Melbourne 2015 27-Nov to 7Dec Itinery

DAY 1: 11/27/2015 Fri 18/9C Cold night

• Depart: 7:40am, Arrival 6.15pm, clear custom 7pm
• SQ207
• Depart: Fri, 27 Nov 2015, 07:40
• Arrived: Fri, 27 Nov 2015, 18:15
• Take Skybus $18 to Southern Cross Station (buy return tics $81)
• Federation square to see Lego Xmas Tree
• Bourke Street
• Noodles night market (long queue for popular stall)
• Accomodation: Airbnb 639 Lonsdale Street, Mel Vic3000 AUD269

DAY 2: 11/28/2015 Sat 21/10C

• Myers Xmas Window Display (need to Queue)
• Block Arcade
• Queen Victoria Market
• Brighton Beach Take train from Flinders to Brighton Beach(22mins)
• Bathing hut is about 20mins walk from train station, a must see is the hut with OZ flag
• Go home-walk to Middle Brighton Train station 22mins
• Accomodation: Airbnb 639 Lonsdale Street, Mel Vic3000 AUD269

DAY 3: 11/29/2015 Sun 19/13C-Hot in the afternoon

• Collingwood Childrens Farm $20 family, $10 Adult 9.15AM to 4.45pm-Not recommended
• Abbotsford (just beside Collingwood)-Nice visit
• Shrine of Remembrance
• Royal Botanical Garden
• Dinner at Chinatown 
• Accomodation: Airbnb 639 Lonsdale Street, Mel Vic3000 AUD269 

 DAY 4: 11/30/2015 Mon 30/10C

• Puffing billy, Dangdenong (adult $49, child $25, family $99)
• train timing 11.10am
• Southern Train Station to Belgrave Train Station(1hr journey)
• 8.30am leave hotel
• 9.30am Arrive Belgrave
•  Train depart to Lakeside
• Arrive Lakeside (Lunch at the park)
• Paddle boat
•  Train return to Belgrave station (12.30)
• Experience cool change, strong wind with rain, dinner was Coles chicken, and jap takeaway in apartment 
• Accomodation: Airbnb 639 Lonsdale Street, Mel Vic3000 AUD269 

 DAY 5: 12/1/2015 Tue 22/15C Rainy and Cold

• Pick car at Southern Cross, Europcar 4days AUD370 include insurance to 0dollar-Rav4 free upgrade booked from vroomvroomvroom
• PHILIP ISLAND (140 KM)
• 1.  Maru Koala and Animal Park on the way to PI $54 family +2x20
• Lunch at Gulliver's restaurant-nice burgers, pasta
• 2. The Nobbies
• 3. Penguin Parade, buy ticket from tourist center, arrive at viewing platform at least 1-1.5hr earlier for better seat, 1st row so that can view penguin at the shortest distance. Penguin plus ticket, family ticket at $108. Penguin arrival time for summer: 8.40pm, Dress warm.. 
• Accomodation: Philip Island Apartment-not recommended, old 

DAY 6: 12/2/2015 Wed 18/12C Cold

• Drive to Sorrento Take Ferry, Every hourly from 7am $89,40 minutes, arrive 20min before departure
• Leave at 7.30am
• To Sorrento Pier 143km 1hr 56min
• Take10am ferry, arrival at Queenscliff at 11am, spot dolphins
• 11am:Queenscliff to Angelsea 1hr min, 63km
• GOR memorial Arch at Eastern Beach
• 1pm: Angelsea to  Lorne 29km 38min Arrive:2.00pm, Lunch at Milk in bottle, burgers
• 3:00pm Lorne to Kenneth River (Wild Koala)28min, 22km, Arrive 3.30pm, spot koala
• 4:00pm Kenneth River to Appolo Bay 22km, 25min, Arrive 4.30pm
• Queenscliff to Seafarers 2hr 14min (130km)
• Accomodation: SeafarersVery very good, must stay! Seaview apartment

 DAY 7:  12/3/2015 Thu 17/10C-very cloudy

• At appolo bay, try Dooley's Ice cream-vanilla flavour (open from 11am)
• Great Ocean: continue on to Port Campbell (1.5hr)
• Depart from Appollo Bay
• 1. Cape Otway Lightstation  $50 entrance fee, expect to spend 2hrs or more include lunch
• 2.Great Otway National Park-for Koala Viewing: saw quite a few
• 3. Gibson Step, Twelve Apostles Visitors Centre
• 4. 12 Apotles (need at least 15-30mins walk)
• 5. Loch Ard Gorge
• Accomodation: Great ocean road tourist Park $180

 DAY 8:  12/4/2015 Fri  30C/18C-Very hot, clear sky

• 1. London Bridge
• 2. The Arch
• 3. Loch Ard Gorge, the caves
• 4. Drive to berry world, Pick strawberry timboon 10am open 18min, 19km
• 5. Timboon distilled rail for Lunch, and Ice cream
• Return car to Europcar at Southern Cross station (need to arrive before 5pm)
• Train to Melbourne Central station for airbnb
• Dinner at Paparich, Malaysian street food
• Accomodation: Airbnb QV apartments $285

