MEL → SYD → MEL
Australia2026
- Dates
- Sat 19 Sep — Sat 10 Oct
- Length
- 22 days, 21 nights
Arrival
Melbourne
- 02:00↓ 05:40TR 581 CEB → SIN
5 h 25 m layover
- 11:05↓ 20:20TR 38 SIN → MEL
- 20:20land Tullamarine T2
- · ·Rest. Nothing scheduled.
South Melbourne + St Kilda 👥
Melbourne
- 10:00leave for South Melbourne
30 min by car
- 10:30South Melbourne Market
Sun is a trading day, 08:00–16:00, en route to St Kilda
- 12:00Albert Park Lakemaybe
between the market and St Kilda
- 12:45Sebby's Scrolls, 2C Acland Steat
classic cinnamon with the cream cheese icing. St Kilda, not the CBD. Closes 14:00 on a Sunday and sells out
- 13:15St Kilda Esplanade Market
Sundays only, 10:00–16:00, Upper Esplanade above the beach
- 14:45Luna Park
school holidays, so open daily from 11:00
- 16:00St Kilda Beach + Pier
foreshore promenade, then the pier through sunset 18:14. Faces west over the bay
- 18:30dinner on Fitzroy St or Acland Steat
Fitzroy St is the pier end
- 19:44St Kilda Pier penguins
wild colony in the breakwater rocks, free but ticketed. Session 2 starts about 1 h 30 after sunset and runs 45 min. No torch, no flash, stay on the boardwalk
Parks
Melbourne
- 10:00Fitzroy Gardens
East Melbourne, 15 min walk from CBD east edge
- 10:30Model Tudor Village + Cooks' Cottage
inside Fitzroy Gardens
- 12:30NGV Internationalmaybe
free, on St Kilda Rd, directly en route
- 14:30Royal Botanic Gardens
- 17:45Shrine of Remembrance
sunset 18:15, outdoor
Market + Carlton
Melbourne
- 09:00Queen Victoria Market
Tue is a trading day, closes 15:00
- 09:30American Doughnut Kitcheneat
bag of 5 hot jam doughnuts, ask for double filling. The van at F-Shed, Queen St, cash only
- 11:30State Library Victoria
700 m walk, open 10:00–18:00
- 13:30Melbourne Museum
1 km walk through Carlton Gardens, open 09:00–17:00
- 16:00Royal Exhibition Building (exterior)
Fitzroy + Brunswick St
Melbourne
- 08:00Lune Croissanterie Fitzroyeat
119 Rose St, opens 07:30, sells out. Plain croissant is the benchmark, then the kouign amann and one twice-baked
- 09:30Rose St + Brunswick St wander
- 12:00Nico's Sandwich Delieat
the Cubano, house-smoked pork belly and ham and swiss and pickles. Cnr Kerr & Brunswick, 5 min from Lune
- 17:00Elmo's Burgerseatmaybe
opens 17:00 on a Wednesday, not earlier. House Double plus shoestring fries to share. 350 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North, tram 11 up St Georges Rd
- · ·Evening free
Free day
Melbourne
- · ·Shopping, cafés, anything missed
- · ·Pack for Sydney
Circular Quay
Sydney
- 04:30leave Airport West
- 06:30↓ 07:55VA 807 MEL T3 → SYD T2
- 08:30T8 to Central, change to Metro → Victoria Cross, ~35 min
the hotel is 50 m from the station, drop bags
- 10:00Milsons Point → walk the Harbour Bridge south into The Rocks
our doorstep, and the best way to arrive
- 11:00Circular Quay
two hours earlier than first planned, so the day has slack
- 11:30Sydney Opera House exterior
- 12:30lunch + slack
04:30 start and a flight, don't over-schedule the first afternoon
- 14:30Royal Botanic Garden
walk from the Opera House
- 16:00Mrs Macquarie's Chair
the Opera House + Bridge photo
- 17:30The Rocks
bridge already walked this morning
- · ·Dinner in The Rocks
Manly
Sydney
- · ·Ferry Circular Quay → Manly
30 min, this is the harbour ferry ride
- · ·Manly Beach, Corso, Shelly Beach walk
- · ·Lunch at Manly
- · ·Ferry back at dusk
Darling Harbour
Sydney
- · ·Darling Harbour
- · ·Barangaroo
waterfront walk, connects to Darling Harbour
- · ·Sydney Fish Marketmaybe
