Victoria

48 hours on the Great Ocean Road

The article is written by Paola Bianchi

Do you understand this is a MUST see when visiting Victoria, right?

Let me be honest with you. One or two days may cover the main spots of the Great Ocean Road. However, you can easily spend a week or more here. If you have the time, please do so. There is plenty to explore and enjoy.

Being said that, if you just have a weekend to spend, make the most of it. This is what I and some friends did in 48hs exploring the Great Ocean Road oceanic route.

Wake up early, hire a car if you do not have one already, grab a coffee to go and put the radio on. From Melbourne city, head west via M1 freeway towards Geelong.

DAY 1

First stop: Torquay Surf Beach

Just about 100km from our starting point, Torquay is a seaside town famous for its surfing options, especially for beginners and intermediate levels. If keen on sports, give surf a try. There are several rental options in the area.

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If watching others get smashed on the water is your preference, the best spot to do so is the green grass hill in front of Torquay Surf Beach. Which was what we did while half of the pack went for a swim. You will get awesome views without any danger as it is far away from the sea. I totally recommend to bring sunglasses (even if it is cloudy as the light is full on here), spread a beach towel and enjoy a picnic. Nearby is a great kiosk that sells cheap hamburgers!

Second Stop: Anglesea Golf Club

Don’t get confused, playing golf is not part of the tour… Although kangaroos are! It happened that around this golf there are lots of wild kangaroos living around. This makes this place unique because of the proximity to this huge population (around 210-270). The eastern grey kangaroos hanging out on the golf course are highly habituated to humans, and a tour is provided if you are keen on jumping on a golf trolley for 20 minutes.

4 kangaroos Image source from Anglesea golf club facebook page

Don’t worry about the tags and collars that several kangaroos have. This doesn’t hurt them. They even have names! Tagging them is part of the studies that Zoologists from the University of Melbourne have been conducting since 2005 for population surveys, movements, birth control and parasites.

Image source by Tom Walter

Third Stop: Kennett River

Nearby this river there is popular café called Kafe Koala, just in the entrance of the ‘Koala walk’. This is a short walk full of Eucalyptus Trees, the preferred ones of the little creatures. It is super easy to spot them sleeping and hugging brunches. It was no joke when someone told us that the koalas were ALWAYS there, like waiting for you to go and say hi.

6 koala in tree Image source from Jade Craven

Fourth stop: Twelve Apostles

This is why we came for! Make sure you get there before the sunset! It is the BEST.

Take a look:

7 apostles Pic by Pao Bianchi

Try to get there early to reserve your spot. It can get crowded!

8 apostles Pic by Pao Bianchi
Getting the best photo is a goal we all have but remind yourself that it’s not worth risking your life or damaging the environment to get it, like these guys:

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Fifth Stop: Port Campbell

Because of its proximity to the 12 Apostles, is a great place to stay overnight. This lovely little town has grown so much and offers great food and accommodation. We rented a house in Airbnb and woke up to this peaceful beauty:

12 peace Pic by Pao Bianchi
Plus, it has a gorgeous bay where you can have your breaky and shot some cute pics.

Looking down over the beach at the little seaside town of Port Campbell.

Pic by Shiny Things

During the morning hours, there is also a beautiful light on the incredible Twelve Apostles. That was our Airbnb’s host recommendation. Unfortunately, was too late when he told us but it is indeed a great excuse to come back!

Bonus: another great location to spend the night is Bimbi Park. ‘Bimbi’ means ‘a place of many birds’ in the local Aboriginal language. This place is located in the forest of Otway Park surrounded by Koalas! You can rent a cabin or a camping site and enjoy nature. More info here.

DAY 2

Take it easy now. You did lots of km the day before, and you still need to go back while enjoying the trip.
If you sleep as good as we did and had breaky in front of the bay getting fresh air, you most likely have the energy to continue exploring.

You may go up north to visit other natural rock forms like The Arch or London Bridge. But that means more driving hours to go back. So, you can choose to spend some quality time in nature without deviating too much.

Next Stop: Great Otway National Park

Such a magical place! Lakes, waterfall, forest.

