Melbourne anyone??

[kerenelu]

Hi Hoshi!

U can try the website below for online booking of day tours. Proven to be cheap as i have booked the philip island tour from here. It is more comprehensive than what the tour guide will provide for the tourists for F&E Day. I paid less but covered more places which include the warrook farm for e.g.

http://www.melbourne.com.au/

 

[kerenelu]

Hi Hoshi,

Forgot to mention. There are APT offices everywhere in melbourne. There is one at Little Bourke Street for example, if u stay at Duxton or some other hotels near there. U can also book day tours from there. But that would mean last minute booking and subject to availability i guess. So to feel safe, perhaps u would like to book ur day tours over here.

 

[icecherry]

Hi Hoshi

F&E only includes airfare and accommodation and some agencies may include complimentary half day city tours.

as wat kk has mentioned, u can book day tours online. not sure hotels provide day tours or not.

hmmm... i suggest u go for at least 7 days? so that u will cover more places. Melbourne is too big and trips to mt buller or GOR will take up 1 full day oredi...

 

[hoshi5]

Hi KK,

any idea whether philip island is still open in June? coz it's winter...

the website very comprehensive! thanks so much!

GOR takes abt 13 hours.. but I tot daylight shorter during winter? so tat means by the time I come back will be abt 9+, which is very dark?.. is it correct?

 

[kerenelu]

Hi Hoshi!

I guess philip island should be open in June. If u going, just to be sure u bring along warm clothing! It is super cold by the time the penguins come up to land

U can check out the sites below for more info

Melbourne Chinatown:
http://www.melbourne-chinatown.vic.gov.au/

CitySearch:
http://melbourne.citysearch.com.au/

Crown Casino:
http://www.crowncasino.com.au/

Melbourne Observation Deck:
http://www.observationdeckservices.com.au/

Melbourne, Victoria:
http://www.visitvictoria.com.au/

Mornington Peninsula:
http://www.melbournesbays.org/morningtonpeninsula/index.htm

Philip Island:
http://www.penguins.org.au/

SomethingAussie:
http://www.somethingaussie.com.au/

Melbourne:
http://www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/content.asp?Document_ID=1

GOR:
http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/index.asp

Queen Victoria Market:
http://www.qvm.com.au/

 

[kite~]

hi tobebride,

i stayed at ramada, very decent n clean, very near n accessible. it's smaller than duxton, however this hotel is newer.

as for duxton, can see that its more classy, i went duxton n passby there. very nice hotel. however duxton is older than ramada but in fact both looks new to me. haha if i were u, i wil choose duxton cos very nice n class lobby. whereas ramada is very plain.

both of them i tink are of same price cos SA allow us to choose either one. in e end i chose ramada cos newer.

Hi hoshi,

its doesnt take 13 hrs to go to great ocean rd. if u gg there in 1 day, 5 hrs by e coast to 12 apostles, then 3 hrs bk to mel city by inland.
so total is 8hrs.

the most spectacular drive along great ocean rd is from lorne to apollo bay, very magnificient view as we self drove along there.

 

[icecherry]

Hi kite~

really envy u. wish i had more time to explore melbourne... would love to go back again.

the next time i go, i will make sure i go to GOR and Phillips Island...

 

[hoshi5]

Hi kite,

u booked ur F&E package from SA?
How much was it?....

Can't wait for natas...

That means, once I book the package, then I can start booking those day trips from the websites?
Is that advisable?...

 

[icecherry]

Hi Hoshi,

i think u should first try checking out what are the places included in package tours. if u dun like those places or if they dun include GOR or Philips Island or the places u would like to go, then maybe u should take the F&E one and book the day tours online.

 

[tobebride]

Hi kite,

may I know how much did SA charge you per night for ramada? Thanks.

 

[kite~]

hi icecherry,

no need envy, next time definitely u hv to go to GOR, philip islands n grampians. nice places.

Hi hoshi5,

the SA f&e package costs $3.2k for both person based on 7days5nites, includes car rental, accommodation, 1 free day tour to yarra valley, puffing billy, heavesville santurary and dadendongs nationa park, oso 1 free laser show, dinner at Warrnambool along GOR.

Hi tobebride,

i m not sure abt e rate SA charge me on ramada as it's in e package. if i remember, it's abt $115, roughly there.

 

[muffins]

Hi everyone

Juz to check, which hotels are recommended for stay in Gold Coast and melbourne City?

Thanks.

 

[kite~]

Hi nicole,

probably u can try duxton or ramada in mel city. if u got budget, try YHA hostels.

 

[kerenelu]

Hi Nicole,

In Gold Coast, U can try Regents Hotel as that is in Surfers' paradise itself

My room had a balcony too

U can view the nice scenery and enjoy the breeze

For Melbourne, I stayed in Duxton.

Hope the info helps.

 

[angph38]

stay at Victoria Hotel once, quite alrite & in the midst of city.

 

[muffins]

Hi kite kk and angelia

Thanks for the info. read from the above that many stay at Ramada in Melbourne.

Heard from someone that staying at St Kilda's quite nice coz its warm and very cozy there.. anybody can share their experience at St kilda?

Yep.. the YHA hotels are one of my choices too coz its not so expensive and near Queen Victoria market.

did read up abt Victoria hotel too. must agree that its quite centralise.

ok.. i wil take note of Regent hotel.

btw, is 2Days 1 nite enuff for self drive at the Great Ocean Road?

Izzit easy and worth going to puffing billy from Melbourne city?

 

[angph38]

nicole,
when r u going for ur trip? me flying next Friday

only managed to get City Square Motel cos of the Grand Prix and gotta stay at least 4 nights! however, seems like it's quite centralised too and the charges still considered alrite (A$135 for triple sharing). however, can only comment on the room only after i reach there.

hmm.. we're going 2D1N GOR, self drive, then continue to Grampians, with intention to stay at Halls Gap for a nite cos afraid will be too tired & late to return to Melbourne city after exploring Grampians. another plus point is, if we can't manage to "complete" Grampians on the 1st day, 2nd day still can explore for helf a day b4 returning to the city

i think many stayed at Ramada cos they took F&E pkg from tour agents. however, i checked out their internet prices, not that cheap (A$120, std twin, off peak).

maybe u wanna check Hotel Enterprize, Explorer's Inn, Kingsgate etc?

 

[kerenelu]

Hi Nicole,

I just merely bypassed St Kilda Beach the other time. It was a great beach i would say! But stories i heard is that never take out ur shoes or slippers when u are on the beach. Some australians will throw some kind of sharp needles on the beach and if u step on them, that's it. Transmission of Aids, etc follow. So beware!

My other tour mates did went to Puffing Billy. Heard that it was a great experience for them. U can purchase online passes to the Puffing Billy if u want to. Guess it will be cheaper to get it here. Visit http://www.melbourne.com.au

 

[sheepy]

Hi Nicole, I think it would be better to stay in city hotel den in ST. Kilda. St Kilda beach is fun with pastery shop where by you can go and enjoy quality greek cakes and coffee.Must go there on Sunday to visit the sunday art and craft mkt and enjoy the sunshine.

I wld recommend ard 3 days and 2 nites at GOR and must stay in the lorne. It has nice facility and facing the beach (Great view).Can go to visitor booth to check if it is abalone fishing season as you can have a go at it.Next treking is fun there as well and lots of fruit farm on the way to explore.

Puffing billy is abit of drive from city but if u like the natural view, its worth it, can stop by the little restaurants on the way to enjoy scenic view of the mountain and fresh air.

 

[kite~]

Hi nicole,

i would suggest 3D2N GOR. We did a self drive there n stayed there for 2 days at apollo bay and warnnambool. Last day, drove back to Melbourne airport by inland.

I would suggest spend more time on GOR as there are alot of waterfalls n rock formations for u to explore. For us, we spent 3 days in city n 3 days at self drove to GOR, then finally drove bk airport.

I went puffing billy too, it's an old steam train. Very nice ride w nice view. Passerby so friendly, even waved to us. hehe.

 

[kite~]

Puffing Billy Pictures.

 

[kite~]

 

[kite~]

 

[matka]

Hey girls

I'm headed up for the F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne. Leaving this weekend. If you are too, do check out the Moomba Waterfest that's going to happen from 5 - 8 March. It's great fun and definitely a blast! (But if you're headed for Sydney.. the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras parade falls on the 6th)

Yes, coffee and cakes at St Kilda's is great. It's more convenient staying in the city tho.

