Purple's Diary: Travel - Australia.Sydney.NSW.VIC.Melbourne Aug 30 - Sep 8 2013

Happily... I will end this trip report at this post. It has been a long journey to complete this. Glad that I made it. :)

Upon checking in to Ibis Melbourne's Little Bourke Street. Our 1st meal was... Korean instead. Can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was just a few blocks away from the hotel. Meal was pleasant, we had soothing feel after having non-rice meal over the past 8 days. I don't specifically crave for rice, but it was fine. We had a walk around Melbourne CBD, took the Circle Tram, half through the town. Circle Tram is free, hence no hassle to wait under the chilling Spring weather. We walked around, near China Town too. Identifying the area, before our last day's street walking.

Melbourne CBD nite scene

Melbourne City Circle Tram

Melbourne China Town

Rent-A-Bike

On Day 2, we were out on a full day tour to Great Ocean Road. A Tour With A Difference (http://www.atwad.com.au/). The tour van came picked us up from the hotel. There were headed to Great Ocean Road. Weather wasn't promising that day. Hence pictures were not as nice as expected. I barely remember where I have been, except some forest educational tour, light house, ocean rocks over and over again. Didn't quite enjoy the journey, as compared to self-drive trip. Good thing was, lunch and dinner was included in the tour package. That saved us quite a penny.

Light house

Parrot and Kaola watch

Kaola was the model

Cape Patton

Rain Forest

Giant Tree

Tree hole

View from inside the tree hole

Thick tree log

12 Apostles

Views

Lunch @Hotel

Final day was a free-and-easy self tour around the city of Melbourne. Victoria market was just few steps away from our hotel. Had our morning coffee with simple breakfast. Lunch myself and hubby had a date with my cousin and her hubby. We settled in an Indonesian restaurant nearby, and glad to say food was good! Probably we missed rice and sambal. :) Full write up on Bali Bagus in her post here. Safe me from remembering the place. Nice catch up with the couple.

Victoria Market

Lovely blue sky - A return to Victoria Market

Lunch with cousy - Fried Chicken Bumbu sauce with Rice

Fried Rice

After lunch, our next destination was Eureka Skydeck 88. Unfortunately, the sky turned gloomy in just couple of hours. I have been wanting to visit this place since it built. Remember those good old days when I was peeping it through my colleague's office nearby. View from the top view was simply lovely! One could stay as long as you wish up at the viewing deck, free Wifi available, there's no limit on your stay. You may bring along foods/drinks and sit whole day. Simply awesome. Unfortunately, we do not have much time spent, was there only 1 hour as we need to catch our flight that evening.

Eureka Skydeck

Sunset view from Skydeck

City View betwen Yarra River

Edge Experience

Open-aired Experience

Southbank, at the other side of Yarra River. Has been my work place whenever I need to pay business visit some years ago. Just love the modern structure of it, and most importantly - clean. Nothing much to explore except some architecture and art gallery place. I sat down to have my coffee too.

Lock on the Bridge

Statues

Coffee @ Southbank

Along before we headed back to hotel, we had Chinese noodle in one of the restaurant. Good to have home food, but I find it too much MSG. Not to my liking. Before it was too late, I grabbed a Pear Cider along my way walking.