Melbourne : Girls Weekend. We Drink, We Eat, We Dance, We Shop..

The last weekend in October I went to Mebourne with the girls for a long weekend. The city could not have been more different to Sydney! My first impression was that everything that I had been told was true : you really do experience all  seasons in one day and the whole aura around the place is one of quirky cool, individualism - not too dissimilar to certain areas of London. However, one thing that did strike me as odd was how quiet the place was. For a major city in an enormous country there seemed to be a huge lack of people! We chose to go over the weekend of the Melbourne Cup and 2 of the girls stayed for the big race on the Tuesday so I was expecting to see crowds of people over the course of the weekend.

Views from Eureka Tower

The Laneways

Eureka Tower from the ground

St Kilda Beach...ie Bournemouth

The Melbourne Cup Parade

The Orange Cake that turned me into Hitch...

Cocktails at Cookie

When we arrived we explored the city by foot and got our bearings. Staying on Flinders Street was an ideal location and the tram ran right past the door.
A very green city - almost like Perth, with gorgeous cafes tucked away and a laid back vibe to a fashionable lifestyle, we couldnt put our finger on where the place reminded us of. One minute it felt like we were in the streets of Italy, getting a coffee in a tiny mug and sitting next to an artist sketching away at his surroundings, the next it was Bournemouth down by the beach where market stall holders set up their businesses selling woodwork, souvenirs and art in the blustery sea air. There were certain more cosmopolitan elements like Collins Street Shopping centre and Chalmers Street which reminded me of Paddington,Sydney. It certainly kept us guessing!
We went up Eureka Tower, the tallest building in Melbourne and saw some amazing views from the top. Saturday night we explored the nigtlife and went to Boutique, a bar/nightclub that felt just like being out in Clapham and Sunday went to Cookie, a recommended cocktail bar and resturant with an underground feel and  a laidbac atmosphere.
The photos do the talking from the trip and we had a brilliant time together. Verdict - an awesome city to visit and perfect for a girls weekend but Im a Sydney girl through and through!

<3