Hi friends! How are ya'll going today? I'm so grateful that all you lovely people are reading the blog, checking out my content, and purchasing from my digital prints shop. I recently asked on the Instagram what you guys wanted to read about on the blog and the consensus was Melbourne's hidden gems so that's what we're going to discuss today. However, I must warn you that these is more of my favourite spots and some are actual hidden spots and others are just what I think are Melbourne's hidden gems if you catch my drift.
I must also say that before I moved here, I was unaware of how much nature and wildlife things there are here. Like just out in the wild and I'm so glad that I found all these places. I will probably talk about a few restaurants and brunch spots too but I might also do a blog post about the best brunch spots in Melbourne eventually too.
Also, another sidenote, Luke and I are kinda still doing the ice cream ratings thing but because my tummy often gets upset with the ice cream, we haven't focused on it + we've been buying ice cream from the supermarket and I feel like that's kinda boring to rate because of how terribly bad it is for you.
Let's get into the blog post! These are in no particular order - just as I thought of them (I could be good and categorise them but that's no fun).
Melbourne's Hidden Gems (AKA My Favourite Spots)
First of all, my absolute favourite place in Melbourne for a nature walk + wildlife experience is the Woodlands Historic Park in Greenvale (pretty close to the airport). 90% of the time we've gone there, there has been heaps of wildlife. We've seen SOOOO many birds, an echidna, kangaroos, wallabies, giant ants (bull ants ugh), and possums. It's a great place for photography. And it is dog friendly but you must keep your dog on a leash at all times (it does annoy me a bit that it's not a national park, but I do like that we were able to take Benji there). There's not a lot of PT that goes out that way, so I'd recommend driving if you can, but take a bloody camera and tripod because you never know what you're gonna see there. Once, we even saw 100s if not 1000s of butterflies (I think it was mating season). Photo - two red-rumped parrots.
Plenty Gorge Park is another nature walk/parklands sort of area but it's great for wildlife too. We've seen so many kangaroos here and heaps of parrots too. It's a bit annoying to drive to as it's near La Trobe in Bundoora but it's worth it. Plus all the houses along there are really nice to look at.
Organ Pipes National Park - now the first time I went here I was annoyed because I thought it was gonna be a BIG hike down the hill to get to it, but it was only like 10 minutes. It is REALLY steep though so just be careful if you do go here and make sure you have water and snacks but it's basically a volcano and the rock formation on the side looks like organ pipes, hence the name. Plus, plenty of cool wildlife here. We spent a long time just taking pics of the fairy-wrens.
Darebin Parklands - a really cool walk, check it out!
Maribyrnong River - a lovely walk, we used to live pretty close to here so I am missing morning walks there or lazy afternoons there too. I think we'll have to take Benji down one day because it'll be a big walk for him (when he's bigger).
Eau De Vie - one of my favourite bars, it's hidden behind a bookcase. I actually haven't been here since 2019 (the first time I came to Melbourne) but that's because every time I've gone it's been super booked out. Plus, I just know how much Luke is gonna love their espresso martinis.
Nick and Nora's - fun fact, Luke and I had our first date here, then went back exactly a year later to celebrate our meeting day. It's a cool bar and great atmosphere, very cosy. 10/10 but make sure you make a booking.
Pizza Pizza Pizza - another bar I haven't been too since 2019, but that's because I keep forgetting about it. But if you go through the pizza shop and find the hidden door, you'll be taken to an epic cocktail bar. I liked it because they made cool drinks! And there was a good blue cocktail there. I'll see if I can find a photo. I don't know where my obsesses with blue cocktails came from but ya know, they're cool?
Gyoza Gyoza - ahhh a Japanese restaurant hidden in Chinatown in the CBD. I think one of my friends showed me this place and it's now one of my favourite restaurants. They make the best peach sangria and it is the only drink I will order there. The food is yum and the service is quick and efficient PLUS most of the time you don't need a booking (except on weekends or when there's events on in the city). Such good food.
Grazeland -If you're a foodie, you're gonna love Grazeland! It's a $4 entry fee and has a heap of different food trucks. Make sure when you go here, you are super hungry because you are gonna wanna try so many different cuisines. Also, it's often used for Masterchef challenges!
Prahran Market - do you love cheese toasties? Because the cheese shop in Prahran market DOES THE BEST CHEESE TOASTIES EVER - a big shout out to Josie who first introduced me to these toasties. Honestly, they are the best I've ever had (followed closely by Hector's Deli, but we'll get to that soon).
Preston Market - Luke and I randomly went to Preston Market one day and it was so much better than I anticipated. Plus, they had cannolis and we ALL know how much of a dessert girly I am.
