10 Travel Tips when visiting Melbourne

I am slowly working on my travel backlogs before I forget everything. :)

It was my third time in Melbourne in March but my first time to stay in the city.  Here are some interesting discoveries and tips when you visit Melbourne.

1.  It's so easy to commute from the airport to the city.  You can ride a bus from the airport and it goes straight to the city.  It's called the SkyBus and a 1-way fare is AUD18 (about USD14).   Departure is every 10 minutes.  For more info, here's the Skybus site http://www.skybus.com.au.

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2.  Taking a cab in Melbourne could be expensive.   But if it's inevitable, just walk to a taxi stand and get a cab yourself.

On our first day, we asked the front desk of our condotel to call one for us.  We went to the suburbs and the meter reached AUD80 (about USD60).  But the next day, we got a cab ourselves and we went to the same destination, guess how much it was?  Only about AUD40 (USD30)!  Half the price.  Then we remembered something - when the cab driver picked us up from the condotel on our first day, we saw him hand something to the front desk as he shook the personnel's hand (must be his commission).  

But on the bright side, we also had one refreshing experience with a cab driver.  When we got off in the city from the Skybus, we were so exhausted from the flight (no sleep!), so we thought of taking a cab going to the hotel.  The cab driver whom we approached said - it's faster if you walk than ride in my cab! Haha...

3.  Accommodations could be very expensive too.  We stayed in the city near the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.  We couldn't find anything cheap on Agoda. :(  Anyway, we ended up staying in a condotel - a 10-minute walk to the convention centre.  Guess how much it costs?  Php8,000++ (USD177++) per night and that's the cheapest we could get.  But maybe it's also because we only booked a day before our flight.

Here's the living room and kitchen of the unit.  It also had a laundry room so if your stay is long, that could be very useful.

4.  We ate a lot during the trip and here are some of our interesting food finds -

5 & Dime Bagel Cafe offers bagels of various flavors (poppy, sesame, salty garlic, etc.).  They also have different kinds of cream cheese and cured meat. I couldn't remember what we ordered but the bagels and cured meat were really tasty.   The bagel sandwich is pricey though - AUD11 (about USD8). 

5 & Dime Bagel

Ribs & Burgers.  One of my cousins took us out for dinner and we enjoyed this super yummy and hearty dinner!  Everything was yum, yum, yum!  I checked the website and Ribs & Burgers have branches all over Australia.

Ribs & Burgers

Another cousin took us out for dinner in an Italian restaurant at the Crown but shame on me, I couldn't remember the restaurant's name.  I was so engrossed eating 3 kinds of pizza and pasta!  I tried googling it but found out there are several Italian restos at the Crown and couldn't identify which one is it.  Haha....

But while at the Crown, we chanced upon F1 cars on display. It was a week before the Australian Grand Prix then.

The Merrywell.  Ok, the only reason why we ate here is because we saw this sign - 

My photo doesn't look appetizing though - haha... but I assure you, it's thick and juicy.  

The Merrywell Burger

This burger costs AUD22 (USD17).

The Merrywell is also located at Crown area.  Here's a photo I took after our yummy burger meal.

5. You can go around the city for free via the tram.  Just look for this signage on the pavement to make sure you're boarding the free tram. :)

6.  You might want to check out ongoing exhibitions at the Melbourne Convention Centre while in the city.  Some are free admission.  Here are some photos I took at the Toy Expo (just in the common area since it's prohibited to take photos in the booth section).

If you're a puzzle junkie, here's one for you - the world's largest puzzle!  It has 33,600 pieces! Wow...

Here's the puzzle up close. 

I wonder how many people solved this?  Or how long can one patient person put it together?!  I couldn't even imagine myself being able to assemble a 1,000-piece puzzle! Haha.... 

7.  If you love musicals, catch one while in Melbourne (a lot of the foreign productions brought to Manila are Australian cast and if you compare the ticket prices, the most expensive tickets in Melbourne are cheaper than the most expensive tickets in Manila).  

