Hi People,
This Post is about the Melbourne Trip that we had for 3 days.
Am writing down How we traveled and the places we visited so that, it would be helpful for the persons who search the Internet "To plan a trip to Melbourne"
We have planned our trip as in the table below.
| From | starting | travel distance | Google travel time | Planned travel time | reaching | Destination | Time Spent @ Destination | |
| 68 Wells St, Southbank, MEL , 3006 | 7:00 | 141 | 1:49 | 2:00 | 9:00 | lorne Beach | 30mins | actully breakfast |
| lorne Beach | 9:30 | 2.5 | 0:05 | 0:10 | 9:40 | teddy's lookout lorne | 30mins | |
| teddy's lookout lorne | 10:10 | 27 | 0:30 | 0:45 | 10:55 | Cape Patton Lookout | 15mins | |
| Cape Patton Lookout | 11:10 | 59 | 1:01 | 1:15 | 12:25 | Otway Fly Treetop Adventures | 1hour 35mins | + lunch |
| Otway Fly Treetop Adventures | 14:00 | 51 | 1:09 | 1:30 | 15:30 | Cape otway - light house | 30mins | |
| Cape otway - light house | 16:00 | 82 | 1:30 | 2:00 | 18:00 | 12 apostles | 3 hours | + dinner |
| 12 apostles | 21:00 | 91 | 1:22 | 1:45 | 22:45 | Hotel - Apollo Bay | 1 hour | |
| Hotel - Apollo Bay | Apollo bay beach | |||||||
| Apollo bay beach | Hotel - Apollo Bay | |||||||
| Hotel - Apollo Bay | 10:25 | 2.3 | 0:03 | 0:10 | 10:35 | Marriners lookout | 15 mins | |
| Marriners lookout | 10:50 | 309 | 3:58 | 5:00 | 15:50 | Phillip Island Chocolate Factory | 1 hour | + Coffee |
| Phillip Island Chocolate Factory | 16:50 | 11 | 0:10 | 0:20 | 17:10 | Grand prix circuit | 1 hour | |
| Grand prix circuit | 18:10 | 11 | 0:11 | 0:20 | 18:30 | Penguin Parade | 4 hours | + dinner |
| Penguin Parade | 22:30 | 148 | 1:53 | 2:30 | 1:00 | 68 Wells St, Southbank, MEL , 3006 | ||
We started from Sydney and reached Melbourne( Tullamarine ) at 25Jan2013 22:10.
Took the pre-booked rent car from Avis - Tullamarine Airport ( Holden Cruze ) and drove to our friends house in Mel city.26 Jan
Our plan today was "The Great Ocean Drive "
We woke up early morning - We have a long way to drive to touch the Ocean drive itself.
Now starts the actual execution of the dreamed plan.
All as planned we started from home at 7:10.
On the way we took our breakfast at 8:00 as we could not control our hunger.
After the breakfast in our drive we noticed a light house and out steering turned towards it.
Its Split point light house - we spent around 15mins taking pics and seeing the sea viewing Look out.
The view was nice and we could feel the cold winds that came from the sea,
Our journey again started. Noting was there in Lorne beach as it was 9:30 in morning so we skipped it and reached Teddy's Look out.
It was WOW. - The best look out in the Ocean Drive.
It gave the dazzling view of blue waters, Green landscape and the black road of Great Ocean Drive.
We took few pics spending 15 mins we kept moving. we have a long way to go.
It gave the dazzling view of blue waters, Green landscape and the black road of Great Ocean Drive.
We took few pics spending 15 mins we kept moving. we have a long way to go.
At 11:00 we reached Cape Patton look out.
Its not a very important look out, but everyone have to take few breaks and enjoy the ocean drive. That's aim of going for a trip too.
Here we had a great trouble in setting the next destination the Otway treetop.
The GPS was not able to trace anything, it was behaving like a dumb.
We then have to visually match the map and the spot which google map stated and with the visual map shown in GPS.
Then we fixed an approximate point in GPS and started our drive.
NOTE; Do not trust your mobile or google maps, you will not have mobile signals for atleast 50% of the travel.
