Melbourne anyone??


bear

New Member
OK


Can someone advised a nut like me what to plan in australia ? I might be fixing a 9-10 day in Australia for my honeymoon

Disneyland is a must.... anywhere else ? Tour package but we might be extending a few more days on our ownselves.
 

cody

New Member
Sacher:

>>> Morntington and Philip Island actually not the same iizzit? But both places famous for Penguins?

They're different. Philip island is just a small island whereas Mornington is a huge place. It's a peninsula (well, its called the Mornington Peninsula).

Philip island offers fairy penguins, a koala sanctuary and a seal centre. I personally think the koala sanctuary is more for kids, and the seals , well there's lots in San Francisco. I won't make a special trip just to see the seals.

Mornington Peninsula offers a lot of spas, winery etc. In the summer months, there's also a dolphin cruise / swim. Its called Sorrento Dolphin tours or something like that. Got to check their website.


>>>Read that photography not allowed during the Penguin Parade? wat a pity...

You're right. No photography is allowed. 3 years ago when i went, they allowed photography but no flash. however the rangers advice fell on deaf ears, esp the Japanese and Korean tourists (i assume they didn't understand english!). When the flash is too near the penguins, they get frightened and run back off to the sea again.

When you're at the penguin parade, make sure you bring sufficient warm clothing, and some plastic bags to sit on. The seats are sometimes wet from drizzles or get damp from just the night breeze.

Try to sit as near to the beach as possible. Some penguins actually walk all the way up to you. Its quite fun!

While you're there, walk around the penguin sanctuary. Look up at the sky and check out all the stars !
 

cody

New Member
Excited Bride, do NOT buy the MEL - TAS air ticket from the agent in S'pore. It's damn expensive!!!

Just buy online with your credit card.
There are a few reasons to doing this:
(A) the good flights (as in first flight in the morning, or last flight at night) gets sold out very very fast.

(B) Another option is to buy at the airport counter itself, but this is risky. It may ruin your itinerary.

(C) Buying online is cheaper than buying at the counter.

(C) Online sometimes as offers at substantial discounts (esp Virgin).


There are no particular MUST SEE / MUST DO in tas, coz alot depends on what u like. But here are some of the more popular places tourists go to:
1. Salamanca market (sat 9am-3pm)
2. Mt Wellington
3. Huon Valley (very boring ... all farms which dun allow tourists to go in)
4. Port Arthur
5. Wine Glass Bay (Freycinet)
6. Launceston
7. Cradle Mountain
8. Lavender farms ( blooms Oct - Jan. Harvest in Feb)
9. Chocolate factory, Cascade Breweries etc

There's more in the west coast of Tas, as well as some near-by islands which i can't advise on since i haven't been there yet.

Where you go also depends on how much time you have.

In Melb, at least visit the famous ones like
1. Great Ocean Road
2. Melb city - Richmond, Queen Victoria Market, Crown Casino
3. Penguin Parade
etc .

If you only have 10days, i highly recommend for you to concentrate on just one place. Getting from Mel - Tas takes time ... to travel, to check-in at the airport, etc. Spend 10 days at one place and enjoy that place thoroughly. Save the 2nd location for another trip.
 

cody

New Member
Pooh: i've also been to Sydney and Gold Coast. Maybe you can send me an email and i'll try to help you from there?

Jojok: will send email to you shortly. Pls check.
 

cody

New Member
BEAR: Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no disneyland in Australia. Warner brothers has 2 theme parks tho, one in Sydney and another in Gold Coast.
 

sep03

New Member
cody...if i have abt 3 days (2 full and 2 half days) in Mel...wat wld u recommend i visit?...for me, i think i wanna allocate 1 full day trip to ocean road....

should i spend the rest of the days wondering around in mel city?....

i dun think i'm too interested on the penguins...
 

sacher

New Member
Cody!!!! you've itinery to Sydney too??? I wan I wan...heeee...sorry for being so lazy..but so much easier to build ard someone's iti. Plus you seem to be very familiar with Aust, so its really good to hear fr your side.

Like if i nev hear that you've spent 3days on Great Oc Rd. I would have just taken the 1 day trip. Coz from what i've researched on the net, 1D is all that they offer.

Hey Cody, so in your opinion you think that Mornington Pen. is worth going more than Phil? I mean like if i can only choose 1 to go...

my email add:

[email protected]
 

cody

New Member
Sep 03:
What to do during your half days depends on whether its the morning or afternoon. The shops close at 5, so do most of the other tourist places.

spend one 1/2 day roaming around the city. ride the free tram and get familiarised with the city. If you have time, rush over to either Richmond or Queen Victoria Market for shopping.