Check out the Victoria State Library as well. I love the library there.

 

[kite~]

hi matka,

enjoy ur trip

 

[matka]

thanks kite

Maybe i can check with you. Did you rent any cars while you were there? If you did, where did you park overnight in the city? And how much did it cost?

 

[muffins]

Hi everyone

Thanks for all the great advices and pics.

Tink wil most likely stay in the city then.

Is it easy to drive from Melbourne City to Puffing billy and what is time taken to travel to reach there by self drive? Is it like kinda on the way to Yarra Valley wineries?

Is Grampians on the way along GOR? sorry, me a little blur.

me will be going to Brisbane (goldcoast) first on 27 March followed by Melbourne on 31 March. time is a bit tight, so gotta plan really well.

 

[angph38]

matka,
hey, u'r going specially for the Grand Prix?? so u'll be there till next wkend? me going for the Moomba Fest..

 

[angph38]

nicole,
Grampians is not along GOR, it's abt 3~4 hrs drive from Port Campbell depending on whether u'r going to stop a lot on the way

 

[matka]

Hi angelia

Yup. Especially for the Grand Prix. You too, right? It'll be our first time. I missed it the last time I was there but I did go to the Moomba. We'll be heading up to Sydney after the F1.

Where is the City Square Motel located? We'll be staying at Unilodge Swanston (next to Melbourne Central).

 

[tanlea]

Hi Nicole

Your Question : Is it easy to drive from Melbourne City to Puffing billy and what is time taken to travel to reach there by self drive?

Yes, it is quite easy. If I recall correctly, it is about 2-3 hours ride but ...urm, you need a whole day for Puffing Billy. Personally, if u dun have the time, I say, skip it.


I stayed in Geelong (1 hour from Melb) for a year before and what I recommend to people is

Some info may be outdated (esp, those shopping areas) cos I came back in 2000.

1) Melbourne
a) visit vic market
b) visit this fty outlet place at beach rd (got esprit, country road, nine west and many others), visit nike and adidas at smith st. a few streets away from beach rd, take vietnamese noodles (very different from sin style and very very nice)
c) go to swanston street to book day tours if not driving
d) yes, visit st kilda esp. on sunday
e) u must try the pizza at australia, it is loaded with ingredients! and pasta is so cheap!
f) remember to try red roosters fast food rest!

if driving,
pack ur bags, drive to GOR, u need a whole day, start early, stop at Torquay for Rip Curl fty outlet (but the fty outlet opens quite late).
u need 5 hours drive fast fast to reach GOR, excl. lunch. u can stop for lunch along GOR at apollo bay. in fact, if u wanna visit torquay and the shops open late, u can stay 1 night at geelong which is a nice little town. (quite dead but then u can see the differences in melb and geelong) geelong has a lot of $2 shops btw, good for buying souveniers.

stop at GOR. stay the night at GOR (for inexperienced ppl but those experienced one can drive at night)in the morning, u can use Colac highway or something like that to reach Grampians.
stay the night at grampians, beatiful place. actually, if u have the time, stop at ballarat, a miners town before grampians. and grampians is a romantic cooly palce to stay the night.

from grampians, drive back to melb if u want or u can visit Mt Buller. u need 4 hours drive to this Mt Buller from melb, i suggest if the season is snowy, dun self drive to Mt Buller. rememver to stay the night as it is more worth the effort. if i recall correctly, u can drive to Mt Buller from Grampians. Hmm. Someone correct me, here. So the itinerary can look something like this

Day 1 - Melbourne City
Day 2 - Vic Mkt, Fty Outlets, St Kilda
Day 3 - Drive along Geelong or you can take the train (it is very scenic). Visit Torquay (beach ware fty outlets, dirt cheap bikins!) after lunch. Please check the beach ware fty outlets timing. Visit Geelong "town" and the "beaches". Stay the night at Geelong (which is very much cheaper than staying at Melb)
Day 4 - Apollo Bay, GOR (Geelong is the gateway to GOR, btw). Stay the night at GOR
Day 5 - Use Colac highway to Ballarat. Visit Ballarat attraction (abt miners one). Drive to Grampians, Stay the night
Day 6 - Climb Grampians. Visit Grand Canyon, The Peak and The Balcony. Visit views to see the valleys. Stay the night at Grampians or drive back to MelB (so u save 1 day)
Day 7 - Drive back to Melb. Spend the night at Melb.
Day 8 - 4am to Mt Buller (if it is the right season, really suggest u take the tour instead of self drive). Learn skiing, stay the night at Mt Buller (trust me, it will be more worth the $$$).
Day 9 - Back to Melb.

