Melbourne (Day 96): Last day in Australia

June 4, 2016

Today was our last day in Melbourne and Australia. Like yesterday, we basically had no plans for the day except to finish packing, plan SE Asia, and to watch the new(ish) X-Men movie. The past week in New Zealand was a lot of “go go go” so it felt really good to sleep in and not feel like we had to see something.

Marcus lives in a suburb of Melbourne called, Abbotsford (15 minutes from the CBD), and there’s a really good cafe in his apartment complex that we went to for brunch once. The cafe, Kitty Burns, is really busy on weekends so Tim and I went down around 10am to have brunch for the last time. We shared a chorizo burrata egg dish (same as what I had a month ago) and a jelly filled donut. The donut was actually the main reason we wanted to go there for breakfast. The last time we went, they only had cruffins but we wanted to try their jelly filled donuts – more for novelty sake. Brunch was delicious. I’m going to make the chorizo scramble when I get home.

Jelly donuts at Kitty Burns
Jelly donuts at Kitty Burns. We tried the raspberry lemonade ($5.50 AUD). We both agreed the cruffin was better.
Tim inserting the jelly
Tim inserting the jelly
My favourite. Chorizo and burrata with perfectly scrambled eggs and a side of sourdough ($18 AUD)
My favourite. Chorizo and burrata with perfectly scrambled eggs and a side of sourdough ($18 AUD)

After lunch, we trip planned for the rest of the afternoon. We have a plan for the next month and a half but only have a couple of things booked. I think we’ll be booking hotels and what not as we go along. I can’t believe it’s almost the end of our trip. Time truly did fly by. We’ll be home in less than two months!

Tim really wanted to watch X-Men: Apocalypse when it first came out but Sydney’s IMAX (largest in the world) at Darling Harbour wasn’t playing it so we didn’t watch it there, as originally planned. There’s a movie theatre across the street from Marcus’ apartment, so we decided to watch it on our last day. Regular price for tickets were $21 AUD but Marcus could get them for $13.50 AUD through his insurance provider (I’m not sure how that works), so he got us movie vouchers that we needed to show at the box office to redeem for tickets.

Hoyts Theatre at Victoria Gardens. Only two guys working.
Hoyts Theatre at Victoria Gardens. Only two guys working.

We got to the movie theatre shortly before the movie started at 2:20pm. When we got there, there was no staff at the ticket counter and only two guys at the concession, so we just lined up with everyone else. It turned out that only two guys were working that day. They were doing both tickets and concession at the same time. Also, there was no one there to rip any tickets, so it would have been very easy to sneak into the movies that day since they were short staffed.

There were about 30 minutes of ads and trailers before they started the movie. We both liked the movie and found it entertaining. After the movie, we went downstairs to Coles to buy some wet wipes, kleenex and a couple of snacks for SE Asia.

We got back to the apartment and decided to go for Pho for our last dinner in Melbourne. I know, why would we go for Pho when we’re going to Vietnam in a day? Abbotsford is really close to the Vietnamese area of Melbourne, called Richmond, and we just wanted to have something quick before coming back and packing up. Plus, the weather today was super gloomy and rainy so noodle soup was perfect. We went to Marcus’ favourite pho place on Victoria St., called I <3 Pho.

I <3 Pho in Richmond on Victoria St.
$10 AUD a bowl. I'm guessing we'll be dividing Aussie prices by 10 in Vietnam.
$10 AUD a bowl. I’m guessing we’ll be dividing Aussie prices by 10 in Vietnam.

After dinner we headed back to the apartment, washed up, and finished packing. Marcus was appalled that we didn’t buy anything for ourselves in Australia so he gave us an Aboriginal painting that he had. We told him we would hang it in our new home (that we’ll have eventually) and he needs to come visit us.

We both found that spending a month in one country has made us feel more attached to it. We were both pretty sad to leave Australia (and New Zealand). It’s so comfortable here and familiar, that going back to Asia, and South East Asia at that, will be quite a change. We saved the least developed/poorest countries for the end of our trip.

Marcus drove us to the airport and we said our goodbyes. It was so nice to spend time with him. He’s so hilarious and I love listening to his stories and commentary on things. Hopefully he’ll come visit us in Vancouver in the near future.

We’re flying Singapore Airlines again to Ho Chi Minh City via Singapore. We’ll have a 12 hour layover there to explore more of the city before heading to Vietnam. I really like Singapore. It’s an Asian city that I wouldn’t mind living in. I also really like flying Singaporean Airlines. They’re definitely the best airline I’ve flown with. The service is really good and after flying budget airlines throughout Australia, flying Singapore Airlines again feels like such a treat.

Back to Asia we go!

Steps today: 5,000

Melbourne (Day 95): Back to Australia

June 3, 2016

Our alarms went off at 4:15am this morning so we could catch our 6:45am flight. We basically rolled out of bed, got changed, and went out the door. Jess and Robin woke up with us to send us off. It was really great to be able to travel and spend time with them while we were here on this side of the world. It was an added bonus that we got to explore New Zealand with them. It’ll be nice when they eventually move back to Canada so they’re closer.

The airport was about a 30 minute drive from Jo’s house. I always get a bit stressed before heading to the airport, especially when we have to drive to the airport and aren’t familiar with the roads. Thank goodness we had a GPS or else navigating around Wellington would create a lot of issues. There weren’t many cars at all on the roads until we got closer to the airport area. We dropped the car off at Hertz before they were even open, and walked to the departures terminal.

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See ya, Toyota Highlander!

