Melbourne To Be Wild

If there's one city in the world where I can enjoy the laidback lifestyle, its sceneries, the accessibility, high quality of living and experience its unique local culture, it's Melbourne. Unlike its sibling, Sydney, which is now overcrowded and a highly urbanized area, Melbourne offers a character that no other city could offer.

The flight to Melbourne from Manila takes 7 hours and 40 minutes. This time, however, we left Manila past noon. We arrived in Melbourne at past midnight, and after the long queue at customs, we finally arrived at our hotel at 2 in the morning. My mom and I were dead tired from our trip and woke up late.

Eight Glasses of Beer

My friend and I went on a road trip and explored the towns of Bendigo, Echuca, and Ararat in the state of Victoria. These towns are at least several hundred kilometers away from Melbourne. They're so far that only a few foreign tourists know about these places–including me. Before this trip, he told me that life in the Australian countryside is so different from the big cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Aside from having a more relaxed environment and a laidback lifestyle, the locals are friendlier and love engaging in small talks.

We made a quick stop at Bendigo for a quick lunch before driving further north to the town of Echuca. Located near the border of Victoria and New South Wales, Echuca is an idyllic town. Rustic cabins and old but restored buildings no taller than three floors line up the town's commercial district. The place reminded me of a scene straight from an American Midwest film from the 80s, albeit the cowboys, tumbleweed caught in the desert wind, and guns. The shops close as early as six in the evening, and the only shops open for the rest of the night are pubs and Maccas.

Good day, Melbourne!

Adulting is tough. You need to juggle a lot of responsibilities in life like bills, bills, and bills. I would often hear people complaining about this vicious cycle. Yes, it is tough to keep up with everything, but everything is possible. That's why my ATC batch mates who share the same passion for traveling would always make sure that we would have at least one or two trips abroad each year. This year, we chose Melbourne, Australia.

Traveling with these people was easy, except for a minor speed bump we encountered days before our trip (*ahem* visa application of one of our companions). But all is well. Here's how we conquered the second most livable city in the world.

Melbourne This Way

Visiting Melbourne was a spontaneous decision as it wasn't part of my original itinerary. It could've been better if I booked a Manila-Melbourne-Sydney-Manila flight.

Still, no regrets.

The Great Ocean Road Adventure

I have always considered solo traveling. I have done it once six years ago but failed miserably. To think it was just only a local trip up north. At 22, I wasn't ready to face the reality and the ugly truth about life. I was very much dependent on my support systems. I know it sucks, but maturity doesn't really come with age.

I fell in love with Australia after I traveled there late last year. For four days, I explored Sydney and the nearby towns of New South Wales. I know four days was too short, considering that Manila is 8 hours away from Sydney by air. Traveling there was already a huge deal for me, and I made a promise to spend more time in the land down under. Suddenly, Melbourne crossed my mind.