Last year, we spent a weekend in Melbourne for a wedding. Juggling study and work in Sydney is both stressful and very rewarding. It was indeed a great treat of going somewhere new and something different. After a long 12 hour shift, I hastily packed my bag, plane tickets and passport. All seemed to be ready for our flight for the next day, except for one thing: We didn't organize an itinerary.
So, I tried to recall from my memory all the beautiful Instagram photos I have seen taken in Melbourne. That became the basis of our trip. Hence, the following are the five things you may do when spending a weekend in Melbourne (without actually having a good plan).
1. Explore the City
In my opinion, Melbourne's CBD is very vibrant and much alive compared to where I am from. With the mix of well preserved buildings and modern skyscrapers, their architectural designs are extremely astonishing. It left my jaw dropped every time I turn around. I was superbly impressed. Aside from that, there were numerous trams leading to frequent rides which is very convenient for commuters. And did I mention already that it is free to hop on around the city? So, don't bother to touch on your myki card when you go sight seeing. To add, food are everywhere. You won't get hungry as whenever you turn around, you can see fast food chains, restaurants, street shops. Lastly, go shopping! there are plenty of shops every corner.
2. Don't miss Hosier Lane
You can find graffiti in any spot of Melbourne but this long alley is extra special. Located few minutes walk from Federation Square and home of hundreds of street wall art, this could be one of the most visited spots in Melbourne. This place is perfect for your next post on Instagram. Some people may not be able to relate to this kind of art ( like my mother ), but it surely speaks about the modern culture of how Melbourne is today. How I wish we have this in Philippines.
3. Shrine of Remembrance
In Australia, there are a lot of War Memorials, honouring those who have served in armed combat and peace keeping operations. After a 6 minute tram ride from Federation Square, I have seen the most amazing, probably the best architectural Anzac tribute. Putting aside its main purpose, the shrine took me to a different world. I felt like I was facing a temple in a Greek mythology setting or somewhere in Egypt where temples are massive and statues are humongous, more than I could imagine. I was very overwhelmed. To add, It was clean and very well maintained. One thing worth to mention why I like Australia is that the public spots such as this does not have an entrance fee. Yes, it is for free. this is one of the few times why I feel not bad about my tax.
4. Beach boxes
I did not regret it going here because I have always wanted to see these in my very own eyes. However, things were not on my way. It was poor research on how to get here and I just put all my faith to google map. To save you from my mishap, given that you are using public train transportation, stop at the second stop, middle Brighton railway station and not at the last stop, Brighton beach. I assure you, you will thank me for this for two main reasons. One, stopping at Bright beach station will make you walk more than 10 minutes, google map is not very honest. Well maybe if you have long legs, travel distance is not that long and exhausting. Second equally important reason, if you walk from middle Brighton beach station, it is where the shops are. We were looking forward for a very nice brunch at that time but alas! In the array of beach boxes, you can't find any food nor drinks. Nevertheless, it was a memorable and beautiful experience. I have never seen bathing boxes before!
5. Royal Botanic Gardens
Since it is just beside the Shrine of Remembrance, why not spend an hour or two of walking around Royal Botanic Garden and see personally the native and exotic plants Melbourne could offer. There is no entrance fee but It would be wise if you would bring water as you will surely look for something that will quench your thirst as this garden is very wide. This activity could be very dehydrating and I must admit I did something cheeky. At far end of the garden is a cafe named Terrace. They sell lots of wonderful choices for an afternoon tea and they have service water. At the very corner of the cafe, there is a service water in which people can get on their own. And yes, that was my main purpose of buying some snacks, the unlimited water that comes with it. Most of my photos on this trip are personal, with our big smiles in most of the photographs, I didn't realise back then that I would be sharing this on my blog. Sorry I cant post much to show you its beauty.
