Melbourne 2007

Posted by admin on November 6, 2008

In November 2007 I decided to take myself on a little holiday down to Melbourne for a couple of weeks to spend time with friends and family.

Upon arriving into Melbourne my friend Sue picked me up from the airport and we made our way to her house in Mont Albert. What a cute little area, not only conveniently located 2 blocks from the train station but they still had a KFC – this was huge for me as our KFC was knocked down earlier in the year for 6 months. Since I had easy access to the Trains, this quickly became my mode of transport and only took around half an hour to get into the City. Melbourne is not as small as some people think and man was I in for a bit of shock. My main station to get off was Spencer Street, which allowed me to get to Sue’s work and of course the main area us females want – the Shops. I was extremely proud of myself as I didn’t once get lost!!!! – Ya for me.

On the Thursday I had decided for the first time to go along on a Wine Tour, and joined up with Victoria Wine Tours for this. Not normally a wine drinker, I certainly learnt a lot and now have a new appreciation for it.

Our first stop was at Yerring Station. Where I must admit I did find my favourite wine of all. 2007 Yerring Station Rose, after sampling I think all wines available through the Cellar Door, we then moved onto Chandon, here they took us through on one of their tours. Once again for someone who has no knowledge of this, it was extremely interesting. I still had it in my mind that they still have people in the large barrels crushing them with their feet like you see in the movies. Oh so not the case. Yes I can see you having a laugh at my expense. After the tour we were then taken Greenpoint Room which overlooks the valley and enjoyed while enjoying a glass of wine. With views out into the Vineyards, this was a hard place to leave.

Food time….. I think this came at quite a good time as by 1100 I was already feeling a little tipsy. After a short drive up to the National Park and a break where we were then joined by some of the local wildlife. We Then were off to Tokar for lunch. You definitely couldn’t find faults with this place. The meals were fantastic and we were given a glass of wine to enjoy with our meal. Rita (owner) then joined us to take us through the history of the property and their wines. You can tell how much each family puts into these Vineyards, not just monetary value but the care and joy from everyone involved.

By now we thought we should head off again. As we didn’t have a strict schedule to keep, we left it up to our driver and his knowledge of the best wineries to visit. Therefore we then ended up at Oakridge and then down to Coombe Farm. Known for its famous owner Dame Nellie Melba.

After a long day we headed back into Melbourne City.

As I hadn’t seen a mate of mine for a few years we headed out for dinner in a fabulous little restaurant down Hardware Lane. Then it was home time and ready for bed.

On the weekend we headed down to the Vic Markets to check out what bargins we could find. After a long day of shopping we headed back home and watched a few movies. We did plan to head out that night but we were exhausted to even move.

Sue and I decided to head up to her home town of Wangaratta and spent a few days with her parents, what a good way to fill up with great food and excellent company. On the way up we stopped off in Avenel and went up to Avenel Mazes. Now this isn’t just any Maze but designed around Ned Kelly. Since we had plenty of time, we decided to head up to Glenrowan and check out the Ned Kelly history and Tourist Centre. Here the siege of the Kelly gang comes to life through the use of animatronics and computerized robots.  Here they have an animated interactive display with the final siege, you start as hostages, surviving the gunfight, burning building and a decent hanging.

Oh I cant forget out trip up to Beechwood. This little town has the BEST lollie shop ever. I was able to buy bags of black jelly beans without having to pick out other colours!!

Wangaratta has a lot of historical places at your finger tips and you are also close to Mount Beauty.

Once back in Melbourne, Sue continued to show me the tourist spots. We took a day trip up the Great Ocean Road and saw the 12 Apostles. What a beautiful site and area. They also have helicopter tours available for those with a few extra dollars at hand. A day trip up to Sovereign Hill, unfortunately we didn’t find any Gold, however I wasn’t that interested in actually trying so that might have been a large part in why. We had some Old Time Photos taken of us, which was a ball. We got to watch a group also getting their photos taken and definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good laugh at not only yourself but others.

After seeing all the sites, I then headed off to spend a few days with family before catching my flight to Brisbane and head back home to Hervey Bay, in the Fraser Coast region..

There is so much to do down in Melbourne and I had no idea, but would recommend it to everyone. Try and check out the little alley ways as this is where some of the best little pubs and restaurants are located.

Needless to say by the time I got home I had a extra bag and had to pay for it. Over all I had a wonderful time and cant wait to go back.