The road became narrow after few kms and cars can drive easily but no cravens.
We reached Otway Treetop at 13:00 where as our plan was to reach it at 12:00. Wow we were excited. Then came the trouble. just while reaching the treetop we spoke the 12 apostles helicopter ride and they said its full rush in here so come here before 17:00 and book.
Oops our plan spoiled. we planned to reach it at 21:00 or few mins before.
I would not say otway was amazing, its good.
We already have been to illawara treetop so it was repeat for all of us.
The kids would like it more.
Its not a very important look out, but everyone have to take few breaks and enjoy the ocean drive. That's aim of going for a trip too.
Here we had a great trouble in setting the next destination the Otway treetop.
The GPS was not able to trace anything, it was behaving like a dumb.
We then have to visually match the map and the spot which google map stated and with the visual map shown in GPS.
Then we fixed an approximate point in GPS and started our drive.
NOTE; Do not trust your mobile or google maps, you will not have mobile signals for atleast 50% of the travel.
The road became narrow after few kms and cars can drive easily but no cravens.
Oops our plan spoiled. we planned to reach it at 21:00 or few mins before.
I would not say otway was amazing, its good.
We already have been to illawara treetop so it was repeat for all of us.
The kids would like it more.
We had lunch at cafe. it took a total of 2 hours for us to walk and finish our lunch.
The travel started towards 12 apostles instead of light house. At 16:20 we reached and rushed to helicopter ride.
the queue was there, but not rush. things were slow.
We felt better as we reached it at an comfortable time.
For the 10mis helicopter ride it took us 1 hour to board into the helicopter itself.
But its worth.
Please read about the 12 apostles and the other places, history their formation before else what you would see would just be a steep clif.
Once you know how tall they are how they are formed and how the mother nature creates and destroys them you will be amazed.
NOTE: We took with a video option so three of us got a chance to go in a separate helicopter. But the people who took with out video where clubbed into groups of 7 and where sent .
So for a cost of 15$ we felt privacy was good. :D
The ride was over in 15 mins and we got the disk in 10mins. we left the helipad and started visiting the near by spots by walk.
After visiting
apostles , Gibson steps, The arch, The loch ard George and finally the sunset at 22:30 at London Bridge we started back to apollo bay.
We then realized we forgot to take supper. the hunger started hurting us again.
We visited a pizzeria on the way in port cambell ( it took us 15mins to finish the pizza that was served us after 1 hour of order ).
We reached the motel in Apollo Bay at 23:30 - a nice sleep. we did not know what happened after closing our eyes.
27 Jan
Started at 9:20 and visited the look out near by.
This took us 15 mins.
The place was pleasing to start the day.On the way at Lorne we finished our Brench (Breakfast and Lunch ) - 35mins
finally we reached Go -Karting area Philp Island at 16:15. it took us 1:30 hour to finish it
I had never drove so madly. I accelerated and steered as if i was going in a climax chase. Saw one of the person dashing the tires kept in side then i slowed down :P
Finally we came to know that the dasher was my friend :D
Drove as soon as possible to the factory. when we reached choco factory at 18:05 it was closed (just 5 mins before) :(
Yelling at each other for the delay,we started to the penguin parade.
We reached at 18:20 read the pamphlets and we walked to the beach at 19:00.
Oops all the comfortable seats where occupied. so much people came to see it.
I felt even the count of Penguins would be outnumbered by the visitor count.
Note: Please make you way to beach as soon as possible. Sit and start doing any thing. Else you are going to loose the comfortable view.
The little cute baby penguins stated coming out at around 22:45 and the parents started returning from sea at around 21:00.
They were cute with dancing style walking, the fat once not able to walk for a few meters laying down for rest. The once dashing against other loosing balance finally both falling down.
It was all amazing, we could see excitement from all, from kids to their makers.
We started back at 22:20 and reached our Friends house at 00:20.
28 Jan:
The most boring day of the trip started. - The City.I do not want to tell anything as I did not have anything exciting. further it was a holiday. :(
The best part in the day was the lunch.