If you look at the map, this itinerary sorta moves you in a circle or triangle.

 

[matka]

BlueAngel is right

But I think you mean Bridge St in Richmond, and not Beach Rd, right?

Yep, go to Lygon St (little italy) for pasta and gelato. And don't forget the greek restaurants for their souvlaki

BlueAngel, is there anything to see in Geelong?

I did a 2 - 3 day trip to Ballarat. It's a quaint little town but I didn't quite enjoy the steamship ride there though... the one at the border between Victoria and NSW.

 

[tanlea]

hi matka

ha ha i think u are right. bridge st in richmond. i only know how to go there. dunno what the street is.

hmm. i think half day to visit ballarat is enough bah?

for travellers, geelong is a good place to stay for the night cos cheaper than melb but most of the time, we travel out from geelong. u can drive around that area. in geelong itself, well, nothing much really except for the sunday markets which is quite different from st kilda.

if u have the time ... you can
outside geelong "town", there is a nice picnic area with a big man-made dam/waterfall and there is a maze garden that serve nice tea. these are the quite offbeaten track. u need to drive.

generally, i like to visit torquay for sunbathing. and cheap beach buys. during winter, of cos.

i always wanted to visit
1) there is a castle somewhere near geelong.
2) and there is a small quaint town opposite from geelong (at morwell side) (starting with s, i think) that u can take a ferry from geelong)

urm. i din take the steamship. is there one? i was not aware. i actually took a 13 hours coach ride to sydney. i dun like sydney leh.

i went to bne and cairns too. i have an itinerary on cairns which is rather off beaten too.

 

[kite~]

Hi Matka,

we only rented car from Hertz to GOR. Basically in city, there is no need to rent a car as there are various public transport for u to choose (tram, bus, train), plus driving in city is over crowded. We oni picked up our car (toyota camry 2.2litres) from our hotel heading to GOR.

 

[kite~]

Hi nicole,

We did not drive to puffing billy. Instead, we joined 1 day free tour (from SA f&e package) to puffing billy, yarra wineries (to taste FOC wines), dandengongs ( to see friendly birds) and healvesville to see e wild animals. very cute.
Total 4 places in e day tour.

The puffing billy ride for us is only 1 stop, took abt 1/2 an hr then proceed to yarra wines.

Oh ya, when u r in e city, remember to try Mekong Vietnamese noodles, very delicious. we went there twice!!!! highly recommended!

ok i wil try to attach some pics here.

 

[nnchander]

Hihi,
will be gg to Melb on biz... does anyone have info on the cheapest and most cost-effective rates at the moment? Would like to go Free & Easy.

Have called up a few, but most have quoted abt $1200 (excl taxes). is it the average?

Thanx!

 

[matka]

Hi BlueAngel

Yes, you're so right! 1/2 day at Ballarat is enough! hehe. You didn't miss much on the steamship ride. The river was as brown as coffee. hehe.

hey Kite

Yup, i know abt not driving in the city as parking is a killer. heheh. They've got weird metering systems... i used to stay in the city near Lonsdale St and I usually just got around by walking around. Even to the Yarra River if I cld help it.. hehe.

I was wondering because we only plan to use the car for day trips (ie. great ocean rd, grampians and phillip island). Thing is the city offices close by abt 6pm so we can only return the cars the next morning. Need to look for parking in the city then.

Hi Andrea

What does your $1200 package include? I bought my airfare from Qantas/BA which was $588 published rate. But including the handling fee and the horrendously high aust airpot tax, the amt came up to SGD750 per person. Accommodation will vary so depending on where you're staying and how many days.

 

[kite~]

hi matka,

i tink it's better for you to plan ur trip in 1 way. meaning u stay a few days in e city n then drive up to GOR without returning bk to the city cos very time consuming.

i would suggest u stay in e city 1st and drive to GOR, grampians, ballarat n bk to airport.

