En route to Tasmania, we stopped for a few days in Melbourne. Mainly because Turkish Airlines was our carrier, and their flights ended there—but also to shake off some jet lag. The second reason? We’re massive MasterChef Australia fans, and we couldn’t miss the chance to dine at Vue De Monde, the acclaimed restaurant founded by chef Shannon Bennett.

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Jet Lag, Part 1

After nearly 40 hours of travel—from our house, via Oslo Airport, Istanbul, and Kuala Lumpur—we finally landed in Melbourne. We checked into the Radisson on Flagstaff Gardens and, after showers and a nap, craved coffee. The hotel was nicely located overlooking Flagstaff Gardens, a perfect location for seeing local people walking dogs, netballing, lawnbowling and bagpipeband watching.

During our stay, we discovered Melbourne’s excellent coffee scene, and we were spoiled for choice. Our first caffeine hit came from Jay’s Coffee.

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Queen Victoria Market

Once caffeinated, we walked the short distance to Queen Victoria Market, a legendary spot we’d seen countless times on MasterChef. What we hadn’t considered was that the market is only open on certain days and nights—and this wasn’t one of them.

Still, wandering through the deserted market was cool in its own way. We settled for more coffee at Market Lane Coffee before spending the afternoon hunting for Australian SIM cards and trying to stay awake. Eventually, after having witnessed some bagpipes in the park, we crashed early in our hotel bed.

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Free Trams!

One of Melbourne’s best perks is that all trams in the city centre are free. We made full use of this handy service to get around during our visit.

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St Kilda Beach, Day 1

After breakfast at the excellent Jay’s Coffee, we hopped on a tram to St Kilda Beach, figuring some ocean air might wake us up. The ride was pleasant, the scenery interesting, and St Kilda’s esplanade perfect for a stroll.

We grabbed seats in front of Beachcomber Café, where we enjoyed an excellent lunch, more coffee, and some ice cream in the sunshine.

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AC/DC

Back in the city, we made a pilgrimage to AC/DC Lane—because, well, we love the band and their strong connection to Melbourne’s music history.

We also walked up to Swanston Street to stand on the very spot where they filmed the legendary video for It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll).

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Jet Lag, Part 2

Jet lag makes it a bit fuzzy to recall exactly what we did and when during our two days in Melbourne. But we know this much: there was more coffee, a dinner at the fun and budget-friendly Delhi Rocks (or was that the first night?), and a fiery meal at a fantastic hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.

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Day 3-ish: Botanical Gardens

On our second full day, we sampled more coffee joints—including the excellent Seven Seeds Coffee—before strolling down to Federation Square and the Yarra River. From there, we caught a tram to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

This enormous free park was filled with lush greenery, colourful flowers, towering trees, fern gullies, bats roosting in branches, and birds dotting the lawns. It was a brilliant introduction to Australian flora and fauna. We wandered across the gardens and followed the Yarra River back into the city.

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Vue De Monde

The highlight of Melbourne was, of course, dinner at Vue De Monde. Founded by Shannon Bennett and now led by the exceptionally talented Hugh Allen, the restaurant is at the forefront of Australian fine dining.

Our meal was unforgettable—one of the best we’ve ever had. From yabbies with finger lime to kangaroo with green ants and oysters aplenty, every course was extraordinary. And the view from the 52nd floor, overlooking Melbourne and the countryside beyond, was simply breathtaking.

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Thank You, Melbourne!

Our short stop in Melbourne was awesome—a chance to dip our toes into a vibrant city with a laid-back vibe. Even though we were jet-lagged out of our minds, we thoroughly enjoyed our time before crossing the Bass Strait to Tasmania.