World Tour Stop 15 - Melbourne, Australia

Not going to lie, after such a wonderful time in Sydney for 5 days we let Sammie take home all of our stuff for colder weather as we only had 4 days left in Australia before traveling to southeast Asia where we would be enjoying temperatures in the boiling range. In doing that, we knew we were signing up for a few cold days in Melbourne, but we were unprepared for how cold and rainy it would be so we don't actually have that many pictures from those days.

We arrived in the early evening on May 29th and checked into our hostel at Flinders Backpackers. Perfect location and fine facilities. You know what you're getting when you stay at a hostel and this one was clean and well located, so perfect for our needs. From there we ran across the street to the mall and bough three sweaters between us for ~$30, and trust me, it was money very well spent.

Our first day in Melbourne was cold and rainy but we were told that we had to make it out to St Kilda to meet the little penguins and they did not disappoint. They were so cute and tucked away behind all the rocks to keep out of the weather.

From here we snuck down the road and had a couple of beers and lunch at The Local Taphouse. The bartender was amazing and personable and we talked whiskey and travels and what to do in Melbourne. Great location and vibe and a wonderful fire place to warm ourselves back up.

Bri also ate fish and chips and I was a proud woman about the beginning of all of her new food exploits.

The next toursity thing we did was visiting the Eureka Skydeck at the top of the Eureka tower. This is one of the highest buildings in Melbourne so a fun opportunity to get some skyline views. There is also an option to pay more and have a plastic cube extend out of the edge of the building so you can feel as though you are dangling above the city, but we opted not to do it because honestly it did not seem worth it. The whole skydeck though was pretty cool with notes showing what you were looking at below and all of the key things to point out. You could see the formula one racing location, the Australian Open tennis courts, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and so much more.

Walking back towards home we did the pedestrian bridge over the Yarra but also enjoyed taking pictures of the Princess bridge because, why not enjoy our inner giddy little girl?

We had a light day so we started our evening with several happy hours... maybe not the smartest decision but we bar hopped around town and I have to say, Melbourne night life is pretty enjoyable. We met people from all over and even had a few cocktails purchased for us. Ended the night with some dancing and then slept in the next morning.

The next day we visited Queen Victoria market for some shopping and food. It is so busy and this was just a Friday. I think if it was a weekend we wouldn't have been able to move. There weren't really as many deals as I was expecting but I think that if you're shopping for fresh meats and produce for dinner that it would be the perfect place. We also bought our Fermantle scarves for the AFL game the next day, so a good stop to make.

We then did some Melbourne exploration on foot and went to the Museum of Melbourne and walked by the exhibition center that was currently undergoing renovation.

Another fun night in the books and then we had the Australian Football League game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the morning. This was our first time seeing a game and I have to say, we had no idea what we were watching, but it was all very exciting. First off all, the men are all Greek gods. They are 6ft tall and lean but muscular and they all run around like soccer players but tackle each other like football players without pads. It is intense to watch and I'm still not sure I understand half the rules, but the purple team that we were rooting for won so we chose correctly!

After the match we walked into the Australian Open courts...maybe weren't really allowed to do that, but you know what, no one ever saw the world by playing by the rules. Bri played tennis in high school and her life goal is to have the oppotunity to see each of the 4 grand slams live. Obviously we weren't at the courts while the Australian Open was happening (actually the opposite as the French Open was airing at the same time we were in Australia), but it was still so fun to see her excitement at being at the same courts that her idols have had the opportunity to play in.

Thit night we went to the Melbourne Winter Village at Fed Square and it was pretty fun. We had dinner in a fake igloo and then went ice skating with the whole city of Melbourne behind us. It was no NYC, but still a pretty cool thing to do for not much money.

On our walk home the Flinders Train Station and St. Paul's Cathedral were lit up and beautiful. Should check those out for some photo opps as well.

That was if for Australia, but plenty of adventures to come. Off to Singapore!