Wellington Airport is a pretty small airport. The coolest thing they have are props from Lord of the Rings. There were a few flights headed for Australia so the airport was quite busy for 6am. The flight from Wellington to Melbourne was around 3 hours and 45 minutes, but we left a little later than scheduled so we didn’t land in Melbourne until 9am (Melbourne time). As we were approaching Melbourne, there was a huge blanket of fog covering the city. The pilot said planes were having a hard time landing but we would try or else have to circle around to try again. Luckily, we were able to land on our first try. When we landed in Melbourne, there were a lot of planes who couldn’t take off due to weather, so we were dropped off at the Domestic terminal and had to take a shuttle to the international terminal.

Gandalf at the Wellington Airport
Gandalf at the Wellington Airport
Thick layer of fog around Melbourne
Thick layer of fog around Melbourne

The customs line up was a gong show. We landed at the same time as several international flights. Since I don’t have the new Canadian “e-passport”, we couldn’t go to the fast track line and had to line up with all other passports. We waited in line for about an hour and when we got to baggage claim, our bags were taken off the carousel and sitting off to the side.

We took the Skybus to Southern Cross Station and got something to eat. We hadn’t eaten all morning and were pretty hungry. We went to Hungry Jack’s before walking to the tram to Marcus’ apartment. We finally got to Marcus’ apartment shortly after 12pm. It felt like an extremely long day already. We showered, did a load of laundry, and caught up on some stuff. We’ll be using today and most of tomorrow to try to plan Vietnam out. Right now we only have our flights in and out of Ho Chi Minh City.

Since it was our last full day in Melbourne, we were having dinner with Chloe, Alex, Marcus, and Max. Chloe made dinner reservations at Kaprica, a pizza place in Melbourne’s Carlton neighbourhood. We figured we won’t be having pizza for a while so it was perfect. Kaprica was packed when we got there, so it was good Chloe made reservations! We decided to share five different pizzas. They were all really delicious. We definitely won’t be eating pizzas like this until we get back to Vancouver.

Kaprica kitchen
Kaprica kitchen
First two pizzas. Margarita and broccoli
Our first few pizzas arrived

After dinner we walked to a gelato shop that Max and Marcus really like. It was also in the Carlton, which is an Italian part of Melbourne. It was the third day of winter and there was a long line up outside of Pidapipo for gelato! I guess it was good gelato weather because it would’t melt as quickly in the winter. Max recommended adding the warm nutella (for $1 AUD) to your gelato, where they carve a little well and pour the nutella into the centre.

Pidapipo Gelato
Pidapipo Gelato
Raspberry Cream with nutella in the middle
Raspberry Cream with nutella in the middle

We walked back to the car and said goodbye to Chloe and Alex. It was nice to see them a few times while we were down here, especially considering they’ve been away from home for two years. I’m happy they also got to meet Marcus, it’s another friend for them in Melbourne.

It’s our last day in Australia tomorrow and it’s always a bit bittersweet when we leave a place after a month. I’m a bit more nervous about the next month and a half while we’re in SE Asia. I think it’ll be the most challenging part of our trip so far since the countries and areas we’ll be visiting aren’t nearly as developed as where we’ve visited so far. Also, it’ll be the first time during our trip that we won’t be seeing anyone we know. We’ve been lucky so far to be able to see so many friends and family in the past 95 days.

Steps today: 6,000

Melbourne/Great Ocean Road (Day 73): Road Trip

May 12, 2016

This morning we finished packing up and went to the cafe downstairs for breakfast with Marcus. Our plan was to have breakfast at Kitty Burns and then Marcus would drive us to the Hertz downtown to pick up our rental car.

Inside Kitty Burns
Inside Kitty Burns from our seat
Coffee, pastries and brunch
Coffee, pastries, and brunch

Kitty Burns is a very good looking cafe with lots of natural light, attractive pastries, and Melbourne coffee. Marcus said on weekends the place is packed and there are line ups for brunch. We grabbed a table and started with some flat white coffees (even Tim ordered one). They had cruffins (croissant muffins) that looked really delicious so we shared a lemon meringue and a strawberry mascarpone. They were as delicious as they looked. It was my first time eating a cruffin and it was awesome.

Cruffins. They had chocolate, lemon meringue and strawberry marscapone ($5.50 AUD = $5.18 CAD)
Cruffins. They had chocolate, lemon meringue and strawberry marscapone ($5.50 AUD = $5.18 CAD)
Tim happy with his flat white and cruffin
Tim happy with his flat white and cruffin

We also ordered off their breakfast menu. We ordered a chorizo burrata scramble and Marcus ordered a coconut chia parfait. I was impressed with the food here. Both items were very good. The coconut chia seed parfait was so beautiful, it even had edible flowers.

Chorizo, burrata and eggs (18 AUD = $16.95 CAD)
Chorizo, burrata and eggs (18 AUD = $16.95 CAD)

After an enjoyable and relaxing breakfast, we headed downtown to Hertz. We waited for a while for our car since they had issues with customers returning their cars late, so we waited for them to wash the car and fill up the gas. By the time we left Hertz it was about noon.

I’m happy that Tim enjoys driving and is comfortable driving on the left side of the street. I was in charge of holding Tim’s phone for the GPS. Navigating outside of downtown and getting on to the right highway was the “hardest” part of my job today, the rest was smooth sailing. Turning right when driving on the left side of the street was the most tricky. I’m happy I’m not the one driving. (Tim: Melbourne CBD has a weird thing where the right turn lane is actually the far left lane. You pull ahead and to the left out of the way of traffic, and then when the light turns yellow, you can make your right turn).

Tim driving our snazzy bright blue Toyota Corolla
Tim driving our snazzy bright blue Toyota Corolla
Leaving Melbourne
Leaving Melbourne

Once we got on to the Great Ocean Road, it was amazing. The Great Ocean Road stretches for 243km along the south coast of Australia and is a war memorial dedicated to the Australian soliders who fought in WWI. We pulled over quite a bit to take in the scenery, take pictures, and watch all the surfers. The drive reminded me a bit of the Sea to Sky at home since the roads are winding and you have the water right beside you. The coast line on the Great Ocean Road was very “cliffy” and you have the huge waves crashing on to shore. Everything was so beautiful, despite the weather not being ideal.

