72 Hours in Melbourne

There’s a beautiful, sad irony in the fact that despite living in the UK for nearly two decades, I’ve barely explored the South Island of New Zealand, or Australia, so on my last trip home I decided to spend 72 hours in Melbourne before rolling over to Auckland.

My plans were simple; catch up with family who I’ve not seen in, well, decades, explore the well regarded Melbourne brunch scene (outside of London, Melbourne allegedly has the biggest Kiwi population in the world – and with many of my family members living there at some point or another I’d well believe it) and just kinda mooch. Oh, and day trip to Phillip Island for a twilight Penguin Parade which, honestly, is one of the top 10 delights of my life.

As bonuses, I slipped in a catch-up with a client (they’d been living in London pre-Covid) and managed to score a table at one of the top rated restaurants in Australia for a rather delectable dinner.

Day One in Melbourne: Feat. Brunch, Jetlag, Beers with My Cousins

Checking into an airport hotel (one that had individual Tim Tams in the room – a delicious Australian biscuit like Penguins only better – heaven) after nearly 24 hours travelling and getting a decent night’s sleep in, I pootled into Melbourne proper.

As a city, Melbourne has a laidback vibe which I was very much on board with.

Of course my first point of call was coffee – St Ali comes HIGHLY recommended, then an epic eggs benedict (on croissant) at Billy’s Central in the centre of a funky shopping centre (mall for the US travellers).

After wandering around the CBD, China Town and checking into my much more central hotel (review below), it was time to meet my Aunty & cousins for a burger and beer at the leafy Arbory Bar & Eatery on the river. Did we take any photos? Only one – and that was to send to the rest of the family, but it’s a great little spot literally right next to the infamous Flinders Station.

Day Two in Melbourne: Coffee, Client Catch-Ups and High-End cuisine

Having covered much of central Melbourne by foot, I hopped on one of the commuter trains out to the Northern suburbs for a delicious lunch and client catchup – which made Mr Kiwi laugh and exclaim “the world isn’t big enough for you is it?”

Then after an affable afternoon threatening to steal their dog, rolling further out, I discovered a high street straight out of Fisk (it’s an Australian legal comedy series) in Ripponlea. It’s such a witty, dry series – definitely worth a watch, especially the first couple of seasons.

But, I was there for a very delicious reason – Attica (owned by a Kiwi no less) is “a regular in The World’s 50 Best list, offering emotional, boundary-pushing Australian cuisine at its very best.”

“Ben Shewry’s multi-course tasting menu draws on local myths and personal experiences to reimagine native ingredients. Think bunya nuts, finger limes and unusual herbs, mostly grown on neighbouring Rippon Lea Estate.”

Their menu changes seasonally, “but a consistent and coherent philosophy always informs it.” The 11 course tasting menu was delicious, and such a big feast too! What a meal! It was quite game & myrtle heavy, but it changes all the time – I never thought I’d try emu or croc (delicious) and the desserts were so so good. If there were Michelin stars in Australia, it’d be a 3-star no question.

Reservations are taken on the first Wednesday of each month for the following three months and are typically filled within hours. Set a reminder and act fast.

Day Three: Asian Food, Koalas and Penguin Parades

For my last full day is Melbourne, I rolled out of bed late, contemplated stealing a coffee delivery van (the brand is Nippy’s, an iced coffee beloved by tradesmen – Jimmy’s in the UK is a love letter to it) then popped into Chin Chin for a pan-Asian feast that lit up my tastebuds. It’s super modern and super popular – no wonder my mates rave about it.

Then I hopped on a tour bus for a day trip to Philip Island, stopping first at Moonlit Sanctuary, an award-winning wildlife park located 50 minutes southeast of Melbourne’s CBD. It’s an award-winning experience with Australia’s diverse wildlife. You explore the enchanting 2.5 acres of bushland while engaging with over 70 captivating Australian species, including endangered animals.

Get up-close and personal with iconic kangaroos (they had baby Joeys when we visited) and wallabies, and have the chance to admire adorable koalas and take part in captivating encounters with a variety of colourful birds including Kookaburras, mesmerizing reptiles, playful dingoes, and other fascinating Australian creatures.

Then we watched little penguins dash home across the sand at dusk at Phillip Island’ world-famous Penguin Parade. Explore boardwalks build over the dunes after dark to see, smell and hear these penguins in the colony, greeting neighbours, partners and their chicks.

You’re asked to not take photos as the focussed lights can really upset their photo-sensitive eyes, and actually it was a delight to just revel in the adorable moment. They are tiny, so get as far forward as you can! The tour crews recomment you bring warm clothing to wear at the Penguin Parade as the penguins arrive after sunset so it can get quite cold on the beach, even on hot days – and you really need to.

Where did I stay whilst in Melbourne?

For my first night I stayed at the Holiday Inn right next to the hotel (an IHG hotel which was perfectly servicable – and featured the aforementioned Tim Tams) and for the remaining few nights at the Victoria Hotel RIGHT in the centre. It was such a great location, close to everything you could want as a solo traveller. [To book your own hotel stays, feel free to use my booking.com Melbourne affiliate link at no extra cost to you.]