Ideally, buy your tickets months before your trip.  In our case, our trip was last minute so we didn't really have the time to plan but we still went to the theatre and lined up at the ticket returns counter.  If you do take your chance at ticket returns, please bring cash since some ticket sellers only accept cash.  And nope, the tix aren't discounted.  Still full price.

7.  Victoria Market is one of the most popular tourist attractions for shopping.  But personally, I don't really like it for shopping but I like it for its colorful and happy vibe.  Check these out - 

I buy local fruits when I travel (not to bring home but to eat while there! Haha..).  

On this trip, I bought blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, plum and nectarine (because I couldn't afford them back in Manila). Haha....

Street art - a project to promote an HIV-Free generation.

Victoria Market's popular doughnut truck

There's a popular doughnut truck in Victoria Market.  You won't miss it because there is a long queue all the time.  My cousin made me taste the doughnuts during my trip last year but I didn't have the patience to line up this time.  Haha...  

What adds to the energetic vibe of Victoria Market are the artists performing.  You could just stop and have a great time watching them.   

One of my earliest recollections of Victoria Market on my first trip in Melbourne more than 10 years ago was watching a band perform Rock 'N Roll Music and people were dancing on the sidewalk.  It was the most alive market I have ever seen! 

You can find artists all over the city.  So if you're like me who enjoys to watch, it'll be a lot of fun making random stops every time you spot an artist.  

Here's a living statue who moves every time someone drops a coin in his can.  Kids scream with delight and ask for coins from their parents until their parents run out of coins.  I was entertained not just by the statue but the kids as well. :)

Here's Funky Bunny.  Nice marketing idea to promote his FB fan page. :)  Curious, I actually looked up his fan page and he has 8,000+ likes.  

In Australia, even if you have talent, you can't just go out in the streets and perform.  You have to secure a certification before you become a performing artist.  So the artists that you see in streets aren't just talented individuals but real professional artists.

9.  If you need to go to mass, hear mass at the St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The facade doesn't give justice to the size of the cathedral but here's the scale model.  That's how big and intricate it is. There are several small chapels inside the cathedral like the ones in Europe.

Here's inside the cathedral.  Usually, in most churches, you'll find women praying.  Isn't it heartwarming to see these men praying? 

Here are more photos I took inside the cathedral. 

Wow, Saint (Pope) JP2 was here!

There was also a huge pipe organ which filled the entire cathedral with music.   I went to watch the organist play.  How is one able to synchronize 4 levels of keyboards plus 2 octaves of foot pedals?!  I can't even synchronize a piano's 3 foot pedals!  Wahaha.....

10.  For shopping, I don't usually shop anymore (because most brands are already in Manila) unless there's something unique or prices are really marked down like in an outlet store. :)

There is one Outlet Store near the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre called the South Wharf DFO (Direct Factory Outlet).  

The first time I went here last year, I only entered stores of brands I am familiar with (mostly US brands) because I more or less know the price range already.  But this time around, I visited unfamiliar brands (mostly Australian brands) and I am so glad I did because I discovered a lot of great finds like skirts with beautiful prints at super discounted prices.  :)

Lion King the Musical and how to get last minute tickets

Did you know that Lion King the movie was first shown in 1994?  That's more than 20 years ago and yet, we clearly remember the characters (Simba, Mufasa, Timon and Pumbaa are on top of my head) and the songs - "Can you feel the love tonight?" and "Circle of Life" for most people, but for me, it has always been "Hakuna Matata".  Haha...

Lion King the Musical debuted in 1997 in the US but I've never gotten the chance to catch it on trips where it's being shown because tickets are always sold out unless you book way in advance.   The musical is so popular that it holds the record for the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time having grossed more than USD1Billion.  Wow.

