Explore with Amie

Melbourne is one of my favourite cities on the East Coast of Australia. It is a a great place to start your journey up the East Coast. A lot of backpackers skip the city out and begin their journey in Sydney however, they’re missing out on a treat. If you’re looking for things to do within Melbourne city centre then you should check out my previous post HERE. Once you have spent a day or two exploring what the city has to offer, you’ll be ready to venture outwards to explore the surrounding area.

My general recommendation for this area would be to rent a car. This wasn’t something we did whilst we were in Melbourne as, I couldn’t drive at the time and my companion didn’t feel comfortable with renting a car as soon as we arrived in a new country. However, I think it would help as we get further down this list with your ability to travel without the price tag of a group tour. That being said, we did use a group tour for a couple of our trips and these are a great way if you can’t drive or don’t feel comfortable driving abroad. Australia do drive on the left hand side of the road like we do here in the UK which makes it slightly easier. If you are wanting to rent a car, check out Uber Carshare for the best deals. We used this app later on in Cairns and I can’t rave about it enough.

St Kilda

One of the places that is very easily accessible outside of the city centre by tram is St Kilda. Tap on and off with your myki card like you do with contactless and off you go to the coast. Myki cards can be bought from any 7Eleven and used on public transport in the city and surrounding areas. It is a 30 minute tram ride from the city centre with multiple options of which route to take: 67, 3/3a, 16 and 96.

St Kilda is a suburb of Melbourne on the coast. It is a lovely little town with small independent shops that sell lovely items. I bought a wrap skirt from one of the small boutique shops here. It is also home to many independent cafes. We ate a scrumptious lunch here and then walked along the coast to Port Melbourne. You have lots of options of how to spend your time here: if you’re looking for a beach day, you should head to St Kilda. However, you can walk along the coast in either direction; we opted for back towards the city to Port Melbourne but you could also walk the other way to Brighton (more on this later). Or, you could rent a bike and spend the day cycling up the coast.

St Kilda is also home to Luna Park, the oldest amusement park in Australia. We didn’t venture inside but the entrance to the park is impressive enough to witness.

Brighton

Although us Brits are familiar with Brighton as the bright and vibrant sea side town on the South Coast of England, the same applies to Brighton, Melbourne. Brighton is further along the coast to the east that Melbourne so takes that little bit longer to get to on the tram if you’re coming from the city centre as you need to take a tram to St Kilda followed by the bus to Brighton. However, there is the option to take the train from Flinders Street to Brighton which takes 30 minutes so that appears to be the quickest route.

The main attraction of Brighton are the bathing boxes which are more commonly called beach huts. The beach here is lined with colourful beach huts that are so well designed. They are basically pieces of art. This is a place that I really wish I had visited outside of Melbourne. The beach huts are known as an instagrammable spot as I believe you can also see Melbourne’s skyline in the distance. Another great spot for a beach day!

Phillip Island

Perhaps the most famous excursion from Melbourne is Phillip Island. My friend and I booked onto a tour with Explore Australia though there are many similar trips available. We booked last minute so it was a case of Explore Australia having the space to accommodate us. It was a lovely trip though. The itinerary included a trip to the Moonlit Sanctuary which is home to koalas, kangaroos and other classic Aussie wildlife, a stop at Cape Woolamai beach and Nobbies’ boardwalks and finally at the Penguin Parade.

The Penguin Parade is incredibly popular as you see Little Penguins (this is the name of the breed and true to size) head back to their nests after a day of hunting and feeding at sea. This is a once in a lifetime experience. You sit at a amphitheatre kind of seating area and watch the penguins as they navigate their way back to their nests. They are timid creatures so it takes a little while for them to take the plunge and come up the beach. From then, you’re surrounded by the Little Penguins. It is incredible. We went during the mating season which was an added bonus. I highly highly recommend this as, though it is a little touristy and commercialised, these are wild penguins and you don’t get that opportunity very often.

The excursion to the Nobbie’s boardwalks was beautiful at sunset and we got to see wallabies in the wild as well as other Australian wildlife. Cape Woolami was an incredibly beautiful beach. However, I would recommend bringing some warm clothes as, even though it was summer when we made the trip, once the sun goes down when you’re waiting for the penguins it does get chilly. Most spectators were in winter coats but my friend and I were in shorts and thin jumpers. It is something you don’t consider when booking the trip but definitely go prepared for the temperature to drop. It is also a late night as the penguins come back to their nests after sunset and then you have the trip back to the city centre. One hundred percent worth it though!

Mornington Peninsula

Unfortunately, Mornington Peninsula is inaccessible by public transport so renting a car or booking a tour are your best options here. The average price of a tour here is around $150 aud which works at around £85 so it is a little on the expensive side but does include multiple stops around the area.

Mornington Peninsula is famous for the Peninsula Hot Springs which are natural thermal baths, with other spa treatments available. This health and wellbeing centre starts at $35 and, if you’re in to that kind of thing then I have heard nothing but good things about this location. Mornington is also home to vineyards and my friend found that the wine she had from Mornington was the best wine she had throughout the entire trip. If hiking is more up your alley, Arthur’s Seat Park is home to many walking trails as well as a roadside viewpoint called Murray’s Lookout which has incredible views across the Peninsula. This is just one of many viewpoints on this main road.

If you’re looking for beaches, Mornington Peninsula is home to these too. Portsea is a seaside town home to a national park, Fort Nepean and a pier. This looks like an amazing spot to visit that is steeped in history. This town is at the very edge of the Peninsula and takes around 1hr and 30minutes from Melbourne however, you would, of course, make stops along the route. One of these stops could be at Mt Martha, another beach spot that is famous for its colourful beach boxes. Mornington Peninsula has a bit of everything on offer.

Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is another iconic day trip from Melbourne. If I could go back to Australia and do one more thing, it would be a trip around this area. Sadly, we only had one day and decided to do the trip to Phillip Island instead which didn’t disappoint. I think the Great Ocean Road, although it can be done in a day trip, should include an overnight stay to really see it properly.

The Great Ocean Road region runs from Torquay all the way along the coast to Portland. It takes approximately 1hr and 17minutes from Melbourne to Torquay where the road begins. However, you can get here by train and bus but it does take quite a long time. For more travel information, check out the Great Ocean Road website which is home to helpful links and information. The road is famous for its beautiful scenery around the coast including rock formations such as the 12 Apostles. There are also waterfalls to discover, national parks, beaches as well as quaint coastal towns and villages. There is too much for me to cover here so I do recommend checking out the website for more help in planning your trip and prioritising what you want to see.

Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges

The whole area surrounding and including Melbourne is referred to as the Yarra Valley because of the Yarra River which runs throughout the region and the city. The Yarra Valley is famous for its vineyards and wine tasting. If you like wine, this is definitely something to look into. The Dandenong Ranges are a low mountain range about 22miles away from the city. This national park is part of the Aboriginal culture of the Wurundjeri People and is full of walks and wildlife. For the hikers among us, this is a must do. The view across Melbourne and the Yarra Valley are also stunning.

I hope this has given you an insight into what the area surrounding Melbourne has to offer. More Australia travel guides will be coming soon!

Amie x