Australia

 

Melbourne:

I spent the majority of my trip in Australia in Melbourne. A built up city, with super chilled vibe, this city was brilliant!

Brunch: Many of these South Yarra

• Middle South East (photo above)
• Higher ground
• Mister mister
• Journeyman
• Dilly daily
• 2 birds 1 stone
• Lulu whites (bottomless)
• Top haddock
• Tall timber
• Alma
• Lucky penny
• Mammouth
• Pillar of salt
• Hardware Lane (row of restaurants for lunch and dinner)
• Hardware society
• Proud Mary
• Jumi’s Care
• Tivoli
• Brick lane
• Abicus
• Hawker Boys (below)

 

Dinner Spots:

• Magic mountain
• Cookie
• Super normal
• Chin chin
• Rock sugar
• Matilda 159 (expensive)
• Baby in Richmond
• Dimitris feast
• Tonka
• Cumulus
• Lucy lu
• Miss Frankies
• Mr miyagi
• Gazi
• A25 pizza
• Florentinos (high end)
• Maha
• South press wine bar
• Miss chiu (Cheap eats)
• King and godfrey
• Radio Mexico
• 48 hour pizza and gnocchi
• SOQR pizza
• Donovans
• Angus and bon
• Meat and liquor company
• Republica (st kilda)

 

 

Things to do:

• Visit the famous Lune Bakery (above)
• Arbory Float (very instagramable)
• Bottomless Brunch
• Take a boat down the river
• Take a trip to nearby vineyard
• If you are there in Jan/Feb – Australian Open
• See a musical
• Visit the food markets
• Day Trip to St Kilda’s beach/pier (Good Love vegan restaurant is great here)
• Stroll through the Botanical Gardens
• Visit the Immigration museum

 

Bars:

• Romeo lane,
• Chuckle park,
• Baxter’s lot,
• Gallah,
• Miss Jackson’s (st kilda),
• SV (st kilda)

 

Food markets:

• South Melbourne,
• Queen Vic,
• Prahan,
• Welcome to Thornburry
• Pub grub – Napier

 

 

Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road is only an hour and half drive from Melbourne. Each of the towns are more beautiful than the next and really easily accessible by car. I would highly recommend getting a car and visiting each of these places. Hotels and accommodation can be expensive and book up really quickly so I would recommend booking in advance. For value, I would recommend going down the AirBnb route.

Torquay

Food in Torquay:

Brunch: Cafe Moby, Pond Cafe, The Stoop, Ginger Monkey, Cup of Love, Growlers, Bottle of Milk

Dinner: Growlers, Frontbeach, Bomboras, Fisho’s, Senors, Esta Costilla, Ole Torquay, Blackmans Brewery,

 

Fairhaven

We went to Onda Food House (food below) for brunch in Fairhaven. The most delicious, healthy brunch with fantastic views. If you can get to sit outside – definitely do! You will need a car to get here though!

 

Lorne:

Sydney:

Brunch: 

 

• The Pacific Club Bondi (photos above)
• Shuk in North Bondi, Pacific (Bondi), La Parida (Bondi)
• Speedos Cafe (Bondi) – the vegan pancakes are famous
• Bills Bondi (chain restaurant – breakfast and dinner very good here)
• The Depot (Bondi)
• Single O in Surrey Hills
• Huxisons Bronte
• Iggys bakery
• X74 Coogee
• Bare naked bowls
• Man and his monkey
• Clodeli
• Bare Naked Bowls in Bronte
• The Grounds of Alexandria (very instagramable)
• Pool Cafe – Maroubra (Coogee Walk)
• Brown Sugar in Bondi
• Lox Stock Barrel in Bondi
• Lunch: Grounds of the city in the city centre

 

Dinner:

• Carbón – Mexican food (above)
• Tottis in Bondi (Italian Tapas)
• Sake in the rocks (Japanese Fusion)
• Ripples Chowder bay – views are stunning of the bay
• Meat and Wine Co.
• Barangaroo area is a good steak and wine place
• Eggs Flour Water – Italian Food
• Yullis – vegan restaurant in Surry Hills
• The Butler – really cool view of the city
• Bondi Dinner – Bangkok Bites BYO Thai restaurant cheap and v good!
• Italian, Fonda – mexican, Carbon – mexican
• Fine dining – Bondi Icebergs, Cafe Sydney (amazing views of the bridge and harbour), Woolomoloo Wharf also has lovely restaurants,  the Butler is another with a great view of the city
• Ms G’s in Potts Point (asian FusionO
• Hubert (french)

Cocktails & Drinks:

• Bars: Beresford in Surry, Stitch Bar in the City, Nola in the city, Bondi Hardware, Sydney Opera bar
• Drinks – Squires Landing, The Winery (Surry Hills,) Cafe Sydney, Palmer & Co Paddington and Surry Hills are good spots for nightlife e.g. The Beresford in Surry Hills. Baxter Inn (whiskey bar) is the 6th best bar in the world. Coogee Pavilion (Sunday afternoon sesh)
• Bondi drinks –  The Bucket List, Hotel Ravisi

 

Things to do:

• Bondi to Coogee Walk – coffee or drinks in Cooggee Pavilion at the end
• Swim in Bondi Icebergs
• Visit Watsons bay – have breakfast in Dunbar House, Rose bay walk to lighthouse with fab views, then catch the ferry from Watsons Bay into Circular Quay
• Circular Quay – the Opera House, Harbour Birdge and drinks in the Opera Bar. You can also do the bridge climb. Explore the Rocks which is an area of cobbled streets close to the Harbour Birdge, they do markets on weekends, the Tea Cosy is a cute cafe for scones/tea
• Day trip tp Palm Beach with a walk to lighthouse and lunch on way back in New Port Arms
• Swimming in Ocean Baths
• Ferry to Manly – walk down to Shelly Beach a gorgeous small beach tucked away at the end of Manly where you can snorkel and eat in the Boathouse restaurantPlay a game Bowls – e.g Waverly Bowls, Bondi Bowling Club
• Go whale watching if visiting June – September time when the whales are migrating north you see loads
• Visit Toroonga Zoo – catch the ferry from circular quay

 

Byron Bay

We were very unlucky with the weather in Byron Bay, which is such a shame as it really is ideal when its hot and sunny. Regardless though, there is lots of amazing shopping, great food and a lovely walk up to the lighthouse which I would definitely recommend!

 

Food:

 

For Brunch: We went to Bayleaf (second 2 pics above) and FOLK and both were amazing! The Aussies know how to do brunch thats for sure. Other spots we didnt get a chance to try are:

• Dip, Espressohead,
• 100 Mile Table,
• The Top Shop,
• Byron Fresh,
• The Hideout,
• Combi,
• Elixiba,
• The Byron Bay General Store
• The Road House.

Three Blue Ducks, The Farm; this place was beyond beautiful. Set on a stunning farm with old, wooden barns, you can eat here for brunch during the day and walk around the grounds or have dinner under the fairy lights at night. We went for dinner and it was magical (photos don’t do it justice.)

Another place we went to for dinner was Bang Bang- food was out of this world! I would highly recommend and definitely try and book in advance!

Checkout here for more spots.