Our first taste of the Great Ocean Road
Our first taste of the Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is popular amongst tourists so they had these signs everywhere there was a view point
The Great Ocean Road is popular amongst tourists so they had these signs everywhere there was a view point
Winding roads of the Great Ocean Road
Winding roads of the Great Ocean Road
We saw the sun peek for a little bit
We saw the sun peek out for a little bit in the town of Lorne
We're driving into those dark clouds
We’re driving into those dark clouds
Those small black dots are all surfers. We stayed and watched them for a while. They're all very good.
Those small black dots are all surfers in wet suits. We stayed and watched them for a while. They were all so good!
Started to climb higher in elevation
Started to climb higher in elevation at Cape Patton

There are stretches of the Great Ocean Road that go inland where we saw lots of sheep and cows on rolling green hills and some stretches were just tree lined (like a rainforest). There was a stretch on the highway that turned off to go to Cape Otway (one of the most southern tips of Australia), which has a light house and according to the sign is the “most significant” lighthouse in Australia. So we made a detour of about 10km towards the coast to see the lighthouse. When we got there, we discovered it would cost $19.50 AUD each to go see it. It’s a shame it isn’t a national park and not private. We thought if they had admission it would only be like $5 AUD, not $19.50 AUD.

Stretches of the Great Ocean Road are just forest
Stretches of the Great Ocean Road are just forest
Tim is disappointed it costs so much to see the lighthouse
Tim is disappointed it costs so much to see the Cape Otway Lighthouse
Lots of black cows. We're guessing you're Wagyu beef since everything on Australian menus say Wagyu Beef
Lots of black cows. We’re guessing they’re Wagyu beef since everything on Australian menus say Wagyu Beef
Getting closer to Port Campbell
Getting closer to Port Campbell

Our goal for tonight was to make it to a town called Port Campbell (228km from Melbourne). Port Campbell is the closest town with accommodations to the Great Ocean Road’s main attraction, “The Twelve Apostles“. We finally made it to Port Campbell just before 6pm. At that time the weather totally turned and it was windy and pouring rain. We passed by the Twelve Apostles on the way to the motel but the weather was bad and we had to check in before 6pm. So we’ll just visit them tomorrow morning when it’s light out and it’s supposed to be sunny.

We checked into the motel, Port Campbell Parkview Motel & Apartments, just before the reception closed for the day. The man at the reception was very friendly and showed us to our room for the night. It’s quite spacious and very clean. As there isn’t much selection in Port Campbell for accommodations, the price per night of this motel was $119 CAD a night.

Port Campbell Parkview Motel and Apartments
Port Campbell Parkview Motel and Apartments

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We settled in and headed into town (a block of restaurants and shops) for dinner. Tim was craving fish and chips and saw there was a decent place called “Frying Nemo” (haha) off Trip Advisor so we went there. It turned out to be a take out place (attached to a gas station…). We ordered fish and chips and a “Bay Pack”. It was a good sign they were frying everything fresh so we waited for about 10 minutes for our order. Marcus taught us the term, “Bogan”, which are Australian red necks. We sent him pictures of our dinner and called ourselves Bogan.

Frying Nemo in Port Campbell
Frying Nemo in Port Campbell
Tim with our fish and chips
Tim with our fish and chips. Frying Nemo is attached to a gas station
Bait Pack ($13 AUD) on the left and Fish & Chips ($10) on the right.
Bait Pack ($13 AUD) on the left and Fish & Chips ($10) on the right.
We're classy
We’re classy

We brought our fish and chips back to the motel and were really shocked at how large the portion of fries were. We ate less than 25% of the fries in our order. Now our room smells like fries.

We’re having a pretty early night since we’re back on the road tomorrow and there’s nothing to do in Port Campbell. Looking forward to seeing the Twelve Apostles and the other sites along the Great Ocean Road. Hopefully the weather will be nicer tomorrow and we’ll see a bit of sun and blue skies – it’ll make for much nicer pictures (Tim: overcast skies can actually make for better photographs!).

I’m enjoying our Australian adventure so far and being on the road with just Tim and I.

Steps today: 2,500 (Tim: our low for the trip)

(Tim: I just realized it’s day 73 and we’re already half way through our current trip before returning to Vancouver in July! Time really flies. It’s a good reminder to try and make the most of each day and not take this time for granted).

Melbourne (Day 72): South Melbourne Market & Botanical Gardens

May 11, 2016

This morning we woke up and got ready to meet Chloe and Alex for lunch at the South Melbourne Market. We’re staying in North Melbourne so the tram ride to get to the market would took around 40 minutes. We went through downtown (CBD), went over the bridge south of the river, and got off on York Street. We got there about 10 minutes late and saw Chloe and Alex waiting for us outside the market.

As soon as we saw Chloe and Alex from the distance, Tim said we should have gotten them to be our models when we took pictures of the graffiti art around town. Their outfits would work a lot better with that background than our hoodies. They showed us around the South Melbourne Market and introduced us to the friends they made there (they don’t just seem like locals, they’re regulars). It was nice to see how friendly everyone was and that they met some really great people at the market.

The first place we went to visit was the coffee shop Alex used to work at and the tea shop across the ways called, Tea Drop. At both places, everyone was so happy to see the two of them (we felt special by association). Chloe treated us to a fizzy fruit tea that they have on tap at Tea Drop. It was really good and refreshing. Tim’s stomach wasn’t feeling too great so the fizziness was good for it.