Apollo Bay is real beautiful! we climbed up to "Marriner LookOut" to view the Aerial of apollo bay. The fish n chips are great!!!! very frssh! try the seafood platters too!!!

Also not forgetting the waterfalls at Lorne. The 2 waterfalls i went are called "Erskine Waterfalls and Carrisbrook waterfalls". Will try to attach pics.

 

[nnchander]

Hi Matka,
Thanx for the info. The $1200 includes 3 nights (or 4??) accommodation, with airport transfer, and daily breakfast. I've asked for a serviced apartment, and extension costs abt $220 per night. What do you think?

Could you please let me know where you booked yours? my trip is due to take place on 12 Mar and hoping to be there till 20 Mar. So far those that I've called quoted at least $830 for ticket only without taxes...

 

[matka]

hi kite

to be honest, this is will be my fourth time going to GOR so i'm not too keen on doing a full trip around. ehehe. We've already booked our accommodation in the city and I wld really love to spend our nights in the city. There's just too many things to see! So little time!

Now i just need to settle the parking bit. hehehe

Hi Andrea

Your package actually sounds quite alright, esp since it includes daily breakfast and airport transfer. Cept that the extension is a little on the high side. But then again, it really depends on your accommodation. It's not very cheap there. I'm assuming that you're talking abt Singapore Dollars, right?

We'll be spending two weeks in melb & sydney so budget is a big concern for us. We managed to get our accommodation at a student apt and it costs us AUD110 per night for 7 nights. Usually it'll cost AUD120 - 130. No aircon tho! But the weather's not too bad this season.

I think there was a promo recently for Qantas/BA which was relaunched around this valentine's season. That's the same promo i took up. I recently saw a Garuda promo on Yahoo! which is only $470+ to Melb. That's a steal. MAS generally has cheap flights as well ... abt $530, just that you have to transfer in KL. If I'm not wrong, Gulf Air might have good tickets too, esp for those with 3rd and 4th persons.

But taking up a package like the one you've enquired really saves you the hassle of doing everything yourself.

 

[nnchander]

Thanx Matka! I'm actually gg to Melb in abt 2 weeks' time on biz matters. So will be gg with my colleague.

However, my hubby and I, and 2 friends will be taking another trip to Melb-Syd too, in June for abt 2 weeks

We'll be planning our own itinerary as we are comfortable driving around in Aust. We usually love taking trips to the country area and staying in quaint little places

Very lovely!

If you are heading down to Sydney and planning to go to the Blue Mountains, I'd recommend this wonderful place called Rose Lindsay near Faulconbridge! One of the best B&B we've stayed in so far!!

 

[tanlea]

hi matka

4th time to GOR? wow. i only went twice and i was so bored already. maybe it is 3 times...gosh! my memory is failing meeeeeeeeee.

maybe i should go back melb again. i really miss geelong and the $2 chicken! sigh. i wanted to visit that castle and the S place...

hey, u can try fishing at geelong. take the fishing trip out. i din go but my house mates went and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves but we were eating fish everyday for 2 weeks! we gave away the fishes to our neighbours and friends. *puke*

i went cairns in dec 2002. it seems like yesterday, ohmigod! i love cairns!

 

[kite~]

hi matka,

wow 4th time! lucky you! btw maybe u can just explore those lookout points & waterfalls if u r keen instead of e rock formations since u visited many times before. hehe. For me, i m a nature person.

but since u went 4th time liao? i guess u shld be more familiar than most of us here n can answer most of our qs. hehe

 

[matka]

Hi Andrea

No worries. I'm not sure if that was much help though! Just based on memory. Ahh Sydney! I will definitely need help in that area! Thanks for the tip! Is one night at Rose Lindsay enough? The last time I went up the Blue Mountains, it was so misty I cldn't see anything

My friend who brought us up was unluckier.. it was her 2nd trip up and both times she couldn't see anything because of the mist!

Hi BlueAngel and kite
Heheh.. I went there three times .. first was a 3D/2N backpackers tour to GOR and Grampians with my friends when we first got to Melb. 2nd time was with friends who decided to go Torquay to shop and then go further up to see GOR. 3rd time was with family when they went down to visit me. So this fourth time will be with hubby.

