Tourist advice please ************

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Tourist advice please ************; Melbourne here we come!
Topic Started: 10 Jan 2005, 08:28 PM (477 Views)
Tracey	10 Jan 2005, 08:28 PM Post #1
Newbie Posts: 5 Group: Members Member #158 Joined: 10 January 2005	Hi all, I'm new to this site...so hi everyone! :D We are living in Perth at the moment and we've been here 6 months now. I've got serious reservations about this place and I'm trying desperately to convince my husband that maybe Perth is not the right place for us after all! Bless him, he loves the place...he's very easily swayed by the beach and barbi culture! :rolleyes: So, I am one step forward in the "talk him into going somewhere else' process...we've booked the flights to head for Melbourne and Sydney during the last few weeks of Feb. Yippeeee...civilisation here we come! :boat: We intend to head for the Puffing Billy train ride, the kids will love that one. The Zoo, Phillip Island...are there any other sights that would be great to see for us and two little ones while we're in Melbourne? After being in Perth I've been warned that big city life may come as a culture shock and it may take a while for us to aclimatise to living amongst other people, we'll have to brace ourselves! ;) I can't bl**dy wait!!!!! :D :D



Bordy	11 Jan 2005, 05:30 AM Post #2
Administrator Posts: 4,688 Group: Admin Member #3 Joined: 8 September 2004 Migration Status Citizen My Location Ferntree Gully	The other one I'd recommend if you have a car is Sovereign Hill up at Ballarat. You go through the gates & its like a time warp with all these people dressed like it was the 1800s. Its all based around the Goldfields of the late 1800s & was very well done.



suemac	11 Jan 2005, 05:56 AM Post #3
Member Posts: 65 Group: Members Member #79 Joined: 19 September 2004	Healesville Sanctuary is a great day out. Our kids love it there, lots of opportunitites to get up close and personal to Aussie animals and birds. Amazing birds of prey display. I think you can get a "passport" that allows entry into the zoo, the Sanctaury and Werribee open range zoo. The weather should be nice so a drive down the Mornington Peninsula with its beautiful child-friendly beaches. Be sure to pop over to Sorrento back beach which has a super rock pool where the kids can potter around in the shallows. Quite stunning. The Museum has a super kiddies section. The Aquarium. I believe the Immigration Museum is very good for kids, on a rainy day, but with Melbourne's glorious weather, you may not get any of those (!) Enjoy it Sue



Hels	11 Jan 2005, 10:27 PM Post #4
Addicted Member Posts: 133 Group: Members Member #69 Joined: 14 September 2004	Hi, Make sure you spend some times exploring some of the large parks in Melbourne. Some of them are awesome and have lots of different thinks to discover, like Capt Cooks cottage and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.... Or you could head down the Great Ocean Rd which is incrediable. Spend a few days exploring down there if you can. The Dandenong Ranges are beautiful or head up the Hume Hwy to Ned Kelly country like Glenrowan or Beechworth. Within Melbourne, also make sure you go up to the Observation Deck in the Rialto Tower...an amazing view of just about all of Melbourne. The Queen Victoria Markets are also a must see as are the St Kilda Esplanade Markets(very artsy & craftsy). Hope some of these suggestions help. Hels



Anya4oz	12 Jan 2005, 06:49 AM Post #5
Addicted Member Posts: 238 Group: Members Member #14 Joined: 9 September 2004	Hels Jan 11 2005, 10:27 PM Hi, Make sure you spend some times exploring some of the large parks in Melbourne. Some of them are awesome and have lots of different thinks to discover, like Capt Cooks cottage and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.... Or you could head down the Great Ocean Rd which is incrediable. Spend a few days exploring down there if you can. The Dandenong Ranges are beautiful or head up the Hume Hwy to Ned Kelly country like Glenrowan or Beechworth. Within Melbourne, also make sure you go up to the Observation Deck in the Rialto Tower...an amazing view of just about all of Melbourne. The Queen Victoria Markets are also a must see as are the St Kilda Esplanade Markets(very artsy & craftsy). Hope some of these suggestions help. Hels Another idea for a day out - historic seaport Williamstown. You can get there on the train from the CBD or by boat from Southbank. There's loads to see: a museum ship, marina with amazing views of the City skyline, a lovely swimming beach, piers to walk along, great collection of cafes & restaurants, and nature trails with bike paths if you are so inclined. Cheers, Anya.



