MelBourne Beach Bum
Despite my past life producing events at all inclusive resorts, I’m honestly not much of a beach person. I love to see, hear, and smell the ocean, but sand and OCD are not friends. I’m usually pretty ready to go after an hour, so I don’t plan much by way of beach trips. Most of the main Australian attractions are on the coast and a big part of the beauty down under. It was a little surprising that all of my top wishlist stops in a metropolitan city like Melbourne involved the beach, but they were all beyond beautiful and amazing adventures. Brighton Beach, Luna Park at St Kilda Beach, the 12 Apostles, and Great Ocean Road are mandatory Melbourne field trips.
Coney Island has been on my wishlist for many many years, I’ve just never been able to justify a whole day in NYC to go. Luna Park is based on the original concept of Coney Island, and it is the oldest operating roller coaster park in the Southern Hemisphere. I was a little disappointed that the famous moon mouth entrance was partially blocked by a construction gate and it was a little too windy for some of their rides to run, but it was so fun to stroll along the promenade and see the unique facades and old school signage. It’s an easy tram and bus away from downtown, and a stroll along St Kilda Beach is day trip worthy on its own. There are tons of boutiques and it felt like every other storefront was a tempting bakeshop. I managed to refrain from sweets, but the Signature Souvlaki at Lambs on St Kilda is going to haunt my dreams for a very long time. Timing with a pup was a tough, so I didn’t make it, but supposedly you can watch penguins on the pier at sunset.
It was an easy walk to a quick bus from St Kilda to Brighton Beach, home of the iconic bathing boxes. These Victorian seaside shanties are a huge attraction, so the gloomy weather played in my favor. I practically had the beach to myself, and I was GIDDY rambling around the rainbow shacks. Each one is unique, and they are a beacon of fun on Brighton Beach.
The Great Ocean Road comes by its name honestly. It leads you through the rainforest, along beautiful beaches, and leads to the 12 Apostles. You’ll definitely need a car to explore, or book a tour because it’s several hours away, but it is the number one thing you should do on a visit to Melbourne. I booked this one, and we did the standard tour in reverse so we’d be the first ones to enter the Apostles Park and avoid the crowds. The views look SPECTACULAR at sunset, but I had a rainy day and didn’t think we’d really get one. Luckily it only rained on us at one of our stops, otherwise it just rained en route.
The Apostles are eroding pretty steadily, so it’s something you should make time to do now while you can. There are several helicopter companies offering aerial views since it’s tough to see them all in line from land. The Shipwreck cove area is home to so many scenic sea views with interesting formations, you really can’t go wrong wandering around here.
We stopped at a couple scenic overlooks, and each view was lovelier than the last. My favorite stop was the Kafe Koala where we found lorikeets and koalas in the trees. Our guide put this pretty bird on my arm, and one of my new tour friends snapped the most hilarious live photo of a bonus lorikeet landing. I laugh out loud every single time I see it.
I left Melbourne for two more beautiful beach trips before my month in Brisbane. Can’t wait to share those next!
