This week, Channel 9’s Travel Guides is set to take its viewers on a week-long adventure in Melbourne, Victoria’s capital of cool, with a brief detour to Phillip Island.
The trip kicks off with the guides hitching a free ride on Melbourne’s iconic green City Circle tram, before checking into their lofty accommodations in the heart of the city at Avani Melbourne Central Residences.
Energised from a good rest, the guides make their way to the National Tennis Centre, home to the largest sporting event in the southern hemisphere – the Australian Open. Their visit includes a stint at the Tennis Lab for a revealing analysis of their tennis skills, and a challenging game of wheelchair tennis. The guides also experience a soggy training session with the Australian Open Ball Kid Program in Melbourne’s unpredictable weather.
With their appetites worked up, the guides are ready to evaluate Melbourne’s claim as Australia’s food capital. Their culinary journey begins with a visit to Lune Croissanterie in trendy Fitzroy to sample what’s been dubbed the world’s best croissant. They then head to Market Lane Coffee in South Yarra for a coffee appreciation class, sampling Melbourne’s renowned brews. Not all, however, are fans of the coffee cupping experience.
The food expedition concludes on a high note with an indulgent 14-course degustation menu at Vue De Monde, one of Australia’s top restaurants, situated on the 55th floor of the chic Rialto Building. The meal, costing $350 per head, leaves the guides in awe.
Next, the guides try their hand at stand-up comedy at South Melbourne’s comedy club, The Rubber Chicken, following a visit to one of the world’s biggest comedy festivals hosted annually in Melbourne. The laughs quickly subside when they discover they’ll be performing their routines to a live, paying audience.
A hands-on craft session is next on the itinerary, a popular activity in the hipster Melbourne scene. The guides’ creativity comes to the fore as they engage in macrame and jewellery making. Those seeking a bit more excitement participate in a sausage-making class with Melbourne’s famed Sausage Queen.
Shifting gears, the guides drive two hours south to Phillip Island for the BMW Experience, a high-speed performance driving course. With the opportunity to drive around the track at up to 220 km/hr, some are thrilled, while others are left frustrated.
To end the week, the guides visit Phillip Island’s adorable Little Penguin parade, the world’s largest Little Penguin colony. This natural spectacle of watching the penguins return home each night makes some of the guides realise that holidays close to home can be the best.
The question remains – what will the guides rate their Melbourne hip city trip out of 5 stars?