Tracey	12 Jan 2005, 09:44 AM Post #6
Newbie Posts: 5 Group: Members Member #158 Joined: 10 January 2005	Thanks so much for the advice. We are only going to have 5 nights in Melbourne then we're off up to Sydney....so we are going to be very busy! :D It'll tire the kids out though, you never know...they might have a lie in! :rolleyes: I noticed in one reply you said there are lovely beaches in certain parts of Meblourne? My hubby is convinced there are no nice beackes in Melbourne, please tell me there are so I can have another point to my arguement of moving there!! ;)



suemac	12 Jan 2005, 06:25 PM Post #7
Member Posts: 65 Group: Members Member #79 Joined: 19 September 2004	A lot of the beaches are super. We live about 45 mins away so I don't know them all that well. I tend to take my two littlies down to Edithvale. Its on the bay, crystal clear turquoise water, white, clean sand, quite stunning. and that's just one of very many, all along the bay. Down the Mornington peninsula, IMO the beaches are absurdly beautiful. Saying that, not great if you're a surfer - all dead calm as on the bay. but there are surf beaches too - maybe somebody else knows more about those.



Anya4oz	14 Jan 2005, 09:38 AM Post #8
Addicted Member Posts: 238 Group: Members Member #14 Joined: 9 September 2004	suemac Jan 12 2005, 06:25 PM A lot of the beaches are super. We live about 45 mins away so I don't know them all that well. I tend to take my two littlies down to Edithvale. Its on the bay, crystal clear turquoise water, white, clean sand, quite stunning. and that's just one of very many, all along the bay. Down the Mornington peninsula, IMO the beaches are absurdly beautiful. Saying that, not great if you're a surfer - all dead calm as on the bay. but there are surf beaches too - maybe somebody else knows more about those. For big waves, go to Sorrento Ocean beach (Melways 156 H9). As good as the Cornish beaches any day! (whoops, I'll have the Cornish Peoples' Liberation front after me now :) ) Another great day out from Melb is in the direction of the Great Ocean Road, South West of Melbourne. It takes about 45-55 mins to drive dwon the freeway to Geelong, depending on traffic, then you can either look for signs to Barwon Heads, & Ocean Grove Surf Beach, or follow the tourist route to Great Ocean Road, and check out Jan Juc, and the lovely Bells Beach. Point Roadknight, a little further along, is a terrific beach with amazing rock formations, probably about 1.5-1.75 hours drive from Melb, but well worth it! We go down that way as often as we can, & take a picnic so that we can pick a lovely spot, eat our lunch & just chill out! Anya.



MarkMyWords	15 Jan 2005, 11:44 AM Post #9
Member Posts: 12 Group: Members Member #119 Joined: 21 October 2004	Tracey Jan 12 2005, 10:44 AM I noticed in one reply you said there are lovely beaches in certain parts of Meblourne? My hubby is convinced there are no nice beackes in Melbourne As has been said, there are many lovely beaches. Be careful, though; the more urban the beach, potentially the less pleasant. I was horrified at the amount of extremely unpleasant detritus on St Kilda beach (and I don't horrify easily). Don't let that put you off though; you don't have to be on the actual beach to enjoy being at the coast!



Melhelpinghand	18 Jan 2005, 08:32 AM Post #10
Member Posts: 32 Group: Members Member #145 Joined: 23 December 2004	Tracey, sounds like you just need a good holiday.If you're considering LIVING in Melbourne , you should spend at least one day looking around the suburbs. All the tourist places are great but if you are to convince the hubby to move you will need to have a look at 'real life' as well.


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