Inside South Melbourne Market
Inside South Melbourne Market
At the Tea Drop
At the Tea Drop
Alex's old stomping grounds
Alex’s old stomping grounds

South Melbourne Market is a lot smaller than Queen Victoria Market, but it seemed like more of a neighbourhood market (a bit more like Granville Island). They had a variety of stores, speciality food shops, and a good looking food court. Chloe and Alex recommended a Vietnamese stall that was clearly a popular choice at the market. Tim had a regular beef pho and I had crispy pork with rice. Both dishes were $10 AUD, which was really reasonable (for Australian prices). Tim said his pho was good and I quite enjoyed my crispy pork (Tim would’ve too if his stomach could handle it).

Some cute shops
Some cute shops
The food court area of South Melbourne Market
The food court area of South Melbourne Market
Vietnamese stall
Vietnamese food stall
Our Vietnamese lunches with fizzy tea
Our Vietnamese lunches with fizzy tea. ($10 AUD = $9.50 CAD for each dish)

We walked around the market a bit more and grabbed some croissants from a French bakery that sold some pastries and a variety of croissants. I got an apricot danish ($6 AUD = $5.60 CAD) which was really good. We took our pastries and decided to walk to the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. Before getting to the gardens, we stopped by the Shrine of Remembrance.

Croissant Stand
Croissant Stand

The Shrine of Remembrance was built to remember all those who served in WWI, but now is used as a memorial of those who have served Australian in all wars. The building is nicely situated and has a view of Melbourne’s skyline from the balcony.

Shrine of Remembrance
Shrine of Remembrance
Cool ceiling
Cool ceiling
My creeper photo of our tour guides :)
My creeper photo of our tour guides 🙂
Nice view of Melbourne from the Shrine of Remembrance
Nice view of Melbourne from the Shrine of Remembrance
Chloe and I with a view of Melbourne's CBD
Chloe and I with a view of Melbourne’s CBD. It was windy so my scarf had a mind of its own

The Melbourne Botanical Gardens are quite large and the gardens are very quiet and peaceful. It was nice to walk around and observe all the different types of plants, trees, and birds. The birds here are all different from the ones back home. Their seagulls are a lot smaller and their crows don’t caw they make more of a “ughhh” noise.

Relaxing day in the gardens
Relaxing day in the gardens
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The gardens are full of really nice trees
Pond in the middle of the park
Pond in the middle of the park
Lots of cactus plants
Lots of cactus plants
Some weird pickle looking plant
Some weird pickle looking plant

After walking through the park for a bit we walked back into the central business district (CBD). We said bye to Chloe and Alex as they made their way home. We’ll probably see them when we’re back in the beginning of June before heading to SE Asia.

Walking back to the CBD
Walking back to the CBD
You can see the Ernst & Young building
You can see the Ernst & Young building (the farthest glass building to the right)

Tim and I walked around the CBD a bit more and got a quick snack at Sushi Hub. We had passed by this sushi place the other day and I thought it was interesting that Australians served their sushi uncut. You would think we wouldn’t want to eat sushi any more but I was intrigued and the prices were quite reasonable. We tried a roll and an inari. They were average and decent for the price.

Sushi Hub in Melbourne
Sushi Hub in Melbourne
I've never seen inari like this before
I’ve never seen inari like this before
Tim got an egg and egg roll ($2.90 AUD = $2.75 CAD) and I got a "lobster" filled unagi ($2 AUD = $1.90 CAD)
Tim got an eel and egg roll ($2.90 AUD = $2.75 CAD) and I got a “lobster” filled inari ($2 AUD = $1.90 CAD)

We took the tram back to Victoria Gardens and stopped by Coles for some groceries before heading back to the apartment. We still had some salad mix and 1.5 avocados left from the other day so we bought a couple items to supplement it for dinner. Apparently avocado mashed on bread is a popular menu item at restaurants here, so since we had extra avocados we bought some bread for that. We also bought some salami and snacks for our upcoming road trip.

We headed back to the apartment and I assembled our simple dinner. After dinner we booked two hotels for the next two nights along the Great Ocean Road. I’m looking forward to exploring more of Australia and Tim is excited to be able to drive. We’re both looking forward to getting to spend time with Jessica and Robin in Adelaide in a couple of days. We were on a travel booking spree as we booked our Cairns hotel and our Great Barrier Reef snorkel tour today too. I can’t wait to see the Great Barrier Reef before it all disappears.

avocado salad, avocado toast and salami
Avocado salad, avocado toast and salami

We’re going to wake up a bit earlier tomorrow and go to the coffee shop in this building for breakfast. We tried to go the other day but it closed at 4pm. Then Marcus will drive us to pick up our rental car and we’ll be on our way along the Great Ocean Road!

Steps today: 18,000

Melbourne (Day 71): Fitzroy and Lucy Liu

May 10, 2016

Each morning we seem to wake up around 9:45am. We can’t seem to get over the 2 hour jet lag from being in Asia for 2 months. We’re both feeling a tad under the weather so being able to take it easy is helping. Or maybe our bodies realize we aren’t on the go and that we are, and will be, around doctors for a good chunk of our Australia leg.

We finished off most of our groceries for lunch today and did a couple more bookings for Australia. We booked a flight from Sydney to New Zealand on Air Emirates’ A380, the price of the ticket was only $10 more expensive than flying Virgin Air. We’re both looking forward to flying Emirates since we don’t get the opportunity very often (Tim: and more importantly, to fly on an A380).

Tim made me some vegetable soup
Tim made me some vegetable soup
Spaghetti day 2 with corn on the cob
Spaghetti day 2 with corn on the cob while we trip plan

Our plan for today was to explore the Fitzroy area of Melbourne. Fitzroy is an area north of downtown and is about a 10 minute tram ride from the apartment. We were there at night while eating at the Napier, but we weren’t able to see much else. The area is known for its boutique shops and cafes, making it the most hipster area of Melbourne (and probably the Southern Hemisphere).

Skipping Vinegar Girl sign. Was the first animated neon sign in Australia.
Skipping Vinegar Girl sign. Was the first animated neon sign in Australia.
Melbourne trams
Melbourne trams

We took the tram down and started walking along Gertrude Street and ended up finding the Museum of Melbourne and the Royal Exhibition Building. The Royal Exhibition Building is a beautiful Victorian World Heritage building.

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Royal Exhibition Building
Big trees surrounding the Royal Exhibition Centre
Big trees surrounding the Royal Exhibition Building
Outside the Royal Exhibit Centre
Outside the Royal Exhibition Building
It's Fall here, but it still looks pretty green to me
It’s Fall here, but it still looks pretty green to me

We walked through Fitzroy, going down Brunswick, Smith, and Johnston Street. The Fitzroy area reminds me of the Capitol Hill area in Seattle. Very hipster and has a certain grunge feel to it.

There are a lot of houses in Melbourne that look like this. Cast iron finishing that remind us of New Orleans.
There are a lot of houses in Melbourne that look like this. Cast iron finishing that remind us of New Orleans.
Majority of corner buildings have graffiti art on them
Majority of corner buildings have graffiti/murale art on them. Saw this one while walking on Gertrude St.
Cool looking door while walking on Brunswick.
Cool looking door while walking on Brunswick St.
Perseverance Hotel on Brunswick St.
Perseverance Hotel on Brunswick St.
Welcome to Fitzroy! (on Johnston between Brunswick and Smith St.)
Welcome to Fitzroy! (on Johnston between Brunswick and Smith St.)
Restaurant on Smith St. such a bright murale
Restaurant on Smith St. with such a bright mural

There are a lot of neat restaurants and small coffee shops in the area. A lot of the boutiques and some restaurants were closed on Tuesdays so the streets also seemed a bit quieter. I could imagine how busy this area gets on weekends. We stopped by Messina, a gelato place that was recommended by Chloe and Lonely Planet. It’s supposed to be the best gelato in Melbourne. We tried a couple of flavours and ended up sharing a double scoop of apple pie and salted caramel white chocolate. Everything at Messina is made with fresh ingredients in the back, so that being said, it was really good gelato.

Messina on Smith St.
Messina on Smith St.
Some of our delicious choices
Some of our delicious choices
Our double scoop cone was $6.80 AUD = $6.48 CAD
Our double scoop cone was $6.80 AUD = $6.48 CAD. You can see the white chocolate shavings on the bottom.

After finishing our gelato at Messina, we walked back to the tram and made our way back to the apartment to rest up before dinner tonight. On our way back we walked behind the apartment complex and walked on the path along the Yarra River (a River that runs through Melbourne). We also went to check out the pool and gym area. It’s too bad the weather wasn’t warmer. It would be nice to relax by the pool. Maybe on the way back in June (Tim: it’s only going to get colder…).

Yarra River walkway behind the apartment
Yarra River walkway behind the apartment
Hot tub
Hot tub
Lap pool
Lap pool

We waited for Marcus to come back home from work and then got ready to go to a popular Melbourne restaurant called Lucy Liu. Apparently there is no affiliation with the actress. Lucy Liu is an Asian fusion restaurant and one of the “hottest” restaurants in the city. Considering it was a Tuesday night and we arrived just before 8pm, we still had to wait about 20 minutes. It’s safe to say it’s a popular place. (Tim: When people describe restaurants, cafes, or bars in Melbourne, they always sound like Bill Hader’s Stefon on SNL to me).

Entrance to Lucy Liu is on Flinder's Lane, a cobble stoned alley just off a main street downtown
Entrance to Lucy Liu is on Flinder’s Lane, a cobble stoned alley just off a main street downtown
My passionfruit ginger and mint mocktail and Tim's beer
My passionfruit ginger and mint mocktail and Tim’s beer
Calamari in a green mango salad ($18 AUD)
Calamari in a pickled mango salad ($18 AUD) – we didn’t realize it basically has a papaya salad in this.
Fried chilli chicken ribs ($15)
Fried chilli chicken ribs ($15)
Tempura soft shell crab with a lot of fresh Thai basil and jalapenos ($16 AUD)
Tempura soft shell crab with a lot of fresh Thai basil and jalapenos ($16 AUD)
Papaya salad ($17 AUD)
Papaya salad ($17 AUD)
Short rib rendang curry ($36 AUD)
Short rib rendang curry ($36 AUD)
Tim and Marcus
Tim and Marcus
Vietnamese coffee with layers of Chinese doughnut ($16 AUD)
Vietnamese coffee ice cream with layers of Chinese doughnut ($16 AUD)

Everything we had at Lucy Liu was really good. I actually underestimated how big the portions would be since it was such a trendy place. We were really full half way through the short rib curry. Tim’s favourite dish was the tempura soft shell crab and I really enjoyed the curry.

Tomorrow’s our last full day in Melbourne before setting off on our Australian adventure. Marcus is concerned that we haven’t experienced how cool Melbourne is. We told him we already know it’s cool and that it’s probably too cool for us. I joked around with him that we’ll come back another time with a better (non-backpacking) wardrobe.

Steps today: 11,000

Melbourne (70 Days): Feels Like Home

May 9, 2016

The plan today was no plan at all. We were looking forward to just spending the day around the apartment, cooking lunch, and trying to figure out what we’ll be doing in Australia for the rest of the month.

A pretty gloomy morning in Melbourne
A pretty gloomy morning in Melbourne

We woke up to a bit of rain but within an hour it started coming down (tropical rain style) and was very windy. We waited until the rain died down a bit before walking across the street to the Victoria Gardens Mall to buy groceries. The both of us were really excited at the prospect of cooking for the first time in 70 days (how things change when you’re away from home).

