Melbourne Part I

On the last week of summer break, my friends and I went for a mid-week getaway to Victoria in favour of nice culinary experiences and a change of scenery. Two and a half days were a bit short to fit in everything we wanted to do so our itinerary was very cramped - but still enjoyable. A local friend and another classmate who had interstate clinical placements joined us for the first day.

I didn't take many photos, but here are a few favourites: The 12 apostles, "London Bridge", an angry duck, Flinders Street Station and a free-to-ride tram, the State Library, and Batman Avenue.

The general experience of Melbourne was that the weather was more extreme. In the summer, expect one day to range from 11 to 30 degrees celsius. Peak hour traffic is as bad as Sydney so take public transport or cycle (their bike lanes are quite extensive), the people are more cultured and have a more diverse view of fashion, strangers are generally more friendly than Sydney-siders (sorry homies), competition makes even their average coffee wonderful, and their architecture is a melting pot of Victorian-meets-ultra-modern with a mix of grand sandstone buildings, quaint terraces, and a few residential and office skyscrapers. Most of all, I loved the cleanliness of the streets and abundance of trees in even the busiest parts of the CBD.

We stayed near Southern Cross Station with AirBnB and it was very convenient and there's a lot of new apartments in the area. With getting a Myki public transport card, it's not worth it if you're only staying two days so we didn't get one, but for a more extended stay, it's a viable option.

Now, you must be wondering where the food photos are. I reckon our culinary adventures deserve a separate post, so stay tuned!