10 Things To Do in Melbourne

Melbourne is spoilt with variety of beautiful attractions, be it natural or man-made. It'd be impossible to not be overwhelmed by all the planning of your holiday itinerary. What can I see in a very limited time? How much will it cost and how do I get there, seem to be the questions that you keep asking yourself. Good thing there are plenty of surrounding destinations within easy reach of a day trip. To save you time and effort, here I list down my pick on 10 things to do in Melbourne.  

1. Take a day ride with Melbourne Visitor Shuttle

This shuttle operates around city circle daily every 30 minutes and there are 13 stops altogether. The driver will act as your tourist guide and tell you some interest facts about the building or landmarks the bus passes. You are in control of your own time and there's no need to follow the tour. Pretty straightforward and cheap too.

2. Great Ocean Road

Travelling to Great Ocean Road is by far the most memorable experience I've ever had since living in Melbourne. The scenic coastal views, the 12 apostles, killer surfbreaks and stunning piers are just the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. This trip is c.o.m.p.u.l.s.a.r.y

3.  Wildlife Park

Take a photo with kangaroos and koalas! It wouldn't be an Aussie trip if you don't see these cutest animals in this planet *after panda of course* You can drive or book a tour to either Healesville Sanctuary, Ballarat Wildlife park or the  Melbourne Zoo (easiest and nearest.)

4. Sovereign Hill, Ballarat

Get ready to rewind to the cowboy era. The setting, the ambience, the buildings are all set up to reflect the Melbourne's gold rush time in the 1850s. Gold diggers, guards, shop owners are all dressed in costumes and you would have fun exploring the shops, hotels, theatres, schools, factories and underground mining. Don't miss the gold melting show, it's one the best highlights.

5. Brighton beach 

Take stunning photos at the unique 82 Brighton bathing boxes and make it your Facebook profile picture and get all your contacts jealous. Aussie trip mission accomplished.  

6. Queen Victoria Market

Fruits, meats, organic, non-organic you can find all sort of things here. Buy souveniers for friends and family at affordable price. Don't forget to bargain. Oh, there's a churros stall you need to try at the end of the market. Pretty awesome.

7. Royal Botanic Gardens

Take a romantic walk along the beautiful garden, full of flowers, greeneries and beautiful lakes. If you visit Melbourne during spring season, this is the best place to go.

8. Mount Buller 

Best time to go during winter. The whole mountain is covered with beautiful white icy snow. Learn how to ski, have a cup of hot chocolate, snowboarding, you won't regret coming here. 

9. Phillip Island

Want to meet Happy Feet anyone? Book a tour and see these cute little penguins and you'll come back flapping your feet and you will find yourself singing while conversing with other people. True story.

10. Melbourne CBD 

Hundreds of shops from the big brands to local ones you can find everything by just walking around from block to block. Discover alleyways, drink Koko Black, take Instagram photos with the graffiti background, watch street performance, you can spend all day at the CBD and you will not get bored.

And that's it. Hope you find this list useful. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.

♥

Have you been to Melbourne? How would you suggest to things to do in Melbourne?

Going to Sydney

Hey guys! I'm going to Sydney tomorrow with hubs and will be back by Sunday. Hopefully by then I have loads of photos and footage so I can share them over here. We packed light as we're going to reach there at 8 am and we can only check in at 2. So it makes sense that it'll be more convenient to bring a backpack instead of a luggage *cringe*. 

I'll be posting more photos in my instagram and twitter so would love for you to join me there too.
See you guys soon!

A Trip to Sovereign Hill, Ballarat

Hey guys!

I thought maybe today I'd like to share with you some photos of my trip to Ballarat last weekend. The journey took us about 1.5 hours by car and we spent half a day there. Right after that we went back to the town and checked into Oscars Hotel which we've booked earlier. We left the next day and visited DFO Essendon, the factory outlet. 

Anyway, just a brief intro about Sovereign Hill. It's an open air museum that takes you back in time and through the gold rush period. People are dressed in the costume of the era and serving in the shop, walking around and play music to bring back the ambience of the 1850s. I can't help but to feel impressed with all the buildings and history portrayed. You will learn so much about the difficulties by the miners and the struggle. You will also learn about how gold was made, the machinery used to create power and basically the life of people living at Sovereign Hill. 

Ballarat as a town is a nice place too. The old prominent buildings remind me of Europe. You can see the last few photos I post down below 

All in all, the trip was enjoyable and I would love to visit Ballarat again. Maybe the next one would be a day trip instead. 

1850's bowling

At Ballarat

Ballarat town

The Post Office

My Sovereign Hill, Ballarat Youtube Vlog

Spending The Weekend at Sovereign Hill

This is going to be bittersweet. Initially we plan to start trying to conceive during the trip. So it was kinda supposed to be special. But I've got to postpone it cuz I just had rubella immunisation injection last Monday. And I'm supposed to get another one next month. And I have to wait for another month till it's safe to get pregnant. So that means I have to wait until May. Sigh. This is when I feel so angry with myself. I should have done the pre-natal check up few months ago. I'm feeling slightly demotivated right now but I'm trying to fight it. This is one of the curveballs in life and I'm telling myself to be grateful with what I have. Hopefully I can get some calm and peace on this trip.

Keep Calm and Move On ^_^

Mount Hotham Trip Part 3

Previous posts of the trip can be found here: Part 1 and Part 2

My hubs said my previous post was too long and it it made him cringe to read it. Now I'm gonna try to summarize the whole thing as short as possible ok?

Still Day 1 *LOL*

We checked into our room at Alpine Heights. It wasn't that far from the Hotham Central but it was quite challenging to walk on the snow with our heavy bags. I almost slipped once or twice because of the icy snow but thankfully I managed to get back on my feet *flex biceps* But once we got to the main entrance of the chalet, we had to sit for a minute to catch our breath.

#Tip No 1: Call Alpine Heights Accommodation and ask if they can pick you up at the Tourist Lounge or Hotham Central. 

We checked into our Room #21 and it was facing the white mountain where people go to ski. It has a king size bed, tv, two one-seater sofas, a coffee table, a cupboard and a kitchenette. The kitchenette has plates, bowls, cutleries, microwave, fridge, toaster, kettle and a big supply of coffee and tea. We rested in the room for a bit and by 5.30 pm we went downstairs to pick up our skis and gears. Then we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

View from the balcony

Our room

Day 2

We woke up early that morning. Had breakfast in our room. About 9.20 we put on our gears, held on to our ski boards and walked towards Hotham Central. It was the most uncomfortable footwear I've ever tried on. I felt like a robot, taking big steps and when the boot hit the ground it made that bass sound effect. I think it took me about 30 mins to reach there. 

Once we got there, we stood at the Level 1 for Beginners area and wait for the instructor to come. 

The lesson was great. At first I did feel awkward while trying to balance myself but after few hours of practising you'll just get the hang of it. Hubs tho, was not as graceful as me. He fell like ten times then he gave up and wanted to go home. We did take a photo of us together though before he left.

Lol, he looked so moody here

After he left, I got on the lift and it took me to the top of the mountain. It had an amazing view. There was this South African lady who was kind enough to guide me when to hop off from the lift. It was really nerve wrecking but I managed to jump off the lift and skied down the hill without falling down. I didn't go that fast during the lessons earlier so I was quite shocked that I get to pull through. Hehe.

I really felt gayat up there. I didn't want to go to the edge of the mountain, I was scared I would fall off! But the view was soooo incredible!! And it was so quiet and peaceful up there. It took me about 30 minutes to reach at the bottom of the mountain just because I stopped twice to take photos and videos. Then I had to take off the ski boards from the heavy boots and walked towards the chalet. It was the hardest walk I've ever experienced in my life. I can't take off the boots cuz my feet will get so cold. Plus, I had to carry the poles and the ski boards too so there's no way I can carry other things with my hands. Once I reached home, my whole body was so in pain. I think I burnt 10 thousand calories for that whole day alone cuz I was so hungry after that!

After we had some rest, we went outside of our chalet and took some photos and videos for memories.

Oh we even get to build a snowman too!

Actually I did. He just sat behind the camera and watched me built it. Boo!

Day 3 : Boring day. Basically we got up and packed our stuffs and left Mount Hotham at 9.30am. We reached Melbourne around 3.30pm. Thats about it. Oh I also cried on the way back :P

Here are the montage videos of the trip.

Part 1

Part 2

Hope you guys like this entry. It feels like I brought you along with me for the ride. Thanks for reading this entry and I hope it's not too boring for you!! Till then, see you in my next post. Have a nice day! :)

XoXo

Sarah

twitter: @ssarahs9

instagram: @sarah.powderpurrfect

Mount Hotham Trip Part 2

This is a sequel of my previous post which can be found here.

Day 1: Leaving from Melbourne to Mount Hotham

Woke up at 6.15am. Showered, did my make up. made the bed, turned off the heater, closed all windows. Hubs carried the huge shoulder bag that have all of our clothes, I carried my hand bag, the camera bag, the tripod, and a shopping bag that's filled with light food. Both of our hands were literally full we couldn't possibly carry more. We made sure we had our Myki in our pockets, got on the tram at 7.30 am and headed towards the Southern Cross Station. 

