AUTUMN COLOURS, MISTY BUSHWALKS AND CLASSIC AUSSIE PUBS - Melbourne and Victoria, Australia

.....our previous thoughts about our time spent on Bohol, The Philippines.........

For the past 10 years or so, Sal had been making an annual trip to Melbourne in order to see family while Rich relished his Ko Fruitopia time. She also scored a lucrative little number at Melbourne Uni, during these years, work which unfortunately dried up during the Scamdemic. After 2025 and the long journey back and forth to Australia for her Mum's funeral, we both looked forward to finally travelling together to Australia for the first time since 2014.

It was with excitement we boarded our flight to Melbourne, our elation growing when we realised we had been upgraded - something that has never happened before in the 30 years we have been travelling together! Although Air Asia is only a budget airline, their hot seats are amazingly plush, comfortable and spacious. The eight hour flight was an absolute breeze, snug in our soft seats with our legs stretched out and backs and necks supported. It was going to be hard to go back to ordinary seats after that experience!

Fancy seats on Air Asia!

No going back to economy after this flight!

We'd been offered a house sitting gig for May, and we jumped at the chance to spend an extended period in Melbourne. It was a complete change of scene, and a luxury for us to spend a month in a comfortable and spacious home. Our visit was timed with the two months that the Victorian government had decided to make all public transport free in the state. This would apparently ease people's wallets during the "fuel crisis" (and help them at the next election, no doubt). This was a fantastic boon for us, with transport in Melbourne usually coming at hefty prices.

Creepy or cute? Antique shop regional Victoria

Awe-inspiring day in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria

Autumn day by the river in regional Victoria

There were so many day trips, and it's quite difficult to fit everything into one single blog, but here is a brief summary of the wonderful places we visited.

Rustic bridge, Kyneton, Victoria 

Luxury for us- Melbourne coffees!!

Many fantastic days were spent in the Dandenong Ranges, a bushy fairyland on the outskirts of Eastern Melbourne, and just up the road by car or bus for us.

Cold and misty morning in the Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne

Highlights included the Alfred Nicholas Memorial Gardens, originally established to surround a wealthy pharmaceutical magnate's sumptuous mansion. The old gardens are now a protected area, and full of a wonderful mixture of natives and European plants and trees blending in a stunning manner. The free entry saw many crowds enjoying the beauty, but quiet corners were still to be found.

Giant gum at Alfred Nicholas Garden, Dandenong Ranges

Cute hut on a pond, Alfred Nicholas gardens, Dandenong Ranges

Us dwarfed by the trees, Alfred Nicholas gardens

Walking through the drizzle to Olinda Falls and Sky High lookout in the mist and fog was a surprisingly atmospheric way to experience the gorgeous Victorian bushland in the hills. The smell of eucalyptus drifted through the air surrounding the giant trees, and we found ourselves constantly looking upwards with amazement and wonder. We didn't see another soul the entire walk. A stop at Kalorama junction and it's cute little cafe was needed to warm up on the way home. The day was cold enough for a snug open fire to accompany our coffees.

A beauty in the fog, Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne

The autumn leaves, Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne

The mist only added to the atmosphere- can you spot Sal?!

Tiny mushrooms, Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne

Amongst the Aussie bushland, Dandenong Ranges

Getting creative, Dandenong Ranges

Nudie statue in the gardens, Dandenong Ranges

Look out café, Kalorama, Dandenong Ranges

We also managed some trips to places further afield- the free trains and buses all over the state of Victoria allowing us to travel to regional areas we definitely wouldn't have got to ordinarily. Closest of these was Healesville. We arrived in the small town via an extremely convoluted series of bus routes that took us most of the day! We still found time to admire some gardens on the edge of town, and enjoy a beer in the sun in a classic old Art Deco pub before the winding and lengthy, yet picturesque, bus trips home again.

Healsville pub, Melbourne

Grand old building, Healsville, Melbourne 

Autumn coloured oak, Healsville, Melbourne 

A long distance train took us to Castlemaine- a charming, character-filled country town Sal doesn't remember ever visiting before. Although brightly sunny, the temperature was absolutely freezing that day. Still, we loved rummaging around the always brilliant country op-shops, scoffing homemade pies, and having a general wander and poke around the laid back and friendly town.

View out the shop window, Castlemaine, Victoria

Weirdness in  Castlemaine, Victoria

The best second-hand stuff in Castlemaine, Victoria

Some gigantic trees around Melbourne

Awesome op shops (second hand shops), around Melbourne

Along the same train line, we were able to take a bit more time to explore Kyneton, even splashing out on a room above an old fashioned country pub for the night - a dream of Sal's! We had a great time drinking a bottle of bubbly on the wide wraparound verandah on the sunny late afternoon. 

The daggy Art-Deco hotel in Kyneton we stayed in

Cool original tiles in the Kyneton hotel shared bathroom

Cheap champers on the verandah, Kyneton

An unexpected find were the beautiful old buildings of Piper St, many quirky and interesting styles from the past heydays of the small town. An absolutely stunning river walk full of bright gorse and yellowing autumn leaves topped off a fantastic couple of days away.