 DAY 9:  12/5/2015 Sat 30C/18C-Cloudy

• breakfast at Hardware Societe (no Q if arrive 8am) 9 min 600m walk, 3meals plus pastry and coffee $75
• Visit Glen Waverly and Hung's house
• Dinner at Italian-Lygon Street Universal restaurant-try Chicken Parma ($14)-Big portion
• Accomodation: Airbnb QV apartments $285 

 DAY 10:  12/6/2015 Sat 31/18C-Cloudy 

• Breakfast at Queen Victoria Cafe
• Queen Victoria Market-buy fruits, cherry, peach, mangos
• Lunch at DimSum, Chinatown Visit Uncle Terry's house
• Shopping at Target 
•  Dinner at Vietnamese restaurant beside H&M, try Vermicilli salad
• Accomodation: Airbnb QV apartments $285 

 DAY 11:  12/7/2015 Sat 30C/18C-Cloudy 

• Chemist- to get cheap fish oil, supplements
• Taxi to airport ($51) after lunch, Home 4:40pm flight, arrive 9.20pm
• SQ228
• Mon, 07 Dec 2015, 16:40
• Mon, 07 Dec 2015, 21:20

Melbourne 2015 Dec 2 Day 6 (Tue) Part 2

Eagle's Rock










A little tracking is good to the light tower






Toilet break and playground break..Australia have really good playground, with the cooling weather, its always nice to have good playground break..




Finally the Great Ocean Road Arch






At Lorne, arrived at 2pm as expected for lunch..but only stopover for lunch..didn't visit the beach

Milk in a bottle restaurant, Daddy commented the burger not as nice as the one from Philip Island



Spotted a koala at any random stop at Wye River... On our way we even see a koala on the road running around..Its really hard to see an active Koala..

Finally, arrived at our apartment for the night at Skenes Creek, Seafarers Getaway at about 4pm...It was my favourite apartment throughout the trip..sea facing! new sleek design












The surprise! Can view the beach even from toilet and while you bath!!


This is the view from balcony














Supper with the fire place..real nice..

Melbourne 2015 Day 6 2-Dec (Mon) Part 1

Today had a long drive planned.  Basically great ocean road and philip island is of different direction from Melbourne.  So we chose the ferry instead.  We drove about 2hrs to reach the ferry terminal and paid about $80+ for it, and had a very nice experience taking the car into the ferry. Left the apartment at 7.30am..

The drive after Philip Island..Most farms had the cows live in luxury, facing the sea at one side..and few cows at large piece of land




Another cold and windy day, hard to drag kids out of car to take pics.




The lovely car



This is at the Ferry Terminal..very nice scenary























A little short break for bird feeding

Melbourne 2015 Day 5 1-Dec (Mon)

The grands went back to Clayton the night before..so we were left to handle the check out.  The thing is with airbnb the rule is to come and leave the exact same condition..so we even clean all the plates and put back in the cupboard, throw the rubbish etc.


So we bid goodbye to this nice apartment! and ready for our road trip..

Jared had been asking many days when are we gonna pick up car..Finally this day.  We got the car booking from Europcar just opposite the apartment, so it was really convenient.


Happy Kaylen in the car..She had this sweet last year in Perth too

1st stop Marutama Koala Park enroute to Philip Island.  This is even a smaller park, very compact, and at $50 per family.  The main aim to come here is to feed the kangaroo.


They many this type of mummy kangaroo with baby in pouch, sometimes the baby would be drinking mummy's milk


This is a super huge kangaroo..when is up, it's quite scary..



Late lunch at Gulliver's restaurant in Philip Island like close to 3pm



1st pasta that we found..somehow most places sell sandwich /fish and chip only


Philip Island Apartment-quite dated..I had a scary night...but its the kids top fav hotel, cos got bath tub..hah






Lazing in the apartment...it was a rather chilly day..


While daddy was sleeping, Kaylen and me ran to Coles..cos he had lock the jacket in the car...and the wind was blowing so strongly.

In the evening, we drove to the Nobbies...when we arrived there, the rain started..we waited like 1hour in the car while the kids were asleep  for the rain to stop..and then seen the rainbow..So after the rain stop, even became even colder that Kaylen can't stand the chilly weather with the strong wind...and cried to stay in car.

Jared and me went for a short walk




The seagulls so many of them there
















He wanted to go down further, but I can't take the cold anymore..the jacket seemed to be really helpful..Taobao northface..at $20










At penguin boardwalk..no more such strong wind..thankfully


The little penguin waiting for papa & mama

We got the penguin plus ticket at $118, so that we can see the more penguins and  view them closer..It was an upgrade of general viewing at $60+.  It was a heartache at first, but later realised worth every penny.


Luckily it wasn't that cold anymore, we had to wait like an hour plus till 8.40pm before the penguins come up.  And it was fun sitting there, spotting for little penguins who standing outside the burrow waiting their parents to come home and  rabbits / wallaby..


This is the highest grade ticket...at $150 for family with underground viewing..not recommended.

No photoshoot allowed..but this Jared ranked this activity highest of all things we did in Melbourne.

When we got back to Cowes, (penguin viewing was 20mins drive away), all the shops already closed, and we had to have cup noodle for dinner..