Flight Centre’s Leesa Boyd joins us for part two of her travel blog series from Melbourne, Australia. Next up, a drive along Great Ocean Road to visit the Twelve Apostles and then off to Bell’s Beach, home of Rip Curl Pro. Then it’s back to Melbourne for some rural exploring and a little relaxing in the Peninsula Hot Springs on the Mornington Peninsula. Let’s turn this over to Leesa.

My next excursion was a drive along the Great Ocean Road. We started by driving inland through Geelong (Victoria‘s second largest city, after Melbourne) and Timboon, and began our coastal trip at Port Campbell and the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve Apostles are perhaps the most famous sight along the Great Ocean Road. They are giant rock stacks that poke up from the Southern Ocean – they are well known because there are a group of them together in one spot. From there, we drove along through Apollo Bay, until we reached Lorne (the largest town along that stretch of coast) where we stayed the night. I had a room booked at the Mantra Erskine Beach Resort. This is an older hotel, but the rooms have been recently renovated and were small, but clean. They have also built new holiday apartments for rent which are great for families. There is also a lively bar in Lorne – Lorne Pub, which fills up on weekends with both locals and tourists.

The next day we continued our drive along the Great Ocean Road until we reached Bell’s Beach and Torquay – the technical end of the road. Bells Beach is home to the world’s longest running surf competition – the Rip Curl Pro. When we stopped there, I was surprised to see that there were loads of surfers out in the water, even though it was freezing. Torquay is home to many of the major surf companies, such as Rip Curl and Quiksilver and therefore, there are tons of surf shops in town and even a few outlets.

The Great Ocean Road is something that is not to be missed on a trip to Australia. The windy road offers lovely vistas of the cliffs over the Southern Ocean and amazing deserted beaches that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Upon my return to Melbourne I stayed 2 nights at the Langham Melbourne – one of the Leading Hotels of the World. This was definitely the most elegant and upscale hotel I have ever stayed in. I had booked the Club Level Room which allowed me access to the Club Lounge. This included daily breakfast, internet usage, concierge service and daily hor d’oeuvres and cocktails – worth the cost to upgrade in my opinion! I had a fabulous room on the top floor with a view of the city centre and the Yarra River.

I spent my next day exploring central Melbourne, including Chinatown. I did alot of walking in the CBD (Central Business District) and shopping along Swanston st and Melbourne Central, the largest mall in town. I also explored Chinatown – the largest one in Australia. Later in the day I visited Eureka 88, an observation deck that allows awe inspiring views of the city. Eureka 88 is also a residential building – the tallest in the world; it is also the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere.

My final day in Australia was spent visiting the Peninsula Hot Spings on the Mornington Peninsula, about an hour’s drive from Melbourne. There are natual hot mineral springs here, along with a full service spa. The rates are very reasonable and it is definitely worth the drive from the city. Both my friend and I opted for a full spa package, followed by a soak in the outdoor springs – a great way to end an amazing trip!

I absolutely loved Melbourne – the city and surrounding area has so much to offer! I recommend a stop in Melbourne to anyone visiting Australia.

Melbourne, Australia is highlighted on the Flight Centre travel map.

Looking for more information on Melbourne, Australia? Contact Leesa Boyd, a Team Leader with Flight Centre based at Eglinton and Yonge in Toronto, Ontario who can be reached at 1 866 816 2337.

Tags: Australia, Bell’s Beach, Geelong, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Peninsula Hot Springs, Timboon, Twelve Apostles
Categories: Destinations

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