The famous Piper Street, full of historic homes, Kyneton, Victoria

Antique shop display, Kyneton

Old wall, Kyneton

A selection of quirky houses, Piper St, Kyneton, Victoria

Bridge over tiny creek, Kyneton Riverside Walk

A short rest in a park, Kyneton

Gorgeous reflective river, Kyneton

Precariously close to the weir! Kyneton

Posing again, this time with the amazing colours, Kyneton

Someone getting creative along the river path, Kyneton

In her youth, Sal was a real city girl- couldn't get enough of the bustling vibe and odd bods on the streets. Things have changed in Melbourne in the last few years, and although the city centre and the inner city suburbs are not the same as they used to be, a visit is always like a trip down memory lane. The classic trams took us all over the place, from the iconic Flinder's St station and nearby city lanes with their cafes and funky vibe, to several of Melbourne's famous and glorious gardens. New places (for us) we visited included St Patrick's Cathedral, a beast of a Gothic Revival beauty and the nearby fascinating gold museum in the basement of the Old Treasury Building, where all the money and gold used to be stored during Victoria's gold rush.

Rich in another life on the Victorian Goldfields

Replica of the famous Welcome Stranger, the biggest gold nugget ever found

Magnificent view of the city from the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne

Gothic Revival St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne

Coffee in Flinder's Lane, Melbourne- got to do it

Pond in a Melbourne City garden

Nearby via a short tram ride was Brunswick St in Fitzroy, our place of residence when Rich first arrived in Australia. Certain landmarks and even businesses were still recognisable and we experienced several "blast from the past" moments. The alternative spirit of the bohemian suburb just shone through, even on a grim and rainy weekday.

The Yarra River is always a must-see location when coming back to Melbourne- this time we loved the environment around Wonga Park, with it's less visited calm waters, along with Warrandyte, a previously a sleepy outer suburb. Warrandyte is now trendy, set on a lush stretch of the Yarra and the main street is lined with boutique shops and cafes. It's also home to a popular and scenic riverside walking path and crowded weekend crafts market.

Big boy, seen from the safety of our car! Melbourne

Serenity on the Yarra River, Wonga Park

Melbourne's Yarra River at Warrandyte

Extremely handy was the Kellybrook Winery, a mere eight minutes from our home base. The countryside here was photogenic vineyard country, with the autumn grape vines glowing yellows and reds, and the cool weather making it perfect for a cozy drink on their lovely verandah admiring the attractive gardens.

Yellow autumn wine leaves, winery, Melbourne

Bizarre number plate

Sun shining and wine flowing, Kellybrook Winery, Melbourne

Closer to home, we were fortunate to have the Mullum Mullum Creek (a tributary of the Yarra) trail directly behind where we were staying. The long distance trail lead to a plethora of other tracks and eventually covered much of Melbourne. Popular for bikers, walkers and dogs, the trail was an easy introduction to Melbourne flora and fauna, passing suburban homes and following the Mullum Mullum Creek for miles. We enjoyed many short walks here on sunny days, and a bike ride for some distance until the hills proved too much for our out of shape bods!

Beautiful wildflowers around Melbourne, Victoria

Fantastic cycle track practically in our backyard, Melbourne

Taking advantage of the free public transport, we must have taken almost every bus route around the Eastern suburbs during our month of house sitting, some scenic and new for both of us. But we also relished spending time at home. Days were split between pottering in the garden avoiding the occasional drizzle, and cooking all our favorite meals in an amazing kitchen. The high food prices in the supermarkets blew our minds when we first arrived, but such things become normalized pretty quickly. Getting cozy under a blanket when the bad weather hit featured many evenings, and other nights were spent at the pub around the corner playing pool, appreciating happy hour and trivia nights with family. Typically for Melbourne, the autumn weather was a true mix of sun, cloud and drizzle (and only one very cold weekend).

So overall our stay in Melbourne was fun, comfortable, busy, exciting and relaxing, all within a month. Oh yeah, and on one day we got married.

We did also have a magnificent time in Cairns and Brisbane when we left Melbourne, again reconnecting with close family and old friends and savoring the time spent together. A very special plant, the Titan Arum was flowering during our stay in Cairns. Nicknamed Hannibal by the staff of the Botanic Gardens, he stunned everyone by flowering during the dry season- an unheard of phenomenon. The smell was not as bad as it's reputation, and we visited a few days in a row to watch the process of unfurling and then dying off after only about 24 hours.

Selection of exotic species around Cairns

Hannibal all closed up

Suddenly he opened one day in a stunning display

Soon after, dead and strange

By the time two months had passed in Australia we were well and truly ready to leave to continue our travels in far flung lands.

*Special thanks to Moni for lovely additional pics from Alfred Nicholas gardens 

........next up, we try out Azerbaijan, our first visit to the country.......