Fresh university graduate in 2017.

Three years have passed in a blink of an eye! We are now in 2020.

We don’t meet our friends as often now, and work sometimes becomes a priority. Three years in, I’m thankful to be in my third posting.

To refresh my jaded working life, I wanted to be reminded back when we were feeling fresh, hopeful, and excited for the future. And it all started with a Grad Trip on 12 May 2017, with my good buddy Alanna, when I received a call saying that I got my first full-time job all the way in Tasmania!

Disclaimer: Information is recalled to the best of my memory. Also, unable to promise on the photo quality.

Itinerary

Three reasons why you should visit Melbourne and Tasmania

A. Friend-Friendly

We met many friendly locals and travelers, especially at the hostels. Listening to their solo adventures and stories provided some life lessons, as you observe their principles and values. We also met a wonderful teacher and group of students on our climb up Mt Amos in Tasmania. The wildlife there were also real friendly, you can get close to the wallabies by the roads, and even huge rats who steal your unattended white bread on the kitchen counter.

When we stayed at the camping hut on Mount Field in Tasmania, our neighbour was of great help as he started the fire for us, and readily shared his firewood from his hut.

What’s equally fun is meeting your Singaporean friends to hang out and play some basketball! We played street ball at UniSim in cold weather, but sweated all the same.

We also watched the 2017 Toyota Australian Football League (at student price for $17). The match was North Melb vs Sydney Swans! We tried to figure out the rules during the match. Thankful to have a friend who knows when I can’t focus on the game anymore, so we left early.

B. A whole new world of dairy and staple food

I mentioned before that dairy products in Aussie are wonderful. This trip was no different. The amount of Chobani yoghurt, milk chocolate, milkshakes (especially at Shieffield!) and acai bowls we consumed probably made up half of our budgets.

Not to forget their famous pancakes at Higher Ground (we had to wait for 1.5 hours in the queue).

Or their well-known Lune Croissants which sells out quickly.

And the homemade jelly doughnuts from Richard & Faye’s Yummy Donuts truck at Queen Victoria market!

Also, their chips are hip.

C. Clear, Star-Studded Skies

When we were in Tasmania, we could really see the stars clearly at night (which is a very difficult thing to spot in SG unless you are like in Pulau Ubin). Wish my life was as clear, but gotta be good with what you have.

I have also loved looking at the skyline, as it always provided me with a sense of wonder, and gratefulness for being able to live in such a pretty world without worry.

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Things to Do in…

Melbourne

1. Start the day with a Free Walking Tour

A walking tour is always the best way to get acquainted to a new place quickly. You get to talk to a local guide and learn more about the country’s history and legacy. Best part about free walking tours is that you tip based on how much you enjoyed the tour.

We were introduced to some of the cultural spots, including lane ways, cafes and bars, historical landmarks, Federation Square, the Yarra river, and Parliament House. Aussies also seem to have a fascination with their prisons (ie Old Melbourne Gaol).

Meeting Point: Daily at 10.30am and 2.30pm at the statue of Sir Redmond Barry in front of the State Library Victoria

2. Marvel at Markets

The early bird catches the worm. Be in for a treat when you visit the markets early!

3. Instagram that Street Art

You can find graffiti walls along the many alleys in Melbourne (and Australia in general). We visited a few during the walking tour. There is also a Street Art Walking Tour for those interested.

4. Views at Eureka Skydeck

The Skydeck provides a 360 view of Melbourne. Spot the iconic landmarks, and realise how big the city, or the world, actually is. I personally like such views, as it gives me a sense of awe and gratefulness for having such privilege.

There is an outdoor area with strong winds gushing at you, and also The Edge – a glass cube that projects from the 88th floor and suspends visitors almost 300 meters high above Melbourne.

Alternatively, hang out at a friend’s place who lives in a high-rise building in town. Trust me, the view is as great as the one at the Skydeck.

Address: 7 Riverside Quay, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia

5. Reading into State Library of Victoria

The library is huge, so people can relax, read, or study. The space also allows them to curate multiple exhibitions for the public, which is similar to libraries in Singapore, just that it is at a much larger scale.

Besides that, you get to appreciate the beauty of its architecture. I’m no building expert, but did you know it has remained on the same 8,000m² allotment since its opening in 1856? The library has a modern feel on some floors, but it also has that vintage vibe which you rarely get to see in SG.

