A tourist for a week in Melbourne City.

Last week my friend Nicole came from Singapore to visit me here in Melbourne! She was on her summer break and somehow managed to find tickets (return, inc taxes) to Mel at ~SGD470 (such a steal!!) and therefore decided to visit me! It was so tiring to be out for hours, it made me realise how much of an old soul I am physically. Nonetheless I enjoyed myself tremendously bringing her around and exploring parts of Melbourne I had always put behind on my to-do list :) It was so much fun taking the train and acting like a tourist with one of my bestest friends even though I was already two weeks into school! 

Nic was here for a week and I can safely say that we mostly spent our time indulging in food. Lots and lots of food... Too much food that I wasn't able to capture it all in my camera.

I only met up with Nic on her second day because she spent the first with another friend who also studies in Mel. Considering how we were both still children at heart, we decided to go to the Werribee Open Range Zoo on the second day! :D Ive always wanted to go there because I've heard such good reviews from friends who've visited the zoo before. Overall, I'd say the experience was different from others I've had due to the open range concept. It was so cool because at one point we were right next to the giraffes!! That was also the first time I'd seen a giraffe run and it was such a hilarious sight hahaha.

Wild Dogs. Not related to Hyenas at all.

Favourite animal of all time.

After that, we made our way to North Melbourne to have some hot chocolate from Mörk Chocolate Brew House. I've heard so many positive reviews about this store, but I've never actually tried it. I'd like to say right now that it was ABSOLUTELY DIVINE. The chocolate wasn't too thick or creamy, but was just about the right consistency and creaminess. I absolutely loved it, I drank a whole cup of it and didn't feel sick in the stomach as I would have if I had purchased a hot chocolate from San Churros. 

Sweet staff from Mörk Chocolate.

The next day, we headed out to South Melbourne to eat brunch at the most lovely Chez Dre. Chez Dre remains one of my most favourite brunch places of all time. Plus, they now have a separate store purely for desserts called Bibelot. Bibelot is situated just next door to Chez Dre and the amount of desserts they have there is simply amazing!!! It was such a feast for both the eyes and the palette. From cakes to macarons to ice cream, there's something inside there for everyone! You don't have to be a fan of desserts to enjoy something from Bibelot. 

Yummy desserts from Bibelot.

After brunch and dessert, we strolled about the South Melbourne Markets. If there's something an Asian like me loves about markets like these in places like Australia, it's that the products available are so fresh and natural! Plus, there's a certain energy that radiates from these places that I enjoy and love so much :)

After strolling around South Melbourne, we rushed over to the Queen Victoria Markets because Nic wanted to try the infamous Market Lane Coffee. I love coffee, but I can't declare myself a true lover of coffee because all I ever drink is Mocha and that's 90% chocolate so... :P Nic however is an ardent lover of caffeine and she loved the bitterness of the flat white that she purchased. I've tried Market Lane Coffee before but found it too bitter for my liking. I do think fans of coffee will enjoy what they have to serve in this store very much because the coffee they sell sure is strong!

Us in the onesies we purchased from Queen Victoria Markets.

If you're looking at purchasing souvenirs for friends and family back home whilst in Melbourne, I'd reckon you can get some fancy stuff from QVM! Apart from selling fresh fruits and vegetables, they sell crafts and clothes too! Nic and I purchased these onesies from one of the stalls there because they were rather cheap and of good quality. I've used it everyday since the purchase, I'd wear it outside everyday if I could get away with it. 

The following Wednesday saw us travelling out all the way to Dandenong for scones, waffles and some good ol' hot chocolate at Miss Marple's Tearooms! It was an absolute delight and worth the hour journey out to the suburbs. Quite possibly one of the best hot chocolates I'd ever had, the fluffiest scones whose texture and fluff was akin to sponge cake and belgian waffles that were super crunchy and complemented with the vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. I'm drooling right now...

Whilst waiting for the bus to take us to Miss Marple's, we visited the Puffing Billy to take a few pictures :) 

Decadent scones and Belgian Waffles from Miss Marple's Tearooms.

Can you spot Miss Marple?

Such cozy interior makes a good and satisfying experience :)

I had school on Thursday, so I wasn't able to bring Nic around as much as I would have loved to. We did make time for some good ol' brunch at Krimper before my lessons began :) Once lessons ended and after we had our dinner, we made our way to Crown and walked along the Yarra River.

French Toast from Krimper :)

On Nic's final full day in Mel, we started the day by going for breakfast at The Breakfast Thieves. Nic treated us to breakfast that morning :') What have I done to deserve such friends in my life.

When friends are busy editing photos for Instagram, you take photos of the restaurant instead.

After breakfast Nic and I visited Hosier Lane before boarding our train to visit the Brighton Bath Houses. I was so disappointed with myself for not having realised that Hosier Lane and Union Lane are both not the same thing. I was also disappointed with how, in the two times that I've been to Mel as a tourist and in the three years I've been here as a student, have not once stepped into Hosier Lane.

Don't get why I was so disappointed? Here's why.

The graffiti and street art was so incredibly beautiful!!! I think graffiti, if done for the right reasons is such an amazing way to express yourself. It's not an easy skill to master and the ones that were present at Hosier Lane was definitely high in calibre and not done by any amateur. What's incredible is that the art changes frequently whenever another artist draws over the walls. The story never ends!!! So glad I finally finally realised where Hosier Lane really was.

Colourful bath houses.

The bathing houses were the last stop on our agenda before Nic headed off to Southwharf for some last minute shopping. I've always wanted to visit Brighton, but had always put it off because there was always "some other time". Despite it being winter and ridiculously cold that day, I wanted so badly to jump into the water and swim. It must be such a treat to be there during summer!

All in all, I enjoyed myself tremendously when my favourite boob was around and I'm missing her presence here so much. So glad she was able to make it despite it only being a week, and even more grateful I managed to do some touristy things in one of my favourite cities in the world with one of my bestest friends :)

Now, it's back to reality and back to work. No surprise that I've got lots of catching up to do :P

Till then,
xx

Photos for all (with the exception of the one at the Puffing Billy) were taken and edited by me.