Wet Metropolitan Melbourne & Wilderness Tasmania
17 - 26 May 2017
It was a wet trip. As we booked cheap flight ticket which is low season due to raining season. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our trip.
Most people would go to another city when they travel to Melbourne due to its near vicinity either to Tasmania or Sydney (both is 1 hour flight from Melbourne). For us, we choose Tasmania as we want to experience Tasmania’s wilderness. We have no regret going to both Melbourne and Tasmania to experience two different worlds.
As we are contemplating whether we self-drive or joining a tour, we worry that we won’t get much of sightseeing if we join tour and we are concern of driving due to Winter season whereby the road will be slippery. After much thought and research, we decided to join tour which we are glad that we do so – it still gave us the only sightseeing tour (totally no shopping all!).
Melbourne
Travelling to Melbourne took us almost 8 hours. Therefore, it anyone want to get the most of it, it is best to take the night flight (of course this would be great if you can sleep in the night plane).
As soon we arrived, we check in to our hotel. We quickly put down our luggage bags and explore the city. As our accommodation didn’t include breakfast, we go around to look for food for our breakfast. There are restaurants/cafes around almost every street and there are plenty of Asia/Malaysian restaurants.
The Great Ocean Road
One of this trip highlights is The Great Ocean Road which we have booked for day tour. We loved this tour agent as they cater to small group – well you will get the most of it in a smaller group. We also booked a tour with 6 Days Tasmania with them, they are nice to give us a discount (always ask, who knows your wish will be granted).
This Great Ocean Road covers the whole day (7am – 9pm). This tour will pick up at your hotel (do wait 10 minutes earlier at outside of your hotel lobby).
Places we visited during The Great Ocean Road:
Memorial Arch
12 Apostles
Lord Ard Gorge
London Bridge
Puffing Billy Train
This train is one of the preserved steam railways. The ride goes through lush rainforest and of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. The specialty of this train is that passengers can sit on open-sided carriages throughout the ride (which train allows you to sit like this?) {tip: sit on the right of the train whereby you can take the photo of the train crossing the bridge}. If you spotted the captain of this train, he is happy to take photo with you.
Churchill Island
Sheep Shearing @ Churchill Island Heritage Farm
Phillip Island Nature Park: a natural home for koalas, seals, shearwaters and Little Penguins. Witness the natural phenomena of the Penguin Parade (general viewing area) (you can purchase a lower deck ticket if you want to get more closer to the Penguin) [Photography of penguins are not allowed due to not to scare them away from this habitat]
Koala Conservation Centre: We enjoyed hunting to find some koalas in their natural habitat at Koala Conservation Centre. Most of them are sleeping (sleeping time is 20 hours per day – what a good life). You will be lucky to spot some of them awake.
Melbourne City (Free & Easy walking)
It was our last day in Melbourne (I wish we had 1 – 2 more days to explore more of Melbourne).
Melbourne University
Victoria Market
Tram: This tram is free as long you are within free tram zone
Parliament of Victoria: It is FREE entrance which it has a specific visiting day and time (coincidentally we walked to there and has some time, so why not?). This is a guided tour and no bags are allowed (there will be a locker for us to put our belongings). The interior design is fabulous.
Wilderness Tasmania
We joined a tour in Tasmania with Lost in Australia of 6 Days Tasmania tour. This tour is for the young (of course young at heart as well) and free-spirited people as this is a budget tour (we can upgrade our accommodation with an additional fee).
We really experience budget tour - sharing rooms with others (most of the time is 3 – 6 people in a room which depending on the size of the rooms available) and of course sharing toilet as well (some of the toilets are outside which we have to walk a bit).
Do packed light as some rooms are upstairs which we have to carry our own luggage. Most of the breakfasts were prepared by the hostel with bread & cereal.
As it is winter season, most of the days in Tasmania was shower with rain. Do always check the season and weather of your preference to avoid disappointment of your travel.
Richmond
Port Arthur Historic Site: Port Arthur Historic Site is one of the World Heritage Listed building. There is guided walk tour and inclusive of harbour cruise (lunch is not included but you can get your lunch at the cafeteria at Port Arthur). Port Arthur has preserved ruins, restored prison and the surrounding area are beautiful which these will take half day to explore.
Mt Field National Park & Russel Falls: Mt Field National Park is Tasmania’s first national park which has great walks tracks, tall trees, wildlife and with its most popular Russell Falls.
Henty Dunes: It is a giant dune forms a vast expanse of sand that reaches a few kilometres of desert.
Dove Lake & Cradle Mountain: It was a raining day which it was too foggy to see Cradle Mountain Clearly.
Cataract Gorge Reserve: We started from King Bridge Entrance. It was a nice walk early in the morning.
Bay of Fires: Beautiful Bay of Fires
Wineglass Bay Lookout
Cape Tourville
Bonorong Wildlife Santuary
There are various animals whereby this rescue center allows us up-close viewings of endangered Tasmania native wildlife. There are guided tours to let us learn more about the animals (wombats, Tasmania devils, kangaroos, koalas & others).
Wombats are such a sweetie but Tasmania devils are the opposite. The guide advised us not to bend over the closure and these devils can jump quite high and hurt us. We are given a bag of kangaroo food which when we went into their area, they quickly hop to us. Some of them even surrounded us individually begging for food. No worries, these huge kangaroos do not harm us at all – just feed them (can touch them of course).
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary is the last tour and we headed back to Hobart. The guide dropped each of us at our hotel/hostel (do remember to book a night as the last day does not include a night stray).
We travelled back to Melbourne via JetStar to Melbourne and continue our flight back to KL. It was fun to enjoy both city and outskirt experience. The winter weather is colder in Tasmania than Melbourne (be sure to bring thicker clothes).