This weekend we had the cool opportunity to venture beyond Sydney and travel to Melbourne as a group. After just a short hour and a half flight (unfortunately delayed about an hour), we arrived! I wasn’t able to get much of a first impression because it was close to midnight and all we really saw was the drive from the airport and about a block on our walk from the bus before I crashed almost immediately. Our accommodation here was very nice- being on the “penthouse” level, our suite was two stories and me and Ariana’s room was a loft style overlooking the living area.
Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early (okay it was like 8:30) and headed out to grab coffee. Professor Alexander recommended I try the “magic coffee” in Melbourne during our zoom meeting many months ago and it did not disappoint! It was basically a small latte but it tasted very strong and had a wonderful flavor. (Side note: I’ve noticed the coffee in Australia in general is just better than at home. There’s no bitter taste and it doesn’t need any flavor syrups; I usually just get an iced latte with oat milk and the espresso really shines through).
Then, we headed out with the group for a walking tour of downtown. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and filled us in on tons of historical background for the area, as well as giving us some tips for places to go out and things to do in the city. One cool stop on the tour was an old jail from the 1800s. It felt very surreal and eerie to stand in the courtyard as she told us about criminals who were sent there 150 years ago. I’m a big fan of true crime and scary things so I really enjoyed this bit.
We ended up walking about 27,000 steps in all this day! We found a little bar in the middle of a bridge across the Yarra River and chilled for a bit before going to an art exhibition nearby. The current feature was centered around polka dots and it wasn’t my cup of tea. I prefer stripes 🙂
Maybe the best part of the trip was our dinner at Sam’s Cali Cantina. Ariana’s specialty is finding the best restaurants from recommendations on Tiktok so she booked a reservation for this spot a week in advance and wow, it did not disappoint. I got the most delicious birria tacos I’ve ever had and some super flavorful corn ribs with tajin and lime (and a passionfruit marg of course). It was amazing and definitely a highlight! However I did notice that stuff is pricier in Melbourne versus Sydney.
The next morning we had to check out of our hotel at 10am and then had the whole day to explore until our flight back. We had breakfast at a place called Pony White. I got a tiramisu affogato which was fantastic even though I spilled the espresso all over my phone. I also had poached eggs with sourdough toast, chorizo, mushrooms, and bacon. Everything was really good except when I was cutting into the chorizo some of the grease shot out and stained my shirt 🙁 Almost ruined my day but I was really brave and got over it.
We really enjoyed the Paddington Markets in Sydney so we were excited to check out the Fitzroy Markets in Melbourne. This one was much more clothes and definitely more of an alternative/vintage vibe. I loved looking through the sellers’ curated vintage collections and there were so many pieces I would have purchased if I had more money. I ended up buying a red leather purse which I was so happy about because I didn’t bring one with me and I’ve had to borrow one of Ariana’s every time we go out.
Tired from all of the walking and running out of Tiktok recommendations, we ended up hitting a pub and sitting there for several hours this afternoon. I tried a Guinness for the first time and honestly loved it. Alexa taught us a card game called “Knock” that’s similar to a game I play with my family all the time. I won by 1 point! It was a super fun and chill afternoon.
By the time we left for the airport I was honestly ready to be back in Sydney. Ariana said Melbourne was kinda like going to Philly for a weekend which I definitely agreed with. We didn’t find that there was a ton to do and the weather was poor on Saturday. My favorite thing is going to the beach and I don’t think that’s as available or nice there as it is in Sydney. Maybe some more planning would’ve revealed more activities and sight seeing. I was also very confused about the tram system because the way to pay was ambiguous and we think it was free but it also might not have been. I’ve definitely grown used to Sydney and I have to say, I prefer it over Melbourne by a long shot. But, I’m still really glad we went and got to see a new part of Australia!
P.S. go birds