Abbotsford Convent - Ahhh this is somewhere I actually haven't been to yet (sorry) BUT it sounds like such a cool place. Basically, it's a shelter turned into a cultural arts precinct (with shopping and food). I'ma put this on my list of things to do this year. Can you beleive it's nearly the end of April? Gah
St Kilda Penguins (unfortunately still closed for renovations) - this is a place in St Kilda where you can walk along the pier and see Little Blue Penguins (fairy penguins) swimming in the water. However, they've been doing MAJOR renovations so the penguin viewing is still closed to the public. I'll keep you updated on when it's re-open.
Melbourne Sea Life Aquarium - ahh you should check out my most recent YT video vlog on the aquarium! I guess this one isn't really hidden but it is worth it because you get to see so many cool sea creatures.
Melbourne Museum - Again, not a hidden spot but I really feel like the Museum is highly underrated! I went here back in 2019 by myself and honestly had so much fun. It's a lot of walking around but everything is so cool in here and my favourite part is the outside area where there are turtles and cool birdies. Luke and I actually went here for one of our earlier dates too and we had a blast!
Easey's Melbourne - (want to eat a burger on a train carriage on top of a building? Well, here you can). Ahh this is another one where I haven't been myself BUT in saying that I've watched a lot of vlogs where people have in fact gone here and it looks pretty cool I think it's relatively cheap too.
Brighton Beach (for the bathing boxes) - oh my god, do you know the first time Luke and I went swimming here, we saw a f*cking penguin swimming in the water? It was pretty cool. But there's awesome cafes here and you gotta take some pics of the bathing boxes. I'll have to get up super early one morning and drive there for a sunrise - don't hold me to that though.
B. Lucky & Sons (Melbourne Central) - now this is a cool arcade - I think it's targeted towards adults because it has a bar but children can come in at certain times too. Anyway, there's food, drinks, and arcade games. What more could you ask for?
Francis Winifred - This is a really yummy cafe but you want to get there early to make sure you can get a seat because it fills up fast. 10/10 food.
Basq, Essendon Fields - another great underrated cafe but this one doesn't seem to get busy. It's also open for dinner so it might be busier then but we went on a Saturday morning with about 5 of us and booked but we would have been right without a booking.
Serendip Sanctuary (near Geelong) - ah do you like birds? WELL, this is the coolest sanctuary ever. It's a bit of a boring drive to get there BUT there are cool AF birds here. Trust me. The brolga was my favourite.
Hector's Deli Richmond - Another GREAT cheese toastie place. It's always a really long line and I hate lines, but these toasties and sandwiches are worth the wait. Plus, the customer service is A+!
Flying Fox Bat Colony, Kew - do you wanna see some bats? Well head down here and take a walk around the viewing platform to see some during the day.
Merri Creek Trail - just another great walk (I think the FULL loop is over 3 hours because it's in so many suburbs).
Brick Lane Cafe - oh my gosh, I need to go back here. Luke and I went here once on a weekend and they only take walk ins so we were worried we weren't gonna get in, but it was amazing. I highly recommend this if you love a rustic feel and great brunch food.
Altona Beach - ahhh yes, I have said I've felt a little uneasy going to this place, but I do also like the beach. You can take your doggos and there's pelicans and it's really great to just chill at.
Convoy, Moonee Ponds - another great brunch spot. They have the best breakfast potatoes I've ever had. You must try them. See some photos below! Also, I always get the mango/coconut smoothie and I'm not one for coconot but this smoothie really works.
Top Paddock, South Yarra - do you like yummy food? Check this cafe out! I love both their savoury brunch food and sweet brunch food. I've been here a few times now and I do miss living near it.
Abacus Bar and Kitchen, South Yarra - my friend Josie took me here once for a birthday dinner and it was so yum! I'm not sure if it was meant to be fine dining but it nearly felt like that experience.
Berlin Bar - Now this bar is cool, it's split between two rooms - East and West Germany (Communist and Capitalist). It's pretty interesting PLUS great drinks and snacks.
And yes, before you come at me (or for me, idk the correct term here). I've definitely left A LOT of things of this list but honestly, there is sooooo much to do in Melbourne. The next place I really want to go to is Storyville! Let me know in the comments below what you think are some of Melbourne's hidden gems or where you'd like to check out next.
Random thought: I also have been thinking about this for a while, but we can't remember what restaurant we were at - it was somewhere in Southbank and we were waiting for our meals and this lady had ordered the creme brulee for her dessert - and as soon as it comes out, she says to the waiter "Excuse me, this doesn't have cream on it" and me and Luke were just like what the heck and the waiter politely explained how it works BUT like wuuuuut? I thought it was so funny. Does that make me a bad person? But who's never had a creme brulee before? Like it's clearly burned on the top (like it literally means burnt cream). Anyway, I've been trying to wrap my brain around that for almost a year now.
In other news, I also have a new YT video out, you can check that out below! I'd love it if you subscribed to my channel.
I hope you enjoyed today's blog post and I'll see you very soon!
Much love,
Ash xx
Benji tax! (lost his first teefies)
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