During a trip to Melbourne a few weeks back, I was able to finally catch it at the Regent Theatre.  I actually almost didn't (again) because as usual, tickets were all sold out.  But my friend and I took the chance and went with my cousins (they bought their tickets more than a month before).  My friend and I patiently waited in line at the ticket counter hoping that there would be some ticket returns that evening.

If you plan to get last minute tickets to a musical like us, I suggest you go the venue at least an hour before to queue to increase your chances because in our case, we were like 5th in line but there was a group ahead of us who bought 6 tickets even if they were only 2 in line.  Secondly, please have cash on hand (enough cash to afford the most expensive ticket) because if the ticket return is made by an individual, the ticket counter has to pay back that person in cash too.  There are also returns from ticket outlets where you can pay using a credit card but you wouldn't know what type of ticket will be offered to you until it's your turn at the counter.  Lastly, be ready to sit alone (which is not really a big deal since you can't talk anyway during the musical).

We got our tickets only 15 minutes before the start of the show. Whew.  Just in time.

Here's inside the Regent Theatre - so beautiful!  Based on what I quickly read, it was built in 1929, got burned in 1945 and reconstructed in 1947.  It was almost demolished in early 1970s but a Save-the-Regent petition (with the support of some politicians) succeeded and it was spared.  It would have been a shame if it were demolished.  Check out the photos I took -

Anyway, going back to Lion King the musical, it was the best (at par with my favorite musical, The Wicked).  Beautiful songs.  Lively scenes.  No dull moment.  

You'll also fall in love with a lot of characters.  In the movie, I only like Simba and Pumbaa (the warthog).  But in the musical, Timon (the meerkat), Rafiki (the baboon) and Zazu (the hornbill) were so funny too.  In fact, I also liked even the antagonists - Scar and the 3 hyenas (Shenzi, Banzai and Ed)!  Haha... 

In terms of production, it was the best I've seen - even better than the Wicked.  The backdrops, the lights, the costumes - everything was just wow.  Here's one photo I was able to find online - check out the giraffes (they are men in stilts!). Amazing right?  

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Imagine there were scenes with all the animals on stage including an elephant and rhinoceros! I leave it up to your imagination on how they were able to achieve that. :)

Here are some costumes on display at the lounge. They look simple but the head gear moves down to cover the face when the actors are on all fours.

Simba's costume

Nala's costume

Bisons

It was great that the list of the cast of Lion King the Musical was on display at the lounge too.  Here are the talented people behind Lion King the Musical in Melbourne.  Hats off to each of them. :)

The cast of the Lion King the Musical in Melbourne, 2015

And of course, how can I write about Lion King without my favorite lines?! I just have to insert the Hakuna Matata lyrics somewhere here.  Haha...

Always remember, when you have a lot of worries in life, take it from Timon and Pumbaa -

Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata, ain't no passing craze
It means no worries for the rest of your days
It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna Matata :)

A summer trip to Melbourne

I've been on a 1-week trip to Melbourne that's why I have been quiet during the new year. :)

I spent my vacation with my cousins based there so unlike my usual trips, this is more relaxing, spontaneous and laid back.  It's not the kind of vacation where you will need another vacation when you get home. Haha...

My first trip to Melbourne was like 12 years ago and my memories of Melbourne are a blur already. I was also still using a film camera then so I didn't have the luxury to take as many photos as I wanted. Haha...

Anyway, December to February is summer in Australia.  And though the sun is blazing hot, you won't really feel the heat even if you're directly under the sun since it's breezy.  In short, I only realized I was sunburnt a couple of days after when the skin on my nose started peeling off!  During summer, the sun also goes down around 9pm so days are really long.

Anyway, here are some highlights of my trip:

We had a picnic at a water reservoir in a place called Dondenong.

What's great about picnic places in Australia (which are everywhere) is they have stoves where you can  barbecue.  My cousins and I were kidding that if we had the same facilities in the Philippines, either the stoves will get stolen or someone will build a house over the stove. Haha...  