Address: 328 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

6. Be there or be Federation Square

Located in the heart of Melbourne, it can be a hang out spot, eating spot, or artsy spot all at once.

Did you know the plaza serves as a public arena for sporting events? Major local and international sporting events are shown on the big screen at the Swanston Street side of the square for all to see.

Learn more about Aboriginal art and culture at the Koorie Heritage Trust. The Australian Centre for Moving Image is a must-see for anyone interested in film, TV and gaming, and the Ian Potter Centre is full of art by Australian artists.

The plaza is located across the road is the Flinders Street Station, also an iconic landmark in Melbourne. Good to see that there are one or two halal food options at the street food carts too.

Address: Swanston St & Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

7. Hang out at Carlton Gardens

We visited the Gardens during our free walking tour. Similar to Singapore Botanic Gardens, you can chill and hang out here. Besides enjoying the greenery, you can view the Royal Exhibition Building in its full glory.

The Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens is one of the world’s oldest remaining exhibition pavilions (and was the first building in Australia to be named on the UNESCO Heritage List). 

Address: 1-111 Carlton St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia

8. Sunsets, Some Penguins and Desserts at St Kilda

I personally think the suburbs are as exciting as Melbourne. I remember we had a lot of fun exploring both food and views at St Kilda. This includes:

We did not manage to visit the artsy places in St Kilda like the Palais Theatre, as it was under renovation at that point of time. But do check it out if it’s open!

9. Brighter days at Brighton Bathing Boxes

There are actually many Brighton beaches all over the world (I initially thought this was in London and was looking forward to visiting it back then), but the ones with the bathing boxes are in Australia!

Along the beach, you will spot distinctive multi-coloured beach huts for your Instagram pleasure. Brighton Bathing boxes can only be sold to locals living in the Bayside area, and there are strict rules on its usage.

What’s interesting is that there will be queues for the more popular bathing boxes, while some gets ignored. Really depends on your preferences. Also, can say that it is difficult to come up with cool poses for these huts?

To get there by public transport, it is a bit of walk from the train station, but I had real fun exploring the stretch, and spotted some food vans!

We even managed to come up with some Goblin (Kdrama) like-aesthetics.

Overall, nothing much to see except for joggers running with their dogs, and the bathing boxes (maybe because it was autumn-going into winter period). We spent about an hour there.

Address: Esplanade, Brighton VIC 3186, Australia

10. Ya ya papaya at Yarra River

We were briefly introduced to the Yarra River during our free walking tour. It runs through the city, and there are barbecue and picnic facilities by the river banks, fishing platforms and jetty.

11. Shopping is my cardio

Of course, what’s travelling without some shopping?

You can check out the DFO South Wharf, Bourke Street Mall, and the Block Arcade.

Thanks to the taxi driver who cheated us, we discovered DFO South Wharf. We had just returned from Tasmania and took a taxi from the airport to my friend’s place in the suburbs. On the expressway, he was friendly and kept asking us questions, if we were tourists or students here. We tried to keep the talking to a minimum.

We were near the exit to the suburbs, and all of a sudden the taxi started jerking continuously, and he said his taxi might be having problems, so he needed to stop somewhere for us to alight and catch another taxi instead. We said ok sure, but THEN he proceeded to drive all the way into CBD, passing by the actual expressway exit that we were supposed to take. The fare continued to rise, and he stopped the fare saying it was his taxi’s fault only AFTER exiting the expressway. He finally dropped us at DFO South Wharf.

Luckily, the outlet mall had great bargains on branded items. Bought a few pairs of Vans shoes for my brother and some clothes for myself. There was a free luggage holding area luckily. But yes, unfortunately lucky i guess.

If you are looking for everyday normal brands, check out Bourke Street Mall. It is one of the most popular shopping hubs in the city, especially with a huge H&M there. And CD-shops, my favourite!

For those looking for boutique brands, check out the Block Arcade. It has a pretty vintage vibe and architecture too, which makes for nice photos even if you go window shopping.

Addresses:

• DFO South Wharf –  20 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf VIC 3006, Australia
• Bourke Street Mall – 231 Victoria Rd, Melbourne VIC 3078, Australia
• The Block Arcade – 282 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

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And with that, hope everyone will be able to leave Melbourne feeling fresh, wide-eyed and hopeful for the future!

Look out for Part 2 of the trip (Tasmania).