Melbourne has everything you could need for the ultimate girls weekend – shopping, beaches, great food, cocktails and seemingly always something on! Here’s my 5 tips for the best girls weekend in Melbourne…
Pick your companions wisely
We headed off to Melbourne to celebrate one of our oldest friends weddings with my cousin Emma. My cousin has also been one of my best friends since we were teenagers and is kind of the ultimate travelling companion. Where as when James and I travel I am in charge of all the organising – when we travel together she takes care of the organising so it’s like a holiday even from that perspective. She’s also one of those people that I just have so much fun with and I can honestly say I don’t ever think I have laughed as much as I did over those 4 days! So pick your companions wisely!
Head out of the city
Now we were lucky enough to have a friend (the one who was getting married) who lived out in Mornington Peninsula which is how we got introduced to the spot. It is an hour out of Melbourne but really worth the drive or jumping on a train. Visiting in March we went stand up paddle boarding in the insanely clear water, wandered around the seaside shopping town and past the rainbow coloured boat houses. I loved it so much that it’s now a must go to in Melbourne for me and you can read more about it over on our post here.
After starting off the holiday wandering around Mornington and generally relaxing once we got to Melbourne it as time to kick it up a notch and get down to the serious business of shopping.
Have a plan for shopping
Melbourne has so many great shopping spots.
We headed down to DFO in South Wharf which houses an impressive selection of outlet shops – from your standard retail stores to some of your more high end stores. The stand out for us though was David Jones which, by a happy coincidence, always seems to be in the last weekend of their sale when I visit.
You could get lost in Melbourne shopping for days so I’ve found it pays to go with a plan of what it is that you are hoping to find. With so much selection you will never be disappointed.
Plan to go out – no matter what night you are there
We spent a Tuesday night in Melbourne CBD staying at the Stamford Plaza (which I can highly recommend if you are looking for a little bit of luxury in the city). We weren’t expecting a lot out of the city on a work night but we were totally wrong!
The horse drawn carriages still went up and down busy city streets and as we arrived in the middle of the comedy festival there were endless shows on all around us so we found ourselves in a rather hipster comedy show at about 11 at night trying to figure out a way to sneak out without becoming part of the act…
We got sketched by the brilliant artists down at Southbank at night after sampling some of the cocktails on offer at the bars by the waterfront.
Then we added our locks to the Love Lock bridge. Now as a side note on the Love Lock bridge – it’s no longer there, having been taken down due to safety issues. I remember seeing in Christchurch once an art installation that celebrated the lives of the victims of the earthquakes that moved me to tears. On this it said that this installation, as is life, is only temporary. And this really stuck with me – there are no guarantees that the next time we come back something will be there so drink in and love every moment while you can – don’t walk past!
Leave time for some food and drinks
Melbourne is renowned for its great food and drink and that was certainly our experience! From cocktails down at Southbank watching the world go by to breakfast at Sally’s Kitchen. Melbourne certainly didn’t let us down.
So grab your bestie and head to Melbourne for the ultimate girls weekend.