"My Melbourne" Melbourne by clueless83

My time in Melbourne was short. Apart from a stroll beside the Yarra River and a ride on the famous trams I didn't have time to explore much of the city. Melbourne was our base for 3 nights only. It was our jumping off point for other things. We spent our first night in St Kilda at the Neighbours Night, we spent our entire first full day being guided around Phillip Island by my relatives and we spent our last day on the Neighbours Tour in the morning followed by a leisurely stroll around the city after lunch before retiring to the hotel spa as the sun was setting!

We did what we came to Melbourne to do, its just a shame we didn't have to time experience what the city itself had to offer!

On the Neighbours Tour

It had to be done. While staying in Melbourne we did not one, but TWO Neighbours themed activities. After a short flight from Sydney we landed in Melbourne and just a few hours later we were trying to navigate the city by tram and make our way to The Elephant & Wheelbarrow pub in the suburb, St Kilda. That was a mission in itself particularly when you are in a strange city and haven't got a clue about trams (the trams were, in my opinion, completely overrated - more about that in my tips). The night was a blast despite the issues we had getting to St Kilda and back to the city again. We got to meet the actors who play Janelle Timmins, Steve and Riley Parker, as well as the legend that is Karl Kennedy!

The Neighbours Tour was also a great experience despite the mad rush we had getting to the office in time to catch our tour bus (seriously, trams AGAIN). My relatives offered to take us to Pin Oak Court (what Ramsay Street is called in real life) but it just wouldn't have been the same as not only did we visit the street but we also had our pictures taken outside the school, Grease Monkeys and the garage - where we met the actor who plays Declan Napier who dished the dirt! ;-)

If you're a Neighbours fan, read my tips for more info!

Tree top koala

We spent an entire day being given a guided tour around Phillip Island by my aunt and uncle. The island is about a 2 hour drive from the city so its worth spending all day there. We saw koalas in treetops and seals on rocks but the highlight of the day without a doubt was the penguin parade. Truly adorable.

So while we didn't get to experience much of the city, our short time in Melbourne was well spent and completely worth it just to see the little penguins make their way up to the shore from the sea, passing by us, some even less than a metre away. How often can you say you witnessed something like that?

See my Phillip Island page for more info!

• Pros:Neighbours Night/Tour, Phillip Island, Visiting the relatives
• Cons:Not long enough to soak up the city
• In a nutshell:Our base for other things