Is the castle Werribee mansion or something else?

kite, hehe.. well, unfortunately i'm not too much of an expert because that was over 4 years ago and I wasn't a driver so i've kinda suffered a memory loss! I do remember some parts of GOR tho but not as clearly as before.

But ask me about the city and I'll be able to answer more questions. LOL.

I'd love to visit Cairns one day. It's kinda like Queenstown is to NZ right?

 

[nnchander]

HI Matka,
actually the Rose Lindsay is a chill-out place. but to really enjoy the lodging, try to stay on for about 2 days at least. You can always visit the surrounding areas from there.

Check out this site

http://www.roselindsay.com.au/blue_mountains_accommodation/cottage.htm

 

[tanlea]

hi matka

yah yah. someyime werribie mansion. oh well, it reminds me of a castle. ha ha.

i never been to NZ! sob sob, so i dunno what u mean lah. ha ha

but cairns is great. once u visit cairns, u think gold coast is so commercialised. u need the itinerary next time, just get it from me. we spent 16 days there, love the place!

 

[nanshee]

hai gals .. me just back from Sydney and Melbourne yeaterday .. fun place in Melbourne .. F&E .. grand pix season now .. alot of hotel fully booked .. I stay in apartment opposite of RMIT beside Melbourne central train station .. very cheap for 4 persons stay AUD$165 per night for fully equipped kitchen, bathrooms, tv and living rooms, 2 bed rooms. We booked the day tours on the day of arrival .. no need to book online as swanston street is covered with day tours and they leave daily for GOR, Philipps island etc .. easier to book there .. with APT,AAT, Greyline, Go West etc, alot to choose from and price are all comparable ...

parking within city is VERY ex and would prefer to buy a day pass via tram on a dialy basis AUD$5.80.

if u intend to use cash, would advise that u change more in SG as exchange rate in Mel is horrible .. worse than SG, Dun bring US$ as AUD is strong against it.

ST kilda beach is a nice place to watch sunset best time to arrive is 6.30pm, mel time is now 3 hours ahead of us.

if u gals are interested in domestic flights to other parts of Aust, best time to book now, heavily discounted, I fly from Syd to mel at 2 persons for AUD$85 nett.

Richmond is best pl for shopping, bought alot from Country road and Ojay. ideally spend 1 1/2days there. At vic market, now is the season for winter clothing and the prices for leather goods are increasing daily, if u r are a essential oil lover, great pl to shop for them at Vic market

advice is accesss mel via tram, very accessible, u can cover mel city by foot, late night shopping is fri for mel and thurs for syd. happy shopping and sight seeing ...

 

[tobebride]

Hi nanshee,

how much did you pay for the day tour to GOR and Philips Island?

is things at Country Road cheaper than in Sin?

Any comments on the following shopping areas:
1. Chapel Street
2. Smith St
3. Brands Smart 12 (Maroondah Highway)
4. Chadstone Shopping Centre

Is shopping in Syd cheaper than in Mel or the other way round?

Thanks.

 

[nnchander]

hi Nanshee,
wat is the name of the accommodation opp RMIT please? Will be making a trip to Melb in 2 weeks' time, and once more in June. Need a place to stay

Thanx!

 

[angph38]

<font color="aa00aa">matka,</font>
nope, we're not there for the Grand Prix, but for the moomba instead

me not that interested in car racing. hahaha..

wow, u going sydney as well. hubby been to sydney, &amp; i prefer Mel to Syd so not going there again

City Square Motel is located at Swanston St. due to Grand Prix, it's charging us A$135 per nite for triple sharing room &amp; there's a min stay of 4 nights. hence will leave for GOR on 09 Mar (Tue).

Guess Sat will be Mel City exploring, Sun to St Kilda's. hmm.. what shld we do on Monday? hahaha.. hubby was commenting our stay might be a bit too long, but i told him, cos my itinerary will be skipping trips to Mornington, Dandenong, Yarra Valley, Ballarat &amp; Philips Island, that's why!! hahahaha..

but maybe will include Ballarat back into the plan since we'll be going Grampians. maybe stay additional night at Grampians/Ballarat. will see how...

btw, anyone knows which route to take if we wanna bypass the freeway toll when going/coming back from GOR/Grampians/Ballarat?