Spend 1 day at Great Ocean Road

Spend another 1 day at the Grampians (take a day trip, coz the drive to & fro the Grampians is VERY xiong). If you're going in winter, take a day tour to Mt Buller for some skiing.

the remaining half day - do your last minute shopping.

If you have a half day stretching from afternoon to night, go to the penguin parade. Start your journey at about 3+ and you'll be very safe.

of course this is just my recommendation. You are free to make your own decisions !
 

cody

New Member
Sacher: between Mornington Peninsula and Philip Island - go to Philip Island.

If you're only interested in the penguins, it takes only half the day. There's more on the island of course, but nothing fantastic lah.

Mornington Peninsula - nothing there that fancied me much. We went to the Arthur's Seat Chairlift and some mazes. Nothing much. The only thing i want to go back for is the Sorrento Dolphin Swim!

Glad that i'm of help !
 

sep03

New Member
hi cody...thanks so much for your recommendations!

me arriving from sydney at lunch time...so will probably walk around after checking in...is there enuf time to roam the city?...BTW, where is Richmond?...is it near the city?

Wat can i see at grampians?...me actually gg Mel in mid may...can i go Mt.buller..i wld love to....

guess the last half day is morning...last minute shopping....
 

cody

New Member
Sep 03: Richmond is in the Melb city, accessible by tram, train and bus. When you're there, shop along Bridge road and skip Swan Street. Bridge street has all the more well-known labels like Nine West, Country Road, Witchery, Espirit etc.

It's EASIEST to get to Bridge Road by tram from Flinders Street Station.

When you're there, pop by Minh Tan 2 for the seafood and crab noodles i was telling you about in my itinerary.

The shops close at about 5, but the restaurants open till late.


In May? Sorry, there's no snow in May. Skiing season only starts in July. Grampians is a huge chain of mountains. Like the Great Ocean Road, it offers breath-taking views of the mountain, the greenery etc. I haven't been there yet, but its definitely on my itinerary for my next trip.

Oh yah, if you have time to spare on 1 of your half days, go and ride the puffing billy and have Devonshire tea there. It's located in the mountian and its quite chilly, so a nice hot drink is good. BUT dun bother to take the train there ... the journey is VERY VERY long (more than an hour) whereas if you drive there, it takes less than 30mins on the freeway.
 

orchid

New Member
Hi all-who-are-going-to-Sydney,

Citibank credit cards is having a promotion!!!

$998 includes:

1. return ticket on Qantas-BA
2. 3 nights hotel stay
3. pick 1 out of 3 free & easy package
- Hunter Valley, Port Stephens and one more i can't remember where,
- comes with 3 day Hertz car rental
- 2 night stay in hotel or apartment
- 1 'tour' (eg. Dolphin cruise in Port stephens, wine tasting in hunter valley...)

So altogether you get:
air ticket, 5 nights hotel stay, 3 day car rental, 1 tour/cruise.... for $998.

that's FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

too bad i just went Sydney last year.
 

orchid

New Member
Oh! I remember! the 3rd free & easy package is Blue Mountains!

See lah, i'm so excited... and i'm not even going. hahaahhaha...
happy.gif
 

sep03

New Member
hi orchid....

me can't take adv of the offer...coz me flying to sydney and back to SIN from melbourne...sigh...

and i think gotta drive yourself to one of the 3 locations too....
 

cody

New Member
Sep 03: usual the focus of the tour to Mt Dandenong is for the Puffing Billy.

Pooh: OK, will read email now.
 

orchid

New Member
Hi Sep03,

It's a self-drive holiday. that's why you have 3 day car rental. you can find out if you can have open jaw ticket - i.e. fly to Sydney, then fly back from Melbourne.
 

cody

New Member
Sep03: think half day should be enough if you take the puffing billy to the nearest stop (menzies creek). I'm not too sure abt the tour tho, coz differernt tour operators may opt to bring you on a longer journey, or maybe they may lump in the Puffing Billy with another tourist attraction...

There are quite a number of big day tour operators in Aust. Can't remember them off hand but i think APT (Austr Pacific Tours) is one of them. There's also AAT Kings, etc. Perhaps you can call the Australian Travel Commission here in singapore?
 

sep03

New Member
Hi all,

THE AUSTRALIA DAY promo by Qantas is OUT!...to book by this SAT!!!...Tics to sydney / melbourne at $588.

travel by 30 Jun...

Was at the travel agency and chanced upon this...and booked it (can open jaw)
 
M

malcom

Guest
Hi sep 03

How much did u pay in total? I call Qantas agent just now. and total added up is $733..hmm

Can some1 tell me what is the normal price for going melbourne?