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Pic by Pao Bianchi

Trekking, camping, fishing and even swimming. SO MANY OPTIONS. All the details here
We would need another week to explore, right? Absolutely recommended! As we had just a couple more hours to enjoy, we decided to visit the historic Cape Otway Lightstation.
15 ligthhouse Pic by Pao Bianchi

Yeap! You can climb to the top!
This place has a rich history that you can discover while walking around the huge campus that surrounds the lighthouse. It is told that, during the 19th century, Cape Otway was the first land to be seen by migrants travelling to Australia by ship. Isn’t that curious? Today migrants see the airport first.

Gotta love Melbourne in June

The article is written by Paola Bianchi Cover photo by chiaralily

Let’s face it. June in Melbourne equals sunny but cold days. The winter has been waving us for a while but now is officially here.

2 Cold

GIF source

Is this an excuse to get lazy and see Netflix every day? No way! (although it sounds a good idea)

Here are 3 awesome excuses to get OUT of home and IN some great venues)

WINTER NIGHT MARKET

3 nigth market 1 Image source

During 13 weeks the renowned Queen Victoria Market is open during the night but with a gourmet approach. Raw fruits and vegetables are replaced by more than 30 global street food stalls.
It’s a great opportunity to taste food from all over the world. Singaporean, Japanese, Peruvian, Spanish, you name it.
There are also live music and product stalls for gifts.

4 nigth market 2 Image by Lucas Randall

Every Wednesday of June, July and August. From 5 pm to 10 pm. It’s free!

WINTER WINE FEST

Each year during the Queen’s birthday weekend, Mornington Peninsula showcase its best local wineries and cheese makers!

5 wine 1 Image source

This event requires a ticket, but it is so worth it! Wine, food and music. Who is with me?
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All right, enough of eating delicious food and awesome wine and let’s focus on our inner self for a weekend, shall we?

Next event its by far the most original one:

MIND BODY FESTIVAL

The Mind-Body Festival is Australia’s largest well-being and natural therapies event held in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane every year.

7 entrance mind festival Image by Paola Bianchi
There are more than 200 stalls, short workshops and seminars, guided meditations, live performances and plenty of great products (books, crystals, tea blends) and body services (massages, iris health check, aura photographs) on offer and so many more that you have to see it believe it!

8 Pic room mind festival Image by Paola Bianchi
Without a doubt, the centrepiece of the event is the physic reading room. Well-known physics will use their abilities to give you an honest reading base on their tools, like tarot, hand reading, clairvoyance, mediumship and much more.

9 Pic reading room Image by Paola Bianchi

Head to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center, near the Casino, to pamper yourself with magic.
Tickets are free! Make sure you swipe them in those stalls that are giving away great prices!

How to eat like a Melburnian

The article is written by Paola Bianchi

5 essential things to be on the right track

1. Feeling like toast for breakfast? Better be Sourdough!

You can find Sourdough bread (fermented dough) in any respectable bakery, cafe and supermarket. If it is wholemeal, organic, mixed with Rye or with seeds, you are closer to eat like a Melburnian. Give a try to the classic buttered bread with Vegemite and avocado. Yummy!

For Melburnians, it’s all about gut health.

Bonus: our fav spots in Melbourne are Baker D. Chirico and Tivoli Road Bakery. You won’t be disappointed!

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2. When ordering eggs, the waitress will ask ‘how do you want your eggs’
and it is expected to be a specific answer. Most menus show an ‘eggs your way’ option. What does that mean? It means you can choose between a lot of possibilities! We definitely haven’t seen this in my hometown.

Boiled eggs (soft or hard); scramble eggs (soft and fluffy); fried eggs (sunny side up or over); poached eggs (hard or runny) and baked eggs.

Bonus: for eggs made like in heaven, head to The Kettle Black or Hardware Société. These places have been delivering awesome eggs for a long time.

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3. Have you been invited to a Christmas meal?
Fabulous! Make sure to bring wine or dessert. Any good quality red wine will be happily accepted. If you want to please sweet tooths, get a lovely dense fruit cake, plum pudding or the old fashion gingerbread.

According to a survey made by Woolworths (a big chain of supermarkets), over half a million pavlovas are usually sold on the week previous to Christmas. Get a pavlova; you can’t go wrong!

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4. Did you think that ordering a coffee is easy peasy?
Think again! The coffee culture in Melbourne is a serious thing, and the competition between cafes, roasters and coffee suppliers is a hot subject.

To cover the basics, we have the espresso coffee which can be black (think long black or double ristretto) or white (with your choice of milk, think lattes or cappuccinos).