Once we reached there, hubs asked me to wait for him at Hungry Jacks cuz he needed to go to the loo. When I entered the premise, I sat next to an Asian lady who was standing beside her table. Soon later, hubs came, ordered some food and brought our breakfast for us to eat. I was so hungry and was so into my burger that when I finished it in like 15 minutes later, I just realized the lady was still standing there! She just stared at the same spot, expressionless. I told hubs in Malay about it and of course he didn't realize anyone was standing there cuz like me, he was in his own world when he ate his meal. Haha! I just find it weird. Weird as in creepy weird, not funny weird. Oh well.

About 8.30 am, we went to the gate. We were super early and thought we should queue now before everybody else start to come. We need to pick the best seats! Eventually, the bus came. The bus driver came out, introduced himself to us. Told us there would be 4 people riding the bus including us and need to pick up one more person at the airport. Sweet. Guess we don't have to fight for seats now. Yay! Wanting to take photos with the bus with my phone and my newly bought monopod (so semangat!), I slid my hand into my hand bag and rummaged through to find the phone. Hmm that's not it. That's my wallet. What's thing metal thing. Oh, its the monopod. Wait a sec. Did I bring my phone?

*

*

*

 Yeap. Phone's not there. Left. It. At. Home.

&(^()^&*(@&&#*$&*(&!&*(@!!!

*

*

*

After ten minutes of letting my frustration alarm go off, its time to reset and just enjoy the trip with whatever I have. No point of getting myself irked over small things. I still have my big professional camera to play with right? But I can't help but to sigh everytime I look at the monopod. Lol. 

 The other two passengers arrived and the bus took off at 9 am. The journey was very smooth, no music was played throughout (which was great cuz I get to sleep for a good one hour) and there was no traffic. My only complain is there was not much room for our long legs as our knees were already hitting the front seats. So imagine our relief when we stopped for a lunch break. Hallelujah! 

Our first official photo of the trip. 

About 12.30 pm, we reached Myrtleford and had to change from the bus to a van. The sun was scorching hot but the air was dry so I wasn't worried about getting sweaty. We took our bags and placed them in the new vehicle. The new driver seemed nice, he was all smiling and cheerful when he greet us. Oh, the last driver was hilarious too. So thanks Snowball Express for your wonderful drivers! 

The pick up van at Mytrleford

  Bye-bye huge bus. Thanks for bringing us here in one piece. Or two pieces. Err which one is correct but U know what I mean :P

And the journey continued. It took about 30 mins to reach Bright, which is at the bottom of Mount Hotham. Let's just say it's like Genting Sempah to Genting Highlands. So the winding road now begins! Now I'm getting a little bit more excited but I was really nervous at the same time. We've heard stories about buses plunging down the cliffs and all. Not sure about Australia, but in KL I think I've heard four to five times of such stories throughout my life. I can't stop uttering prayers quietly when we were going up the mountain. 

About 40 minutes later, the scenery was changing slowly from thousand rows of rough dry trees to an open land with splotches of white ice on the ground. The winding has become lesser and we get to drive at least 100 metres straight up without making a turn. White snow has multiplied and did a good job covering the grounds by the road. Not long after that we came to a sign board which confirmed our destination.

  

Finally. Took us about 6 1/2 hours to reach here. My bum was getting cramps.

Right after seeing the signboard, we were already entering the small town of the Mount Hotham. The bus driver dropped us at the Tourist Lounge and we headed towards the Hotham Central to get our lift passes. Once that was done, we walked towards our chalet which was about 150 metres away from where we were.

Hotham Central

Will continue this post in the next few days. I've more pics and stories need to be shared. Please bear with me *bats eye lashes* 

XoXo 

Sarah

twitter: ssarahs9

instagram: sarah.powderpurrfect

Honeymoon At Last

Nine months after our wedding and we finally went somewhere special to call it as our honeymoon. We didn't plan the trip earlier cuz we were so overwhelmed with all that spending for our wedding and bearing the cost of me to get settled in Aussie. Once the wedding was over, we just had to leave our bank accounts alone and let them breathe for a while (I pity them so much!)  

So when hubs asked me where I’d like to go for our honeymoon last month, I told him I’d like to go on a ski trip. It has always been a dream since I was a kid. There are many things I’ve experienced in life but never once have I ever touched snow. I’m saying real snow, not “Mines in Wonderland” kinda snow. He never really confirm cuz he wasn’t sure when he can take leave from his work. But on one fine day, he finally found some free time and hence, the planning begins!

Our initial plan was to go to Mount Buller as that was the first place that came to my mind if you’re going skiing. One of hubs friends suggested we should go to Mount Hotham instead as it has more ski trails. After reading lots of reviews, watching youtube videos and comparing prices, we felt that the place wasn’t too bad at all. By this time I just leave him with all the planning and trust him to book everything by himself (isn’t that what husbands are for, right?)

So where does that leave me? Oh, I just had to make sure I look fabulous throughout the trip… as if (you’ll get what I mean once you see the photos). Im not that vain and hopeless guys.. I planned what food to bring, ordered a tripod online so we could take awesome photos, bought extra batteries for my camera and.. well I’d guess that it! :P

Okay I have a feeling this entry is going to be very long and I'm so tired, I did three loads of laundry, folding, cooking and a little bit of vacuuming around the house. I'm going to continue with this story in another post okay. I promise I'll get it up sometime in the next few days yeah? In the meantime, let me just give you teaser what's going to come up next...

Isn't it lovely? Sigh

Sightseeing in Melbourne

Being a new resident here in Melbourne, I often think I have plenty of time to explore the city. It's hard to not to take it for granted. Just like when I studied in Gold Coast, Queensland in 2005. I only managed to go to Dreamworld at the end of 2006 before leaving to KL. None of my friends at the time were interested to go to this touristy area. So I kinda missed the chance to go to Movieworld and Seaworld when it was like 45 mins away from my house. When Monica asked me if I wanted to go sightseeing with Melbourne Visitor Bus Shuttle, I didn't want to pass up this opportunity. I know my hubs would never be interested to do this kind of thing. It can be quite tiring and I know he would want to spend his weekend free and easy. 

With Monica.

So anyway, the fee is only $5 and it takes you all the important places in Melbourne. Every half an hour a bus will come to pick you up at the stop where the previous one drop you off. They had about 12 stops in total but we only picked 4 so we can spend and enjoy a good 1-2 hours at each place. 

Fitzroy Garden. Please excuse my hair the wind screwed it up.

Melbourne Uni

The engineering faculty at Melbourne University

Not sure what building this is but love the ancient look. This place reminds me so much of Europe. 

Next stop was the Harbour Town. The tourist's shopping paradise!

There's nothing much there really. From there we walked towards Victoria Harbour and saw this breathtaking view.

Saw a group of family eating ice cream and I had to jump on the bandwagon.

Modern architectural buildings. I know my bestfriend, Bobo would love this place.

Walk beside Yarra river and admiring the city skyline.

Love padlocks at the bridge of Yarra River. Will definitely come again and next time will bring a padlock and hubs.

And that was the end of the trip. I departed with Monica at this bridge. We managed to learn a lot about each other from the two days we've spent together. Thanks Monica for inviting me and for being a great partner at taking photos! Till then, see you in my next entry!

Melbourne Zoo Trip

Recently a friend of mine Michelle, introduced me to her sister Monica, who came from Malaysia for holidays. We met at our weekly ping-pong session and she suggested to go to the zoo and since I haven't been there yet, I thought why not. So last weekend we arranged to meet up at Flinders Stations and took a train on the Upfield line and stopped at Royal Park. I was a bit nervous though cuz I don't usually fo that far without my hubs but it was pretty straightforward. You just need to cross the track and go towards 1 o'clock and you will see the entrance.

Right after we paid $30 each, we were given a map and it was time to explore the zoo. The first thing we saw was the Japanese garden.

It was well maintained but it wasn't too much of a big deal. I was only smitten but the paths, ponds, and stone lanterns. I think it would look prettier during spring time.

Now here comes the animals parts. I thought of posting pictures instead of me writing one by one of what I saw. 

Lemurs sun-baking to warm up their bellies. Or they could just be meditating.

Glowing pelicans just hanging out scratching their bodies with their long beaks. 

The highlight of our visit. A very cute kangaroo came out from its enclosure to greet us. Normally visitors would have to book and pay $25 to get up close with them.

The only non-sleeping wombat which get to entertain us by just being cute

Me in butterfly house. I wished my phone camera could have captured those butterflies flying on top of me. One butterfly actually landed on Monica. I would probably have to get a good dslr camera soon. 

Does my scarf blend with them? No?

It was unfortunate that I didn't get to snap decent photos of other wild animals especially the gorillas. One of them was sleeping under a tree, I only get to see its human-like feet. For food, Monica and I shared chips which cost about $6 and we brought our own drinks from home. If you are going there with a big family, I would advice you to bring your own. Wear comfortable shoes as you'll be doing a lot of walking.

To sum up the whole trip, Melbourne Zoo is a family friendly place, with a vast array of animals from all over the world. Plenty to see and do in a well layed out format. Exhibits are well planned making all animals easily visible even for little ones. The cages are made as close as can be to the animals habitat if they were living in the wild. I made a video of the whole trip and uploaded it to youtube. You can check it out here. Thanks for visiting and see you on the next post :)