Marcus’ apartment is very conveniently located and the grocery store, Coles, across the street is just like a Safeway. The prices were all very reasonable. Fruit and vegetables were more expensive than home, but not as crazy as Japan. We decided to make a salad, spaghetti bolognese, and corn on the cob. It was a pretty simple lunch but that’s a pretty standard dinner we would make for ourselves back home. The groceries we bought would be good for a couple of meals.

Our grocery haul. We spent $20 AUD for this.
Our grocery haul. We spent $20.05 AUD for this – which should be good for 2.5 meals.

When we got back from the mall, all of a sudden, the sun came out and the sky was blue. The weather in Melbourne does change fairly quickly. We started to cook the pasta sauce, boil some corn, and cut the avocado for the salad. After taking our first bites, we both agreed that it felt really good to eat something simple and prepared by ourselves.

Simmering our bolognese sauce
Simmering our bolognese sauce
Ta-da!
Ta-da!
I really love Marcus' furniture and apartment
I really love Marcus’ furniture and home decor

After we cleaned up, we hunkered down and started to plan out our Australian itinerary. We finally figured it out and began to book car rentals, flights, and research some accommodations. We’re going to be staying in Melbourne until Thursday, then rent a car and drive the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide (where Jess and Robin live) and stay there for a few nights. Australia’s a huge country so even with a month here, I feel like there’s still a lot to see here that we won’t be able to go to this trip.

The day flew by and Marcus got home from work to wash up and pick us up to go to Max’s house for their Game of Thrones viewing. Apparently every Monday, they watch Game of Thrones together with his house mates since it airs in North America on Sunday nights. Tim is a big fan of the show so when he heard they do a viewing party he wanted to join in.

We stopped by a food truck area for a quick dinner. They have different food trucks come each day and there’s a bar and open air and indoor seating. I got a pulled pork burrito and Tim tried a Polish “pizza”. The weather was a lot colder than we thought it would be. It was very windy and it was a cool breeze. We were sure it was around 8 degrees C out, but when we checked the temperature it was 17 degrees C. We’ve acclimatized.

The sign outside the food truck area. Thornbury is a suburb north of Melbourne.
The sign outside the food truck area. Thornbury is a suburb north of Melbourne.
The seating area outside. The whole area and concept reminded me of Brooklyn
The seating area outside. The whole area and concept reminded me of Brooklyn. It used to be an old car shop, hence all the car related decor.
Tim's Polish zapiekan
Tim’s Polish zapiekanka truck
The burrito truck
The burrito truck
Salami zapiekanka which is like an open faced pizza sandwich on a baguette
Salami zapiekanka which is like an open faced pizza sandwich on a baguette ($10 AUD = $9.50 CAD)
Citrus pulled pork burrito ($12 AUD to $11.40 CAD)
Citrus pulled pork burrito ($12 AUD to $11.40 CAD). I squirted a lot of what I thought was hot sauce in my dish, but it’s just ketchup.

After a quick and good dinner, we went to Max’s house and were introduced to his house mates. They turned off the lights and watched Game of Thrones. I took this chance to take a nap. When it was over they all discussed what was going on. I was just sitting there looking around at the house and kept thinking about how good it smelled inside. It was like the smell of someone’s house when they finished making a roast beef (yum!).

It was a pretty relaxing day and was probably the most “normal life” day we’ve had in 70 days. It was a nice change of pace and rest day that we both needed.

Steps today: 3,000

Melbourne (Day 69): Queen Vic, Graffiti and Pub Food

May 8, 2016

After such a beautiful day on Saturday, we woke up to grey skies and rain. We took our time getting ready this morning and I had vegemite on toast for the first time. I wasn’t a fan of it. After doing a load of laundry and throwing the clothes in the dryer (so nice to be able to use a dryer again), we headed into town.

Our first stop was Queen Victoria Market, the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. The market is quite large with different areas: seafood, meat, deli, produce, clothing & gifts, and a food court area. We did a quick loop around the different areas and went towards the food court and food trucks in the back. There weren’t as many food vendors to choose from for lunch as I had imagined. We decided to try Sri Lankan food and shared a roti and chicken plate. The dish had a lot of good flavours and was very satisfying.

Outside Queen Victoria Market
Outside Queen Victoria Market
Deli area was full of deli meats, cheese and olives
Deli area was full of deli meats, cheese, and olives
Clothing and knick knack vendors. Lots of leather goods.
Clothing and knick knack vendors. Lots of leather goods.
Sri Lankan lunch
Sri Lankan lunch
Sri Lankan food
Sri Lankan food. We ordered the Devilled Chicken (like a chicken tandoori stir fry)
Devilled chicken with roti for $12 AUD ($11.45 CAD)
Devilled chicken with roti for $12 AUD ($11.45 CAD)

I read that the doughnut truck at Queen Vic was good, so we lined up for doughnuts. They come in bags of 5, and you can either get raspberry jelly filled or plain. Since they have such high turnover, the doughnuts were super fresh and delicious.

Doughnut Truck at Queen Vic Market
American Doughnut Kitchen truck at Queen Vic Market
5 jelly filled doughnuts for $5.50 AUD = $5.25 CAD
5 jelly filled doughnuts for $5.50 AUD = $5.25 CAD
Produce part of the market. Pretty fair prices for fruits and vegetables
Produce part of the market.
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Pretty reasonable prices for fruits and vegetables

Since we got to the market fairly late in the day (the market closes at 4), many vendors were pushing their meats and produce pretty hard. You can get some good deals at the market on Sundays at 3pm. Queen Vic closes on Mondays, so it makes sense that they’re trying to sell off all their inventory for the week.