There are also other alternatives that are becoming incredibly popular like filtered coffee (served hot and black) and cold drip/ cold brew (served cold, black or white)

If unsure of which coffee to get, we suggest to talk to the barista and ask for a recommendation. Usually, they are happy to go quickly through their options to help you determine which drink suits you better.

Bonus: our top-notch places for coffee fans are St Ali in South Melbourne (sit in one of the communal tables) and Patricia Coffee Brewers in the CBD (no sitting here, it’s a standing room!).

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5. Keep the politeness.
We know it can be exciting to try new things and you may want to do it ASAP. But always say this two magic words: ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. We found that Melburnians are so polite that even when they didn’t do anything wrong, they will say sorry first.

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Art on the move? I’m in!

The article is written by Paola Bianchi

Imagine you are walking around with your friends on any street in Melbourne and all of a sudden you see your art displayed on a Tram that is passing by and say to your pals ‘hey, I designed that!’
Oh! I would be so proud of you!

‘Streets are theatres of life, and in Melbourne, the set is always in motion’ the organisers stated.

Melbourne city is calling (gain!) to all artists that live in Victoria to apply to use the Tram as a canvas.
Is the sixth consecutive year that this project is on, having tremendous success. Just 8 participants will be able to showcase. As a condition, participants must be a Victorian resident, based in the state as the primary location in which they live and work. Don’t worry! I double checked with their information department and confirmed that any international student is eligible to apply if currently living in Melbourne. Another good reason to study here.

tram 1

Wouldn’t be great to see your artwork moving around the city?
Applications close Tuesday 12th of June at midday and the selected applicants will be announced in July.

Head here to get all the details.

Good luck!

Pictures and information based on creative.vic.gov.au and www.festival.melbourne

48 Hours in: Coober Pedy

The article is written by Taryn Feldmann

City life can get tiring after a while, and a small town is just what the doctor ordered for relaxation and experiencing new things. The perfect place is Coober Pedy, a small town in the Australian outback in South Australia, 846 km north of Adelaide on the Stuart Highway.

@tamaramerino_photography

Author of the picture @tamaramerino_photography

It’s filled with dust in a barren landscape but what this small outback town does offer is an adventure, Australia history and most importantly you get to experience doing everyday activities underground.

There are so many tours to choose from but as it’s a limited time there’s only so much you can do. Here are my options for the best tours, which will offer you everything you’re looking for: Opal mining tours, Oasis tours, historical four-wheeled drive dune tours and desert cave tours.

It’ll be exciting, and you’ll learn so much. The 48 hours will be filled with picture worthy memories, and you’ll have amazing stories to tell your friends and family.

eevgum

Author of the picture @eevgum

Getting there

You can go by plane, bus, or train. Coober Pedy’s airport, located five km from the town centre, and regional express has flights between Adelaide and Coober Pedy. More information about the transportation you will find here.

Want to experience the Ghan railway, you can take a train from Adelaide to Coober Pedy. It’ll be a fun experience, plus you can look at scenery along the way, or you can go by coach on a bus which departs from Adelaide at 7:25 pm and arrives in Coober Pedy at 6:15am. More info here.

Accommodation

The best place to stay will be underground, as it’ll be a once in a lifetime experience. It’s not a regular thing that we do every day, but it is for residents who live in Coober Pedy because temperatures can soar into the 50’s. Plus, you will make your friends jealous with your endless selfies of you in your room underground.

There are quite a few options to choose from, and it’ll depend on how much money you can spend so here’s a link which can help.

danielle_jessie

Author of the picture @danielle_jessie

Opal mining tours

Coober Pedy is a mining town, and it’s famous for its opals. It’s a tourist attraction, and a must do. It could be the high light of your trip. Once again, you’ll be underground, and you’ll follow the guides on an informative tour and learn Coober Pedy’s history.

You’ll learn about mining, learn everything there is to know about opals in their underground museum, and you’ll enjoy a documentary in their underground theatre. The high light of your trip will be seeing firsthand how stones are cut. Helpful links about everything this tour has to offer.

Oasis tours

Love thrill-seeking adventures? This oasis tour will be for you. Experience the barren landscape of Coober Pedy at sunset, which will make it even more spectacular. It’s a two and half hour tour, and it’ll leave you breathless.

You’ll get to experience the Breakaways, a massive dune via The Moon Plain Desert and you’ll be able to see Australia’s famous fence, the Dog Fence to keep out the Dingo’s, Australia’s famous wild dog. What makes it so popular worldwide is the length, a staggering 5.614 million miles. Even more spectacular you can watch the sunset on top of the Breakaway with a nice glass of wine or a refreshing beer. Interested in some tours? Check this link.