My nephews tried flying a kite too but it was tough since the wind drastically changed direction. But everyone had fun running around the wide open space.  The age of my nephews and nieces there ranged from 2 months old to twenty years old and it was fun to see the older ones goofing around with the younger ones.   

We also went to a fruit farm to pick raspberries and cherries.  

 Here's how raspberries look like on the bush.

And here are the raspberries I picked which went straight to my mouth! Haha...

Here's how cherries look like on trees.

I think these heart-shaped cherries are called Bing cherries.  They're very sweet. I ate a lot too while picking.  Haha...

There's another variety of cherries within the farm but the area was restricted.  The cherries look really yummy though.

 While in one of my cousin's places, we explored the neighborhood and found this bushwalking trail.

But my nephew and niece ended up "bush-sleeping" as their dad puts it. Haha...

We visited the city too.  We took the train since parking is expensive in the city.  When I computed how much a full day parking at the city costs, it's like Php2,400. Whoa....

Here are some of the sights I saw along the way:

AAMI Park: venue of the Australian Open

Flinder's street station

The following are interesting structures I took photos of while exploring the city but I've no idea what they are. :)

We also went to Victoria Market.  There's a food truck selling American Doughnuts (the line could be long though). A cousin made us try these popular freshly-baked doughnuts.  Yum.

While waiting for the doughnuts, I spotted a fresh fruit stand. Check out how much the mangoes are.  They're like Php1,000 per tray. Yikes!

We went around Victoria Market to check out souvenirs.  I don't really buy souvenirs anymore (not even fridge magnets) eversince I decided to streamline my stuff.  The only thing I couldn't resist buying were these beautiful and unique tea candle lamps.  And ironically, they are not even made in Australia. I asked the stall owner and she said that they are made in Germany.  So I ended up getting German souvenirs in Australia.  Haha...

Check out these interesting stuffed, er, flat toys. I wonder if kids like them without the stuffing.  At least they are not bulky when traveling.  

We had lunch at a food court (don't know though what's the name! haha...) but there was a big mural of  Australian celebrities. Here's one section of the mural. Can you identify some of them?   The only stars I could identify are Nicole Kidman, Jane Fonda and Mel Gibson.

On our way to DFO South Wharf (DFO stands for Direct Factory Outlet), we passed by the Melbourne Central Complex which houses the historic Shot Tower (a lead factory).  Instead of demolishing the 9-storey high tower, they just  covered it with a beautiful conical glass roof inside the mall. 

We also passed by Myer's.  Myer's is like Australia's version of Rustan's.  During the Christmas season, it is a major attraction for its Myer Animated Christmas windows where the mall puts to life a storybook. 

2013 featured "Gingerbread's Friends".  I couldn't take a nice photo of the display due to the glass reflection but here's a close-up shot of the gingerbread man.  The moving figures are really nice and I read somewhere that it takes the artists about 8 months to prepare the annual animated Christmas windows. Wow.  

In the same area, there are various street performers like these musicians.  Beautiful music.  I clearly remember during my first trip to Melbourne, I enjoyed watching street musicians, dancers and mimes around the city.  I remember my cousin mentioned to me then that these artists have to undergo certifications for performing arts before they could perform on the streets. So these are professional performers and are really good. Some of them even sell their own CDs.

 Here are some more photos I took on our way to DFO.  Beautiful skyline. Beautiful architecture.

When it comes to shopping, Australians are pretty loyal to their brands so in the factory outlets like DFO, don't expect to see a lot of American brands which we're more familiar with.  They do have nice brands too like Country Road.  I didn't shop a lot though because I was thinking of my baggage allowance. Haha...  

Even for coffee, Australians are very loyal to local brands. They say that all of the Starbucks outlets in Melbourne have closed except for one outlet located in the city because locals patronize their own coffee for its rich flavor.  I'm not a coffee drinker so I am not really in the position to validate this but my cousins who are serious coffee drinkers compare drinking Starbucks to drinking skim milk after you taste Australian coffee.   My cousins' favorite local coffee brand is Jasper coffee. I saw a branch of Jasper Coffee when we visited Chadstone.  

