Melbourne

We are currently on the Grand Australia/New Zealand tour. Spending our last day/night in Melbourne. To any future travelers on this tour, if at all possible, try to allow yourself several days in Melbourne before the tour begins. We arrived 5 days ahead of time and still didn't scratch the surface of all the things to experience both within the city and on day trips outside of the city. It's a fabulous city!! I definitely agree with you, Jan Durkin, you have a wonderful city with so many friendly people!!

Comments

  • Aww, shucks, TL19711. So glad you are enjoying Melbourne. :)) Don't suppose you were one of the many travellers wandering up Collins Street as I passed by yesterday, were you? Enjoy the Red Centre ... it's going to be very hot!

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Jan- we are planning the Australia/NZ trip for next winter. Will we have time on day 2 in Melbourne to visit Philip Island in the evening to see the penguins?
  • edited March 2013
    jaidekman wrote:
    Jan- we are planning the Australia/NZ trip for next winter. Will we have time on day 2 in Melbourne to visit Philip Island in the evening to see the penguins?

    I did this trip this past Nov. We had a dinner included that night that no one was impressed with the tram car ride while eating dinner. Food was just ok, but the views not so much and we had no idea what we were looking at, then at one point we stopped for a length of time before heading back to the drop off point. So, glad they listened to our comments and took it out.

    Check the pick up times. It does look like you will have time to do the tour that night. I want to say we finished up the tour of the area around 1 or so and they will drop you at hotel, but the botanical gardens is not very far from the hotel if you want to walk it after walking around the garden for a little bit.

    I did the Great Ocean Road tour with Go West tours and their pick up at hotel is at 10:55 April-Oct, Nov thru March looks like an hour later. You would have to ask Tauck. Might be do able, but would not be able to do the whole morning tour. Can check with other companies and see if there is a later pick up time.
  • Hi jaidekman,

    First of all, whose winter are you asking about? ... the northern or southern hemisphere winter? The penguins do their party trick at dusk, so the time can vary by a number of hours. They do go out to fish and then return up the beach all year round, although the numbers vary.

    The most popular sight for the penguin parade is at Phillip Island, a few hours there and back from central Melbourne. But there is another, less well known site that's much, much closer.

    While you get back to me on your possible tour dates, I'll do a little research about the other site for you.

    Cheers,

    Jan
  • Jan - Thanks for the prompt response. We are thinking of Feb. 2014. We have friends that just returned and said Phillip Island was a highlight. Hundreds of penguins arriving at dusk. We would like to go to Phillip if time allows? Otherwise would love to hear about an alternative.
  • jaidekman wrote:
    Jan- we are planning the Australia/NZ trip for next winter. Will we have time on day 2 in Melbourne to visit Philip Island in the evening to see the penguins?

    Hello Jaidekman,

    On Day 2 in Melbourne, you will have approx 1pm to 5pm on your own, the group reconvenes at 5:15pm for dinner. If visiting Philip Island tops your "to-do" list you can always skip dinner. Just be sure you let the Tour Director know.

    Hope this helps,
    Emily
  • edited March 2013
    jaidekman wrote:
    Jan - Thanks for the prompt response. We are thinking of Feb. 2014. We have friends that just returned and said Phillip Island was a highlight. Hundreds of penguins arriving at dusk. We would like to go to Phillip if time allows? Otherwise would love to hear about an alternative.
    Hi jaidekman,

    So you want to avoid your winter, huh? ;) Why not make it March here? That way you give yourself a good chance of avoiding the worst of the heat in Melbourne, then even more extreme heat in the Centre and the cyclonic rains (and even the actual cyclones!) in the tropical north. Of course, Mother Nature runs to her own, unique timetable!

    The Penguin Parade is wonderful and I can understand why everyone loves to see the littlest penguins in the world model Italian waiters' uniforms on an Australian beach. If you can fit such an experience into your timetable I urge you to try!

    The penguins do their stuff under cover of dusk, so that would make it in the region of 8:30 pm ??? in late summer. I just did a quick google and it looks like most tours leave Melbourne in the early afternoon (say, 1pm) and return close to midnight. There are full day trips as well. There may well be only late afternoon trips, just for the penguins, but I didn't see them just now. Either way, there is a lot of choice and the concierge at the Langham would be able to help.

    Now, the other site I was talking about is in suburban Melbourne, on the beach inside Port Phillip Bay. It is a fairly short taxi ride from your hotel and given the time of dusk, you could probably do this after an early dinner. Here is the site, where everything is revealed: Keep in mind this is not a tour experience in the same way the Penguin Parade is. This will give you a peek into the domestic lives of an almost inner-city-dwelling colony, rather than their country cousins. This experience really is unique.

    Why not plan to arrive in Melbourne a few days ahead of the tour start date? Time to get over the jet lag with dignity ... (there's a little authorial projection, here!) and do some gentle self-propelled sightseeing at the same time.

    Give me a yell if you need more info.

    Cheers,

    Jan
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