The novices guild to Melbourne and Victoria

This is going to be my novices guild to holidaying in Melbourne and Victoria state.

This is our third trip to Australia. This trip we had no real plans except for were we where going to stay for a week at a resort. The last trip I planed down to the last detail then we drove off in the other direction for a week. Anyway that’s other story. We had ( we being the wife and myself) a few days in Melbourne to kill before we headed out to the bush.

Day 1

We flew out of Wellington on Virgin Blue to Auckland for the connecting flight. It was a sunny clear day. So clear I could see sharks swimming of Mana Island as we flew over. Ok we where still gaining height but for me to see them they must have been big.

Mt Egmont from the plane

Landed at Auckland domestic terminal, collected the luggage ( Buy luggage with wheels) then it’s a 10 minute walk to the International terminal, pleasant on a nice day but take the bus if its a wet day.

Had 3 hours to kill to so checked out the duty free, this got boring after a while so we decided to go though Customs. The queue was massive, DO NOT wait for a boarding call before going though customs as you will miss your flight.

On the other side of customs is a different world, It’s like passing into a hidden world. The duty free is much better. We only had a 15 minute wait on the other side then it was on to the plane so don’t muck around.

We flew Emirates on a Airbus 380-500 in the cheap seats, still not bad for leg room and the display screen is great fun with over 150 movies and shows to watch. The food was very nice and the right amount.

We had worked out the best way into Melbourne was on the Skybus, It was easy to find just outside the main doors. The driver just sat there with his hand out, no greeting or anything. Some info would have been nice. The ticket booth was closed when we arrived. Brought a return ticket as this was the cheapest option. The driver must have thought his was a F1 driver passing every thing going into the city.

The bus drove into a big concrete bunker of a bus depot and we were told the way out, some better lighting, paint and signs may have made a better impression. Our impression of Melbourne was to get worst.

You go up a ramp and on to the street and met by about 30 teenagers hanging around a burger bar, blocking the doors. Three police officers were watching them and two more police officers watching even more teenagers coming down the stairs from above. This was 10 pm on a school night.

It was a short walk from the bus to the hotel, we had picked one on the same street. After checking in we took the single lift to the floor our room was on. As we are trying to find the room the wife noticed all the smoke stop doors open, one even with a chair across it. She was not happy. We knew there was construction work going on, but did not expect the room to be at the end of a courtyard where the construction was or to pass other guests with their doors open (not a pretty site) and dodge the water leaking from the air conditioning units above the doors.

The room was rated as budget but at AU$105 was too dear, there was blood on the bed spread, cocoons hanging from the ceiling, smoke stains on the ceiling and walls, a joining door with a gap so big you could hear next door like they were in your room.

The wife wanted to find other place to stay but we had prepaid and the contract needed 48 hours notice to cancel, So we would have lost our money. So we stayed.

Share and Enjoy: