Melbourne

Hotels

We recommend staying in St Kilda, a lively neighbourhood close to the beach and wedding venue, accessible by public transportation. Several family members plan to stay at The Prince, which has fully refundable booking options. Please note that January 26 is the night of the Australian Open Final, so we strongly recommend booking ASAP (even if your travel plans are not yet 100% confirmed) while rates are still affordable.

Travel

The easiest way to travel to Melbourne is by air via SFO or LAX to Melbourne Airport (MEL). Travel from the airport to St Kilda is available by the SkyBus ("Melbourne City Express" which runs every 20 minutes, AU$20 each way, tickets available at airport kiosks) connecting at Southern Cross Station to the no. 96 or 12 trams (tickets by Myki payment card available at Southern Cross Station, or via Google Pay on Android). Uber is available, but we also recommend downloading DiDi, which is typically a cheaper alternative.

Please reach out to us if you would like a list of recommended activities in Melbourne, the surrounding region, and across the country.

Things to do

To aid your planning process, we wanted to share a few suggested activities you may wish to consider, with the important caveat that it’s a huge country with a ton to do and everyone has different preferences. We encourage you to do your own research as well of course. But here are a few of our favorites:

Melbourne (famous for excellent coffee and Chinese/Malaysian/Indonesian food):

• Laksa King for amazing seafood curry soup

• Melbourne's Chinatown is full of excellent restaurants and the odd hidden cocktail bar

• Eau De Vie for a swanky cocktail bar (book ahead)

• Axil Coffee Roasters - order the “magic” for coffee that will change your life (it's a double ristretto flat white, to ruin the surprise)

• Royal Botanic Gardens (free and beautiful gardens near the center of town. Bring a picnic!)

• Queen Victoria Market (fresh produce, cheeses and meats, and knick-knacks. Good place for souvenir shopping, best to go earlier in the day)

• walk and/or bike along the “Bay Trail” bike path (by the sea) and/or the “Yarra Trail” (by the river)

• wander around the CBD and admire the graffiti’d laneways (details here: https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/things-to-do/the-best-laneways-and-arcades-in-melbourne)

Melbourne day trips (or stay for a few):

Great ocean road (ideally a 2-4 day scenic drive along the coast with great beaches, cliffs, coastal walks, and food)

• Gibson Steps (beach from which you can see the Twelve Apostles, the most famous of many limestone formations along the Great Ocean Road. Avoid the crowds at the main tourist center and go here instead)

• Great Ocean Walk (starts in Apollo Bay over 110km in total -- suggest doing the 8km section from Cape Otway to Aire River for the most scenic views)

• Shelly Beach (secluded rocky beach with a beautiful 900m walk from the parking lot)

• Kennett River Surf Beach (patrolled surf beach that's less crowded than Lorne or Anglesea)

• Fairhaven Beach (unpatrolled long stretch of white sand beach, not crowded)

• Apollo Bay Bakery (incredible meat pies, the best if you ask Randi)

• Apollo Bay Fisherman’s Co-op (amazing fresh seafood, both fried and grilled/steamed)

• Chris's Beacon Point Restaurant (excellent restaurant with a beautiful view of the ocean, book ahead)

Philip Island (1 hr 45 min drive from Melbourne, plan to drive back at night or the next day to watch the Penguin Parade at sunset):

• Penguin Parade (watch the world’s smallest penguins come ashore for the night and you might even watch them mate! One of the coolest things we’ve had the privilege to see)

• Koala conservation reserve (you can see koalas up close, but they’re wild and free to roam. Suggest going at dawn or dusk or just after it rains to see them at their most active)

• San Remo fisherman’s co-op (excellent fish and chips en route to Philip Island. No reservations, expect a line)

Mornington Peninsula (about an hour’s drive from Melbourne, filled with beaches, coastal walks, and wineries). Doable in a day, or stay for a few. Some of our favorites include:

• Bushranger’s Bay (a 2.5k coastal walk to a beautiful beach with rock formations - also where we got engaged!)

• Rosebud Beach (very calm, good for swimming if you ask Randi)

• Gunnamatta Surf Beach (great surf, good for swimming if you ask Scott)

• Coppins track (3km long stretch of beach you can walk down with great views and beautiful beaches)

• Diamond Bay and Bay of Islands (smaller secluded beach in a pretty cove at the beginning of Coppins Track)

• Laura at Pt Leo winery (very nice restaurant at a winery, good for special occasions - we went to celebrate on the day we got engaged. Book ahead)

• Ranga’s bakery (excellent meat pies, the best if you ask Scott)

Yarra Valley (infinite number of wineries known for Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Chardonnay, and cool climate Shiraz, approximately 45 minutes from Melbourne, easy day trip)

• TarraWarra Estate for a special occasion lunch (book ahead)

• Yering Farm Wines for a chill vibe, beautiful views, and a A$10(!) tasting

Other sites farther afield:

• “Sure, you can go to Sydney I guess if you want to look at an opera house and a bridge” — Scott

• Great Barrier Reef - we haven’t been but have heard great things, and it's not likely to be there much longer. The Whitsundays combine snorkeling/scuba on the GBR with great beaches and boating. Fly to Hamilton Island Airport or Whitsundays Coast Airport and take a ferry to the islands. If you’d prefer a more accessible way to see the GBR and have had your fill of beaches, the internet suggests flying to Cairns and take a snorkeling or dive tour from there

• If you’re into hiking, the Grampians (3hr drive from Melbourne) or Cradle Mountain in Tasmania (maybe Scott's favourite day hike) are excellent. If you have more time, New Zealand has some of the best hiking in the world, especially the 4-day Milford Track (and yes, we know this is not Australia but it's close)

• Uluru - an iconic rock formation and indigenous spiritual site in the desert

• Kangaroo Island - we’ve never been but have heard good things. There’s a conservation park with kangaroos, koalas and other animals, great beaches and cool rock formations.

Happy planning!