Australian soda drink. 7-eleven here is really expensive (like $4.90 for a bottle of coke), so we went to a Vietnamese grocery store and this was only $2.75 AUD ($2.60 CAD)
Australian soda drink. 7-eleven here is really expensive (like $4.90 for a bottle of coke), so we went to a Vietnamese grocery store by the market and this was only $2.70 AUD ($2.57 CAD)
Hot Star and Gong Cha. Just like Taipei except obviously more than double the prices.
Hot Star and Gong Cha. Just like Taipei except obviously more than double the prices.

After the market, we walked around some of the streets and side streets in the main shopping area. There are a lot of side streets and alleys in Melbourne that have a lot of personality. There’s a lot of graffiti art in the city… it’s a hipster’s Instagram’s photoshoot’s dream.

Alleys around Melbourne, reminds me of Gastown
Alleys around Melbourne, reminds me of Gastown
A pretty nice H&M
A pretty nice H&M
Myer, a department store in Melbourne
Myer, a department store in Melbourne
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Graffiti art around Melbourne’s lanes and alleys
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Not wearing the right outfit for this graffiti photoshoot
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And neither is Tim
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Union Lane in downtown Melbourne
My attempt at being artsy
My attempt at being artsy

We eventually made our way down to Federation Square, which was broadcasting an AFC (Australian Football League) Australian rules football game. It’s an interesting sport that we don’t quite understand (Tim: I’m pretty sure I understand it, I just think it’s a wacky sport). Tim describes it best when he says they are basically playing quidditch (like in Harry Potter) without the brooms.

Flinder's Station
Flinders Station
Flinder's Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Federal Square
Federation Square
AFC playing on the big screen
AFC playing on the big screen
Federation Square with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background
Federation Square with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background
Macca's (McDonald's in Australia)
Macca’s (McDonald’s in Australia)
Sushi in Melbourne. Instead of cones they have 3/4 length roll sushi
Sushi in Melbourne. Instead of cones they have 3/4 length roll sushi

We took the tram back to the apartment and rested up a little before dinner with Chloe and Alex. We were meeting them in an area fairly close by called Fitzroy. Apparently Fitzroy is the most hipster area in Melbourne. We’ll have to walk around the area during the day time to check it out.

We met at the Napier Hotel, which is a restaurant and pub (I learned that pubs here are called hotels). It’s nice to be able to visit with Chloe while in Melbourne and for Tim to finally meet her. Since she and her boyfriend have been living abroad for two years, I’ve never actually met her boyfriend, Alex, yet. Marcus also came for dinner, which was good because he’s such a nice guy.

Napier Hotel (Pub)
Napier Hotel (Pub)

Apparently pubs in Victoria serve chicken parma (chicken parmigianas) and its a very popular dish. I tried one with kangaroo meat instead of ham and Tim had the kangaroo pie. Both dishes were pretty tasty and since the kangaroo meat on mine was covered in tomato sauce and cheese, I could hardly tell it was any different than beef. The portions here were quite large. We haven’t had portions this big since Seoul.

Chicken parma with a layer of smoked kangaroo ($25 AUD = $23.80 CAD)
Chicken parma with a layer of smoked kangaroo ($25 AUD = $23.80 CAD)
Kangaroo pie ($18 AUD = $17.15 CAD)
Kangaroo pie ($18 AUD = $17.15 CAD)
Us with Alex and Chloe. I think you could tell who lives in Melbourne and who doesn't
Us with Alex and Chloe. I think you could tell who lives in Melbourne and who doesn’t

We sat and chatted for a while and then were told the pub closes at 10pm so we got up and left. Restaurants and stores in Australia close really early. We learned from Chloe that there’s weekend wages in retail, so they get paid time and a half on the weekend and even more on Sundays – no wonder they close early.

Marcus dropped Chloe and Alex off at their place and we headed back to the apartment to have an earlier night. We’ll probably see them again before we leave Melbourne.

Steps today: 10,000

Melbourne (Day 68): Prahran and Chinatown

May 7, 2016

We landed in Melbourne just before 6am (Melbourne is two hours ahead of Singapore). It was still dark outside so we weren’t able to see anything from the plane. It was my first time in the Southern Hemisphere, which was kind of exciting! Singapore was just barely north of the equator.

Before we left home we had to apply and pay $20 AUD for an “Electronic Travel Authority” (ETA) which is linked to your passport when you arrive. On the walk towards immigration, there were several “e-passport” kiosks for people who had chips in their your passport. I don’t have the new Canadian passport yet, so mine did not work. Tim has the new one but he wasn’t going to leave me behind (good husband). We lined up for about 20 minutes before crossing customs. The upside to having to wait in line, I got my passport stamped. However, since Tim’s passport has the electronic chip, he did not.

By the time we got out of immigration, our bags were already on the baggage belt, quite lonely again. We hadn’t seen our bags since Taipei, so I was happy to see that they made it to Melbourne (with Hello Kitty attached).

We made our way to the Skybus, which runs from the airport to Southern Cross Station in downtown Melbourne. The tickets are $19 AUD each way or $38 RT, so we just bought a one way ticket. The ride into the city was nice because the sun was rising and the city seemed like it was still sleeping. We arrived at Southern Cross Station around 7:30am and found WiFi outside Hungry Jack’s (Australian’s name for Burger King) and messaged Marcus. My first impression of Melbourne was that it looked like Toronto. I think it’s because of the street cars (trams) and the older buildings.

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My first glimpse of Melbourne from the Skybus
At Southern Cross Station
At Southern Cross Station at 7:45am on a Saturday
Waiting at the corner of Spencer and Bourke for Marcus.
Waiting at the corner of Spencer and Bourke for Marcus.