Thanks alot
happy.gif
 

sep03

New Member
$588 nett (exclude taxes)...sin-syd and mel-sin....per pax

r u travelling at peak period?...

normal px: $640 (emirates), $720 (qantas), $900 (SQ)
 

sep03

New Member
hi cody,

wat's the best way to get to Mt dandenong / puffing billy without driving ourselves?...any public transport?...how abt day tours?...thanks!
 

cody

New Member
yah, they have day tours to mt dandenong (usually to ride the puffing billy). But becoz the train ride doesn't take long, tour operators usu bundle the puffing billy tour with some other tourist attraction.

if you're not driving, take the public train from Flinders Street Station. The train ride is very very very long, about 1hr 15mins i think. Can't remember .... its a journey that will definitely make you sleep.

Not sure about buses ... FYI the train to mt dandenong is the LAST stop.
 

tigerlily

New Member
Yes, i know it's out but the website is stuck!!!! sigh... kept getting connection time-out. i think everyone is trying to get in. and then when i called Qantas, it kept putting me on hold. when i finally got to speak with someone, they said that if we book through the phone will be charged $60 admin fee. adviced me to go through the internet.
 

cody

New Member
sep03, just for an experience lah. After all, you dun get to sit on a coal train often, but if you're tight on time (esp if you're not driving) or if you can channel the money to a better day trip to somewhere more significant (eg Grampians), then i'd give the Puffing Billy / Mt Dandenong a skip.
 

sep03

New Member
hi tigerlily,

jus go to any travel agency can liao....internet dun allow open jaw option, so luckily, i went to a travel agent...can customise for me, no admin fee too....but i think i got the Q class meaning no mileage accrual, and it seems that booking thru internet has...
 

sep03

New Member
hi cody...me now hae 3 full days in melbourne..besides 2 half days....plan a day trip to great ocean rd for 1 day, 1 day for exploring the city...

grampians....a lot of hiking?....if we r not too intersted in mammals/animals, can give the penguin parade a miss?...
 

cody

New Member
grampians is a mountain range... the view is supposed to be breath-taking.

if you're not interested in animals, give the penguin parade a miss, tho its quite cute to see the penguins returning from the ocean.

going to the grampians will take at least 1 full day. depending on when you're going, you may also want to schedule some skiing on Mt Buller (July - Aug)...also 1 day trip.
 

tigerlily

New Member
Hi Sep03,

booked mine this morning thru the Qantas website. i think the server was too full last night.

also booked an open jaw ticket by calling up Qantas. they didn't charge me an admin fee because internet cannot do open jaw.

also called the travel agent left phone number until now haven't called me back. i think they're very busy. too bad for them lah.. :p
 

sep03

New Member
hi tigerlily...who u booked wif to get the admin fee waived for the open jaw tics?...coz qantas singapore said no lei????
 

pooh

New Member
Hi All,

i wan to go aust in June but have not decide on the itinery. If u gals think now book the tkt is too early?
 

enid

New Member
Hi,

I hv been to Melbourne last Nov for my honeymoon. Do go to great ocean road - it's beautiful. I took many pix. For Grampian, be prepared for more walking.

If u are going free & easy, u can go to aptours to book these tours. When i went there to book the tours, there are 3 different tour agencies selling for the same package. U can book with anyone of them cos u will end up in the same tour bus. Sometimes, they will try to get ur biz by giving u backpacker's pricing, which is much more cheaper than normal price.
 

tigerlily

New Member
Hi sep03,

i called qantas and booked the open jaw ticket - flying to melbourne, coming back from perth. then asked them if i still needed to pay any admin fee since the i could not book that with the internet. the lady said don't need. $598 before tax. but need to get my own ticket for melbourne - perth.

Hi pooh,

not too early to grab the deals!! as long as you know when you want to go and when you come back. what you do between can be planned later. this is the best deal that qantas gives in the year. which is why must book by TOMORROW!
 

sep03

New Member
hi tigerlily..me called them and quote your case...do u have any booking no. i can reference to..if u dun mind...coz they refuse to believe me unless i got details....;-(
 

sep03

New Member
hi tigerlily...need your help here....do u have any airline reference no.?...else they dun believe me that no admin fee is charged.....
 

tigerlily

New Member
hmm... don't have the reference number. booked under my friend's name. we're both going down to melbourne on the same day. my friend is going off to perth after that while i'm coming home. i booked my return ticket from the internet and the SIN-MEL, PER-SIN ticket by calling Qantas. charged me $598. but she needs to get the internal flight btw MEL-PER on her own. so maybe that's not considered open jaw???
 

sep03

New Member
nevermind...too late liao....your tic considered open jaw...but they refuse to do it for me without the admin fee......
 


tigerlily

New Member
Hi Sep03,

I gave them a call again to confirm the price. and they said $598 + $101 tax. no service charge leh.... or maybe cos the flight is on BA? shld still be the same right since it's the same company?
 

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