Mail Run Tours

You need to do this tour as it sounds like fun and unique. You get to go on a tour with the postman by travelling with him as he delivers mail to the historic towns of Oodnadatta and William Creek and most importantly you’ll get to experience five cattle stations, including the largest, Anna Creek Station. Australia is well known worldwide for its cattle stations.

More amazingly go on a historic trip down memory lane like Australia’s famous explorer, Charles Sturt, the namesake of Australia’s most famous highway, The Sturt, which stretches for miles from Darwin to Adelaide. Stop over at the old Ghan Railway line and enjoy the arid landscape. Don’t forget to take photos as this is a memory you’ll want to keep.
Check this link for more information.

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Desert Cave tours

This four-hour tour lets you go down a mine and witness Coober Pedy’s jewels, opals still embedded inside the sandstone. You’ll also get to go on a Serbian Underground Church, where you’ll experience an archaeological excavation and get to see amazing architecture.

Want to see how the locals live? Don’t despair; this tour lets you witness a unique local underground home, which they refer to as a ‘Dugout’. It’s not to be missed and once again you can take selfies galore and post them all on your social media. What makes it even more special is your family and friends will be able to experience a new culture.

This town has so much to offer, and it’ll be an experience which you won’t be able to get anywhere else. Have fun!

48 hours in: Kangaroo Island

The article is written by Taryn Feldmann

Need a getaway from city life – Kangaroo Island, located, 112 km southwest of Adelaide, is the perfect destination. It has beautiful scenery, many exciting activities and iconic Australia wildlife that other places won’t be able to offer.

Go hiking, take historic tours, enjoy coastal activities, and Australia’s iconic wildlife. With so much to do you certainly won’t be bored.

Getting there

There are two options – flight or by ferry. The flight is only 30 minutes from Adelaide, South Australia airport and the ferry is 45 minutes along. You can catch the ferry in Adelaide or Goolwa to Cape Jervis. Or check this link for useful information.

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Things to do

Australia’s wildlife

Love animals? These two tours will be perfect for you – Seal bay and Kangaroo Island hire a guide and nocturnal tours, Kingscote.

Seal Bay

This is an unforgettable must do experience. The tour will lead you into their colony on the beach. It gives you a chance to witness them in their natural habitat. Many Instagram worthy memories of the seals and selfies of you and one in the background. Click for more useful info here.

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Kangaroo Island hire a guide and nocturnal tours, Kingscote

Want a fun wild adventure? This tour is for you. It offers a four-wheel drive. There are a few options but for a better experience, the Flinders chase 4wd tour is the way to go.

It’s a tour where you’ll be able to see Kangaroo’s islands unique rock – Admiral Arch, fur seals, echidna, Koala’s, and Kangaroo’s.

This action-packed tour will leave you breathless and with many worth Instagram pictures.

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Coastal activities

Love the sea? These two tours will satisfy your adventure. They are a part of the Kangaroo Island ocean safari and they offer a 2-hour swim with dolphins/seals and coastal snorkelling.

You’ll be able to experience wild dolphins and seals up close and witness coastal sea life whilst snorkelling. This will be a once in a lifetime so be sure not to miss out.

Want to stay on the boat, the 75-minute ocean safari will perfect. Enjoy the scenery of the ancient coastline and the wildlife. Some animals you’ll be seeing: dolphins, seals, and whales if you’re lucky, as you’ll only be able to see them in season.

No matter what you fancy, these tours will leave you talking about it for days.

Historic tours

Want to learn more about Kangaroo Island’s history, this tour will be ideal – Cape Borda Lightstation Flinders Chase National Park

Learn about travelling with sails in an early era and how light keepers lived. It has a lighthouse, light keeper’s cottages, and a maritime museum.

You can personally read diary entries from early light house keepers and look around at Kangaroo island’s amazing history.

Want an even better experience, stay overnight in one of the cottages.

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Hiking

Love walking? Kangaroo Island offers a wide range of hiking trails for beginners and more experienced.

Want nice scenery and wildlife, the flinders chase national park is the location. There’s several walking trails, take a slow stroll and enjoy the iconic granite boulders, Remarkable Rocks, the Admirals Arch, beaches, wildlife and wilderness.

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