Plan the perfect two-day trip to Melbourne, Australia with must-see attractions, local dining spots, and itinerary tips to make the most of your short stay.
Continuing on with our trip that started in New Zealand, Melbourne was our second stop in Australia. We had spent a few days in Tasmania, and now it was on to the mainland.
Two Days in Melbourne, Australia: Our Itinerary
Most of our shipmates got off in Melbourne. Only 143 carried on to the next leg of the journey, including us. We were in port in Melbourne for two days, and so went on several tours.
Our first day in Melbourne we went to the Healesville Sanctuary, located in a suburb of Melbourne. The drive was excellent as we got to see a lot of Melbourne and the surrounding area on our way to the sanctuary. When you only have a short time in a place, an overview via vehicle is almost mandatory!
This sanctuary/zoo was very well laid out and extremely walkable. It was a different type of sanctuary than the one in Tasmania, although it did have an animal hospital and clearly rehabilitated. There were more exhibits, and it was much larger, too.
In addition to kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, there were koala bears, emus, dingoes, platypus, and a great variety of birds.
We “only” had 2½ hours, so we did not get to see all the exhibits.
I did make sure we got to the platypus exhibit – where we got very lucky and one came out for a bit. Since they are nocturnal the habitat is completely dark with red light.
The koalas were being bums sleeping in the trees except for one lively fellow who was in his own area.
All-in-all this was a very well done sanctuary and well worth the stop if you are in the Melbourne area.
Since this was an overnight stay, Hubby and I decided to walk the main strip near the port and have dinner on shore. He chose a Balkan restaurant (Divini cafe/restaurant), and wow was the food good.
I had a Serbian beer and goulash and that goulash was as good as any my mother used to make. Our waiter was a nice older fella who told me that the cook had trouble keeping up with the demand for it, and I can believe that!
The next day we originally had a walking tour scheduled but Hubby and I had canceled that a few days prior. I have no idea why I booked it – a walking tour in a big city is not my idea of a good time.
Instead, Hubby booked us at the last minute (literally on the bus ride back to the ship while we were on the sanctuary tour) a food tour at the Victorian Market. He booked directly with the Queen Victoria Market website.
It was a wonderful tour that covered a good portion of the market; fruits and vegetable, meat and fish market, the dairy hall, along with many tastings.
Our tour guide was excellent. So many times the guide can make or break the tour, and in this case she was excellent and really knew whats-what about the market. We did not explore the sundries area, which was large and offered things from clothing to H&BA to jewelry. I think you could spend days in this market if you wanted to check out all it offered.
There were many places to eat in the market. One row was dedicated to dining, and there were more carts, trucks, and vendors.
We were full when our tour ended at noon and did not bother to have lunch having tried everything from kangaroo to tea to cheese to fruits.
The tour also explained the history (it was a cemetery), that it was an eco-friendly market, and what the expansion plans hope to accomplish.
When we finished Hubby wanted to explore a bit more and I wanted a glass of wine.
Our tour guide, Mandy, took us to a wine shop called Rewine. They serve the wine from the casks. If someone buys a bottle, they can bring back the empty bottle and get a refill for a few dollars less than a new bottle price.
Mandy was kind enough to stay and share a tasting and a glass of wine with me while Hubby went and explored the market on his own.
Australian wines are not my favorite, but we had an Australian Sauternes that was fabulous! I also had a great Cab-Franc from Australia.
After an enjoyable time at the Victoria Market, it was back to the ship and on to our next city.
We really had a wonderful two days in Melbourne and I would urge you to make it a part of your trip to Australia.
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