Part 1
This was our first trip to Melbourne!
Holiday ni, kita pergi dengan Ameer dari Urusan Jenazah Alhakeem and his cousin, Ryan. When Hafiz and I was planning for this trip, turns out that Ameer was also going to conduct a short course in Melbourne so we decided to share this trip together. We were also given a place to stay at an empty home in Craigieburn by a family we will never forget. It was huge and cozy and lovely. Kita pun dapat lah berangan sikit-sikit, kononnya local.
We didn't get to do much on our first day, but we managed to explore Harbour Town and a little bit of the city. We also had our dinner in the city that night and it was our first time eating Uzbekistan food at the Dolan Uyghur Food Heaven! It was amazinglyyy sedap!
Part 2
We explored the city further the next day as Ameer and Ryan went for their course. We took the train from where we lived and made our way to Victoria Station. The system was pretty cool and easy, we paid AUS$6 for an unlimited ride of trains and buses, for the whole entire day.
We first went to Melbourne Artists' Supplies near RMIT. If you're into arts, you should visit this one! Although it's a little pricey, they do have almost everything, including the kind of papers I've never seen before. We then visited the beautiful Victoria State Library. Lepas tu, kita jalan jalan sampai kaki nak tercabut.
Despite the kaki nak tercabut already, we still took a tram ride to the best place in the universe - KMART. Yes. Sampai je, semua penat hilang. Kita tak dapat nak shoot a lot of footage sebab mata dan tangan terlalu busy, dan trolley kita yang berat tu pun dah macam nak pecah. Kalau tanak duit habis, jangan pergi k.
Part 3
Esoknya, we went to Camberwell Sunday Market. That market is known for their vintage goods. To share with you the kind of pricings available, I got the cutest polka dot maxi skirt at AUD$2, an oversized cardigan at AUD$4, a vintage top at AUD$10 and an artsy necklace at AUD$15!
We had lunch at Nando's which was right next to the market before we left for our 3.5 hours drive to Phillip Island!
As we entered the island, we made our first stop at the Maru & Koala Animal Park. To be honest, I didn't get to see the Koalas. BUT we did get to feed and pat the Kangaroos which is something that everyone who visits Australia must do.
We then drove further to watch the Penguin Parade. We bought the Penguin Plus tickets and when waiting for the Penguin Arrival Time, the rain poured over us. Heavily. And we just sat there, outdoor and under the rain, freezing cold. But it was worth it when we saw the arrival of the first group of penguins. CUTE GILA, I tell you. It was truly an amazing experience.
Part 4
The longgg drive to Mount Buller was scary. Very scary. But the view was perfect. We made a stop along the way at Alzburg Resorts to rent some equipments because it was cheaper than the ones on the mountain itself.
Dekat atas mountain tu, semuanya indah. Tengok kiri cantik, tengok kanan pun cantik. Ya Allah, memang tak terkata. Satu je yang kurang dekat Mount Buller ni sebab dia tak ada makanan halal. Tapi alhamdulillah Ryan tu chef. Dia lah yang selalu masakkan kita dan bekalkan makanan untuk kita. Dan masakkan dia, SEMUANYA sedap. Siapa yang tengah cari chef sebab nak bukak cafe, kita boleh kenalkan dengan Ryan.
Mount Buller ada wifi and a mini mart. Untuk yang lapar, boleh lah beli snacks / roti / air dekat mini mart tu. Once we're done with the snow, we made our long drive back to Melbourne and return the equipments back to the rental shop along the way.
Sebelum balik rumah, kita singgah Sydney Road to have dinner at Taste of Thai which is highly recommended.
Part 5
We took our first ever helicopter ride at The Great Ocean Road, witnessing the beautiful 12 Apostles. The road was long, and it was a really really really long journey which took us about 5 hours. Pening lalat like want to muntah, you know.
But we are truly grateful to be given the opportunity to do and see something we've never done and seen in our lives before, alhamdulillah. This is something you wouldn't want to miss - especially if you enjoy nature and the kind who finds pleasure in beautiful beautiful beautiful sceneries.
Part 6
The trip was coming to an end so we had to wash the car before returning it. We did it manually and it was easy and cheap.
And before we make our way back to Singapore, we did a little bit of a last minute shopping. We visited Factory Outlets, and a mall near our place which turns out to be HUGE and have almost everything we needed, including halal butchers and restaurants. They also have a huge Target so it was really sad that we only discovered that place on our last day.
This was another amazing trip. Thank you Ameer for driving endlessly (and scarily), and thank you Ryan for all of your amazing meals. We have cravings for your roti telur all the time.
Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah.