No sun? No worries!
18 days in the land down under.
18 days in the land down under.
Melbourne
Our final stop was in Melbourne for two nights and one full day in the city.
We often end our trips in a more traditional business hotel with amenities
such as Internet services (for checking flights), etc. We were a little
concerned about driving into the city on a business day, probably because
we'd been sufficiently warned about the hook turns. Using some very
precise directions obtained through the always-reliable Fodors board, we
drove straight in on the Eastern Freeway and then proceeded down Victoria
toward the CBD.
The Avis website offered us the choice of dropping our car at one of two
downtown locations—the Avis office or the Grand Hyatt. We chose the
latter, but an Avis staffer at the Melbourne airport (not the one who handled
our rental) made it very clear that the Grand Hyatt location was a pick-up
location only; we would not be able to drop the car there.
More confident now in our ability to read the map and identify how to avoid
hook turns, we decided to drop off our luggage at the Melbourne Marriott on
the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale. It was the last stop we'd have to
make. The very friendly and helpful bellman suggested that he'd call Avis,
and perhaps they'd come pick up the car. He did. They would. No worries.
We could check right in and get a head start on exploring Melbourne.
We were also quite happy with our choice of the Marriott Melbourne. The
room wasn't large, but it was comfortable and well equipped with a
refrigerator, toaster, iron/ironing board and, most importantly, high-speed
Internet (for a fee, but that was okay; this was our first accommodation of
the trip with in-room Internet). Service is what made this hotel stand out,
and we also liked its location—easy walking distance to the places we
wanted to visit, but on a corner that was relatively quiet. A$220 for a triple.
We had a day and a half or so to explore the city, during which we:
Last but not least, dining. Breakfast was not included in our room rate, but
we still had quite a bit of pastry left over from the Giant Steps/Innocent
Bystander bakery. The coffee bar in the lobby provided a convenient
complement. Other meals included:
The sun was starting to peek out as we arrived in Melbourne, and the
following day was one of clear blue skies. A perfect ending to our trip. We
thoroughly enjoyed our stop there.
Next: Getting there and getting around
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Our final stop was in Melbourne for two nights and one full day in the city.
We often end our trips in a more traditional business hotel with amenities
such as Internet services (for checking flights), etc. We were a little
concerned about driving into the city on a business day, probably because
we'd been sufficiently warned about the hook turns. Using some very
precise directions obtained through the always-reliable Fodors board, we
drove straight in on the Eastern Freeway and then proceeded down Victoria
toward the CBD.
The Avis website offered us the choice of dropping our car at one of two
downtown locations—the Avis office or the Grand Hyatt. We chose the
latter, but an Avis staffer at the Melbourne airport (not the one who handled
our rental) made it very clear that the Grand Hyatt location was a pick-up
location only; we would not be able to drop the car there.
More confident now in our ability to read the map and identify how to avoid
hook turns, we decided to drop off our luggage at the Melbourne Marriott on
the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale. It was the last stop we'd have to
make. The very friendly and helpful bellman suggested that he'd call Avis,
and perhaps they'd come pick up the car. He did. They would. No worries.
We could check right in and get a head start on exploring Melbourne.
We were also quite happy with our choice of the Marriott Melbourne. The
room wasn't large, but it was comfortable and well equipped with a
refrigerator, toaster, iron/ironing board and, most importantly, high-speed
Internet (for a fee, but that was okay; this was our first accommodation of
the trip with in-room Internet). Service is what made this hotel stand out,
and we also liked its location—easy walking distance to the places we
wanted to visit, but on a corner that was relatively quiet. A$220 for a triple.
We had a day and a half or so to explore the city, during which we:
- Walked throughout the central business district; we particularly
enjoyed exploring the arcades and alleyways and the sights and
smells of Chinatown
- Visited Federation Square and the Southbank shopping area
- Wandered through the Victoria Market and its stalls selling
everything from fresh seafood to wine to cacti to produce to Uggs to
ballerina dresses for little girls…and just about anything else you
can imagine
- Traversed various bridges across the Yarra River and watched the
rowers practicing
- Rode the Ferris wheel, which offered some nice views (note: we
expected once or twice around, but it actually went around 20 times
or more at a fairly good clip)
- Took the tram to St. Kilda and wandered through Luna Park (a bit
older than Sydney's similar park) and along the beaches and piers;
it's very easy to get around in Melbourne
- Relaxed in the Alexandra, Fitzroy and Royal Botanical Gardens
- And generally walked and walked
Last but not least, dining. Breakfast was not included in our room rate, but
we still had quite a bit of pastry left over from the Giant Steps/Innocent
Bystander bakery. The coffee bar in the lobby provided a convenient
complement. Other meals included:
- Snacks and drinks at the Riverland Cafe near Federation Square;
we were surprised by, and thrilled with, the plethora of outdoor
dining and drinking spots, especially given that it is winter
- Chinese dinner at Mask of China, recommended by the concierge;
unusual Chiu Chow cuisine; decent food and very attentive service;
more expensive than we expected
- Italian at one of the restaurants on Lygon Street; we weren't starving
and were really more interested in a comfortable, homey
atmosphere than gourmet dining that evening; the interesting part
of this experience was that practically every restaurant had a barker
out on the sidewalk hawking the menu and offering some kind of
freebie. We admit we were lured in by a free bottle of wine....a weak
spot.
The sun was starting to peek out as we arrived in Melbourne, and the
following day was one of clear blue skies. A perfect ending to our trip. We
thoroughly enjoyed our stop there.
Next: Getting there and getting around
See all of our photos on Webshots
our travels
home
contact us
Melbourne skyline from St. Kilda harbor
Australia home
Planning considerations
Sydney
Queensland, part 1
Queensland, part 2
Queensland, part 3
Red Center
Yarra Valley
Melbourne
Getting there and getting around
Planning considerations
Sydney
Queensland, part 1
Queensland, part 2
Queensland, part 3
Red Center
Yarra Valley
Melbourne
Getting there and getting around
Luna Park, St. Kilda
Flinders Street Station, Melbourne
Royal Arcade, Melbourne
Did someone lose a wallet?