Incidentally, Chadstone is the biggest shopping center in Australia.  It has approximately 500+ stores and close to 10,000 parking slots. Whoa...   Here are some photos I took inside Chadstone.

While in Chadstone, we also had lunch in a Malaysian restaurant called Papparich. Yummy food. 

For new year, here's the pretty black & white table setting which one of my cousins and niece prepared. We didn't talk about any theme, but most of us were wearing either stripes or blue. No polka dots for us on New Year's eve. Haha...

For fireworks display, there are 2 scheduled shows in the city - 930pm and 12 midnight.  For the 930pm show, we tried to catch it near one of the stations but we were in the wrong location and only saw a couple of bursts.  For the 12midnight fireworks display, we just watched from my cousin's balcony and on tv.  I noticed there weren't fireworks from individual houses unlike here. Maybe because the city's fireworks display is one of the world's most grand and beautiful and everyone just looks forward to watching it in the skyline or on  tv. 

We were also able to drop by St. Kilda beach. The water was so cold though - not suitable for swimming even if it's summer. Haha...  

At St. Kilda, my niece and nephews enjoyed chasing after these seagulls.

We spotted 2 monks meditating peacefully on the beach.    

Near St Kilda,  there's a port where you can board the Spirit of Tasmania - the cruise that sails to Tasmania.  During my first trip to Melbourne, one of my cousins and I went on a side trip to Tasmania (though we took the plane then).   Tasmania is one of the most memorable places I've been to which includes visiting a Cadbury chocolate factory, finding my way through a giant maze and joining a ghost walking tour.  :)

In addition to picnic places, there are also a lot of parks and playgrounds around Australia.  Walking distance from another cousin's house is (are) not just one but two playgrounds.   

Some last few things I learned while in Australia:

Vegemite is a popular local spread for sandwiches, toast and crackers.  It's made from brewer's yeast.  The taste of the paste is very strong and even with just a thin coating, it's very tasty on the bread already.  Liking it is acquired taste and when I tried it, I think it tastes like soy sauce paste.  But I did finish my vegemite pack on toasted bagels.  :)

One dinner, a cousin cooked my all-time favorite sinigang. Yay!  He used beef shanks instead of pork and broccoli leaves instead of kangkong (water spinach). I kidded him how sosyal!  Then he explained to me that apparently beef is cheaper than pork and a bundle of kangkong costs AUD9 (about Php360) versus a bundle of broccoli leaves which only costs AUD1 (about Php40). Wow.  I should start selling kangkong in Australia.  Haha...

Cul de sacs are called Courts.  So if you live in a cul de sac, instead of referring it to ABC Street, it is called ABC Court.

They don't refer to neighborhoods as subdivisions or villages but call them estates.

Their term for lanai is al fresco.

When the traffic light turns yellow, you don't have to worry if you'll be charged for beating the red light because there are markers on the road. If you're past that marker, it's ok for you to proceed even if the light is yellow already. I wish we could implement those markers here too.

Ooops, before I forget, the reason why I went to Melbourne was to attend a cousin's wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding held in a small chapel called St. Finbar's.  I didn't even know there was a saint named St. Finbar.  One of these days, I will read up about this saint. :)

Anyway, for the reception, I'm not sure if what we had was a typical Aussie reception menu (or if my cousin just overfed us) but there was salad, pasta, main course (veal), entree (lamb), supper (fruits and cheese) and dessert.  The pasta, veal and lamb were all main courses to me!  But I am not complaining,  I finished them all.  Haha...

As for the bouquet and garter throwing, unlike in our culture where you'll have a hard time calling all the single ladies (and I am no exception! Haha...) and men, over there, everyone is game and even eager to catch the bouquet and garter.

That's about it - a fun-filled week with my cousins, nephews and nieces one summer in Melbourne. :)