Melbourne Travel Diary | A Chilly Trip
Hola! First of all, welcome to the blog. If you're new, my name is Andi, and it's good to have you here.
For today's post, I'll write about our trip to Melbourne- the places we visited, my first impressions, and some photos.
While I was excited to see Australia for the first time, I was also uneasy for a few reasons (iykyk). But of course, I decided that regardless of how it turned out, I would find ways to enjoy it- and I did. Let's go!
Melbourne Travel Diary
It was freezing when we arrived at the Tullamarine airport past midnight. My mother-in-law picked us up and handed us hoodies to use as an added layer of clothing because it was also raining. I brought pants and long sleeves with me (along with my daily tops), but at that moment, I knew they were not going to be enough to keep me warm. As a tropical girlie, anything between 10-18 degrees is too much.
Regular Days
Our trip was not exactly a vacation, per se. It was a time for my husband to revisit his hometown and try to take care of a few things. But of course, it was also a chance for me to see how it is over there. So going back, if we weren't at home, our regular days were spent checking out local spots or spending time at the Bunjil Place Library doing remote work. It was the most conducive place we could find for our laptop sessions; they had water, fast internet, and a coffee shop downstairs.
Libraries are cool. They're a good place for curious minds, and the temperature is always almost perfect.
Local Establishments
Okay, what else, hmm. Most of the establishments we visited were clean. There are rubbish bins everywhere, and there's not much litter outside; this is probably one of the things I liked the most, aside from the wide roads.
The commercial areas/malls we visited (both in the city proper and the suburbs) were smaller than Manila's SM Megamall, Shangri La Plaza, Mall of Asia, The Podium, BGC, and Capitol Commons. But they had more open spaces in their establishments. I don't have photos of their malls, but you can look them up.
Love the Blue-lit lobby of Melbourne Crown Casino, where my husband and I met with my college friend Lulu and her partner Vince.
I was happy to see my college roommate (who's also one of my besties) from La Salle 💚 We’re not very showy, but we stay in touch, and always feel great whenever we’re united. Lulu and I share a low-maintenance friendship. We don't talk every day, but on the occasions that we do, it is always meaningful and genuine. Having lived together for years during our Uni days, we've become like sisters. Shout out to our other roommates Kath, Baby, and Rosie. Hello! Hehe
Wilson Botanic Park
As we were heading back home, we stopped by Wilson Botanic Park. We just watched the cute ducks and then took some photos. There were only a few people during that time, so it felt peaceful to be there. The autumn tree looked pretty too (it matched my outfit, hehe).
There is a simple coffee booth inside to get your caffeine or sugar fix.
Phillip Island Wildlife Park
Now, let’s go a bit further. Phillip Island Wildlife Park is a nature park around an hour from Narre Warren. It's a nice place to check out if you love nature and animals. Quiet and spacious. I liked how they gave us food to feed the cute creatures. Some cages were empty, but the main Australian animal species were there.
Of course, they had wallabies and kangaroos (the only ones I wanted to see, as touristy as that sounds).
Here are some photos:
Local fish and chips from San Remo.
Springvale
Springvale is an Asian town where you can find fresh fruits, vegetables, and Asian goods. We only went here to accompany my MIL, so we stayed at Cafe Phố while waiting for her to finish at the salon (it took her almost two hours). I’m glad I ordered Vietnamese coffee- it was so strong, I loved it.
Little Culture Shocks
Burger King is branded as Hungry Jack’s, then TJ Maxx as TK Maxx
There are no hand bidets even in hotels, only toilet paper
Their tap water is potable- I tried having some and it didn’t upset my stomach
Establishments close early and most malls have no guards at the entrance
Casual racism is a thing (as well as alcoholism)
Drivers follow road rules and use their indicators a lot
There are so many go-to sushi stores everywhere
Others
Aside from sightseeing, I wanted to see my Uni mates in Melbourne. Thankfully, even though we were an hour away from the city, I was able to meet with Lulu and SJ.
I'm happy I saw my college friend Lulu twice because it brought me back to the good old days when we would talk about being excited to graduate to become proper adults, and now we're full-grown adults dealing with life's ups and downs.
SJ was my classmate in college. I call her Hesjay (pronounced as SJ with an H). One fond memory was when we joined a talent show to represent our block. I performed an original song while she danced with Marky (both are great dancers). We all won! Hehe she made the funniest comments backstage and was just cheerful throughout.
I was supposed to see my dorm mate Abi, but her work schedule was tight, and we were only in the city briefly. She is also from Geelong. I’ll definitely contact her first the next time we visit.
Overall it was a good trip; I am thankful for it. I was glad to see my other in-laws (cute nieces included) and visit different places. I'm sure there's a whole lot more to explore in this beautiful city, and I look forward to checking them out next time.
I guess that would be all. Thank you for reading my Melbourne travel diary and I hope you stick around 💜
Stay safe always.
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