Marcus picked us up from the station and gave us a warm Australian welcome.  We made our way to his apartment, which was about a 10 minute drive outside of the downtown core. Marcus is a good friend and med school classmate of Jessica’s (Tim’s sister). I got to meet Marcus last year at Jess and Robin’s wedding. He travelled all the way to Toronto from Melbourne and only had 4 days in North America. He told us we could stay with him any time we come to Melbourne, so we took him up on that offer a year later. His apartment and complex is really nice and quite new. He also has really good taste in furniture and decor.

Nice view from our bedroom
Nice view from our bedroom

The first thing we did when we got here was shower. We were so sweaty from Singapore and hadn’t showered for more than 24 hours, so I think we stunk a bit. After we showered, we ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours. Marcus knocked on our door around 11am and told us to get up. He was taking us to a chocolate festival. We said we were still feeling a bit tired but he insisted. He said when he has night shifts he forces himself to go outside the next day or else he’ll feel groggy the following day (like us). We didn’t argue with him. He’s a doctor, so we listened. Lucky we listened because it was such a beautiful day – the sun was shining and it was about 23 degrees, with no humidity!

We met Marcus’ partner, who was joining us for the chocolate festival. Marcus drove to South Yarra, to an area called Prahran. The chocolate festival was being held at the Prahran Market and when we went inside, there were only a few chocolate stalls, so everyone was a bit disappointed. It was the inaugural festival so it was a bit of a let down. The market was packed with people since it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and it reminded me of Granville Island Market – lots of fresh produce, deli counters, and florists.

Prahran Market
Prahran Market
At Prahran Market
At Prahran Market
Greville St in South Yarra
Greville St, Prahran

After having a couple of samples we went for lunch at a restaurant called, Oscar Cooper. While walking along Chapel and Greville St., and getting the vibe of Melbourne, I felt it was very hipster. I also noticed there were a lot of very attractive people here and it’s very multicultural. It’s been a while since we saw so many (actually any) guys who looked like they just went to the gym and were super buff.

Chapel Street in South Yarra
Chapel Street
Greville St.
Greville St.
We ate lunch at Oscar Cooper on Greville St.
We ate lunch at Oscar Cooper on Greville St.

We got a seat outside, which was perfect on a day like today. Melbourne and Australia in general take their coffee very seriously and apparently there are no Starbucks in Melbourne any more (Tim: there are, just very few). Tim and I aren’t coffee drinkers (as in we don’t drink coffee every day, but will drink it once in a while socially) so when we told Marcus and Max that we don’t really drink coffee, it was like blasphemy to their ears. I ordered a “flat white”, which originated in Australia, and is like a latte except the foam that’s poured over the espresso have very small bubbles (which appear to be more velvety than a normal latte). It was really good coffee.

Flat white
Flat white ($3.80 AUD = $3.60 CAD)

For lunch, Tim and I shared a hamburger and southern chicken sliders. Both dishes were really good, and it was nice to eat a hamburger that wasn’t sweet teriyaki tasting. If the prices are going to be higher than what we’re used to, at least the food is great. Marcus mentioned we were visiting from Vancouver and the waiter said he worked for Kit and Ace and helped open their Melbourne stores. Apparently Lululemon is extremely popular here, which isn’t surprising.

Wagyu beef burger and fries ($19 AUD = $18 CAD)
Wagyu beef burger and fries ($18.50 AUD = $17.60 CAD)
Southern fried chicken sliders ($18.50 AUD = $17.60 CAD)
Southern fried chicken sliders ($18.50 AUD = $17.60 CAD) and Mornington Peninsula Lager ($9 AUD = $8.55 CAD)

We’ve quickly adjusted to the pricing in Australia after walking through Prahran Market and observing prices of food items. I think it helped that I had outrageous prices in my head before coming here so it hasn’t been that difficult to adjust and often times I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Marcus secretly went off and paid for lunch, which was very kind of him.

Us with Max and Marcus
Us with Max and Marcus

After lunch we headed back to his apartment to relax a bit before dinner downtown. We sat in the kitchen and munched on some candy and cookies that we had brought from Taiwan and Singapore over a nice cup of tea. Around 6pm we headed out and took the tram to downtown Melbourne. We went to a couple of restaurants and they all had about 2 hour waits. There are a lot of Thai fusion places in Melbourne and they all seem very trendy. After being in Asia for a couple of months, it was the first time I felt unfashionable.

We ended up going to Longrain, which is a Thai Fusion restaurant. There was about an hour wait but we got to sit in the bar area while we waited. We ordered some drinks and shared some appetizers, which were all very tasty. We got seated at a long shared table and ordered two mains, a salad and two desserts to share. Everything was very delicious and I’m pretty impressed with the food here so far. Marcus treated us to a wonderful meal and is being such a generous host to us here in Melbourne.

Inside Longrain
Inside Longrain
Marcus and Tim with their beers at Longrain
Marcus and Tim with their beers at Longrain
Green papaya salad
Green papaya salad
Pork belly with cuttlefish
Pork belly with cuttlefish
Taro cake with lychee and black sticky rice with coconut ice cream
Taro cake with lychee and black sticky rice with coconut ice cream

After dinner, we walked around through Chinatown and around some streets downtown. There were a lot of people out and about and some of the streets reminded me of Granville St downtown. After walking around, we hopped back on to the tram and headed to the apartment.

Melbourne Chinatown gates. A very busy area at night time
Melbourne Chinatown gates. A very busy area at night time
Melbourne Chinatown
Melbourne Chinatown

Marcus and Max were telling us about this Chinese dating show called, “If you are the One”. Apparently it’s extremely popular in Australia and not just with Chinese audiences. We watched an episode and it was really entertaining. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it before.

The forecast for the rest of the week is rain. We’re planning on checking out another market downtown and then meeting my cousin and her boyfriend for dinner. I think our time in Melbourne will be a lot more relaxed.

Steps today: 12,000