blue Train Cafe in Southgate also serves the best caesar salad I've ever had and offers the most stunning views of the city, particularly at night. Andrew and I joined our friend Simon there for dinner one evening and were very impressed.
The gorgeous architecture of Melbourne is what I first noticed about this city. Saint Paul's Cathedral, located on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets, is one building that springs to mind in particular. The Anglican cathedral is one of Melbourne's major landmarks with it's intricate design and beautiful stained glass windows. This is one of my favourite photos that I took during our trip, looking up from outside the cathedral with the afternoon sun shining from behind the building.
The Victorian Arts Centre, located in South Bank, is where major theatre productions are shown and home to the markets on a Saturday morning. Due to renovations, we were unable to go inside the establishment and have a look around, but we did get to see the 160 metre tall spire that sits on top of the building. At night it was an absolutely gorgeous sight, lighting up and resembling a miniature Eiffel Tower.
I loved the trams. As weird as it sounds, I could have watched them all day. On our last day, I made Andrew spend the afternoon on as many trams as we could travel on, I just loved them and embraced them as an icon of Melbourne. With the second largest tram network in the world, Melbourne has over 500 trams, 300 kilometres of track and thousands of stops. I found them absolutely fascinating and loved the noise of the bells as they went past.
I absolutely adored Swanston Street, one of the main streets in the city. We stayed up the end of Swanston Street just outside Melbourne Central in a suburb called Carlton. I loved how the street had a suburbian feel to it, despite being in the heart of the city, with trees lining the grey, stone paths accompanying the hustle and bustle of a regular city.
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