new Blackwattle Bay site, not Pyrmont. L1 light rail to Wentworth Park + 6 min walk. Open to 22:00, so make it dinner — oysters, share a plate
- · ·👥 Friends, if schedules align
Bondi
Sydney
- · ·Bondi Beach
Monday, far quieter than a weekend. ~40 min each way from North Sydney, via the city
- · ·Bondi Icebergs
photo from the south end
- · ·Bondi → Coogee coastal walk, partial, ~1h to Bronte
- · ·Nice dinner, last Sydney night
Back from Sydney
Melbourne
- 04:30Taxi, booked through reception on the 28th
~15 km over the bridge, 20–25 min, AUD 65–80 with the toll. Still beats two trains and a change at Central at 5am
- ~05:00at T2
no checked bags, straight to security
- 06:30↓ 08:10JQ 503 SYD → MEL
- · ·Backup: Uber/DiDi, or 13CABS on 13 22 27, both 24 h
- · ·Keep Day 10's dinner early
CBD
Melbourne
- 10:00Flinders Street Station
- 10:15Federation Square
- 10:30ACMI
free, open daily 10:00–17:00
- 12:00Hosier Lane
across the road from Fed Square
- 12:30Street Tasteeat
beef birria tacos, the thing they're known for. Elizabeth St off Bourke St Mall
- 13:15Toris Matchaeat
iced matcha, plus the basque burnt cheesecake. Niagara Lane, or 124 Exhibition St
- 13:45Kumo Dessertseat
soufflé pancake, the Boba Brûlée Bomb is the signature. 198 Little Lonsdale, open to 22:00
- · ·Afternoon slack
Block Arcade, Royal Arcade if energy holds
Free day
Melbourne
- · ·Pick two: St. Burgs · Hector's Deli (Richmond) · Bun Bun Bakeryeat
cluster by whichever two sit closest
- · ·St. Burgs is Maribyrnong, the Double D or Cheesy D with seasoned chips. Hector's is Richmond, the chicken schnitzel with tarragon butter and pickle mayo. Bun Bun is Springvale, the roast pork banh mi, cash only
- · ·Shopping and cafés around whatever we pick
Puffing Billy 🚗
Dandenongs
- · ·Ride is sold out, so watching it instead
- 11:15Trestle bridge, Old Monbulk Rd car park
free, park underneath. The 11:10 out of Belgrave crosses about 5 min later
- · ·Afternoon Dandenongs: Sherbrooke Forest, Sassafras, Olinda
- · ·Weekday: fewer crowds
Penguin Parade 🚗 👥
Phillip Island
- 09:00leave Melbourne
- 10:00Moonlit Sanctuary, Pearcedale
50 min out, on the way
- 13:00Phillip Island, lunch at Cowes
- 15:00The Nobbies
- 18:00Penguin Parade
sunset 18:26, still AEST, home ~21:30
- · ·Last day before the clocks change; doing this Sunday would push everything an hour later
Buffer 🕐 clocks forward
Melbourne
- · ·DST starts 02:00, lose an hour
- · ·Rest through the day. Nothing scheduled before the evening
- 18:45Brighton Beach Boxesmaybe
~35 min drive. They face west, so this is when the colour is on them. Sunset 19:26 AEDT
Birthday 🎂
Melbourne
- · ·Undecided
my call
- · ·Sunset is 19:27 AEDT if we want something outdoors
- · ·A good lunch and a good dinner, wherever they end up
Bells Beach to Apollo Bay 🚗
Great Ocean Road
- · ·Bells Beach → Lorne → Kennett River koalas → Apollo Bay
- · ·Overnight Apollo Bay or Lorne
not a day trip
Twelve Apostles 🚗
Great Ocean Road
- · ·Twelve Apostles → Loch Ard Gorge
- · ·Back via the inland route
Family + shopping
Melbourne
Missed attractions, pack
Melbourne
Fly home
Melbourne
- · ·Full day free in Melbourne
TR 39 doesn't leave until 22:35
- 22:35↓ 03:40TR 39 MEL → SIN
arrives 11 Oct
- · ·Singapore 03:40–21:10, 17 h 30 m
PH passports are visa-free 30 days, so leave the airport. Daylight the whole time
- 21:10↓ 01:00SIN → CEB
arrives 12 Oct
Considered, no day yet
- Operator Dinerthe second main if we want one. Buttermilk pancake stack, or the sausage and folded egg muffin with bacon chutney
- Katsuretsupork loin katsu, ask for the Nagoya dark miso sauce