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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Holiday to Melbourne - what would you do if you had 2 weeks?

47 replies

molehillormountain · 21/02/2015 20:55

Hi all

DH, DS (4 years) and I are going to Melbourne for 2 weeks in March and I wondered if anyone can recommend things for us to do. It is a bit of a reconnaissance trip as well to see if we could live there (have PR VISA's) so it would be good to have an itinerary planned with the help of you guys.

Thanks

OP posts:

GirlDownUnder · 01/03/2015 00:51

Of course you should enjoy yourself on your holidays - but from your other thread I'm not sure how much you'll enjoy this one, with all the pressures.

What did you do / like about Melbourne the last time you visited? Was it that trip that set your DH on the path to getting your PR visa?

I would suggest that as your PR is for SA you try and make a quick trip interstate cos you'll have to live / work in SA for the first 2 years and that'll give you lots of time to investigate Vic.

HerRoyalNotness · 01/03/2015 02:29

Of course I read it Alpha.however if the OP doesn't actually want to end her marriage perhaps she is trying to enjoy herself and see what it is all about!

oxoxo · 01/03/2015 03:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

differentnameforthis · 01/03/2015 03:26

So you're going then, op? Regardless of those who spent days telling you that you are probably walking into a trap?

HerRoyalNotness She has made up her mind, she doesn't want to emigrate, and she is terrified of saying no to her dh who has pushed her into this whole thing.

Others on her otehr thread are worried for her that her dh intends to prevent her leaving Oz, or at least stop her taking her son back to the UK.

Not to mention that they don't have permission to settle in Melbourne, where he wants to settle & he is planning on breaching the terms of their SA visa, so if he is happy to deceive that Vic government, in my mind, he is happy to deceive the op!

SavoyCabbage · 01/03/2015 04:23

A reconnaissance trip to see if we could live there!

StUmbrageinSkelt · 01/03/2015 05:50

Melbourne and Adelaide are very different cities...

Original poster

molehillormountain · 01/03/2015 07:52

The last time we went to Melbourne we did the Great Ocean Road, tennis, Grand Prix, eureka building, lygon street, phraran market, st Kilda. However this time we will return with DS so need to have plenty of ideas of how to keep a little boy entertained.

I know I sound contradictory savoy but it is kind of a reccie in the hope of giving DH a reality check. I have insisted we stay in an apartment rather than a hotel so the holiday is more 'work' and we have to go to supermarket and see what things cost; do the cooking, have a car to get around; etc etc. I am hoping DH will have a more realistic practical viewpoint than head in the clouds being in holiday mode.

OP posts:

verybadhairdoo · 01/03/2015 08:13

Hi I am from Melbourne, but live in the UK. FWIW I would recommend the following:

Philip Island - you may need to stay overnight to make it worth the travel. They have really nice beaches there too.
Great Ocean Road - again its outside of Melbourne, stop overnight somewhere maybe in Lorne. Pop by the Anglesea golf course on the way down - you can see loads of kangaroos on the course just hanging about.
Healesville sanctuary - again outside of Melbourne, lovely sanctuary with only australian animals.
Southbank - lovely restaurants etc
St Kilda - take a stroll along the esplanade.

angeltulips · 01/03/2015 08:17

In addition to all the other excellent suggestions I'd add:

heide - museum set in beautiful grounds, lots for kids to do there too
if you go to healesville sanctuary go to tarrawarra winery for lunch
Fitzroy pools with the kids
melbourne museum
comedy festival might be on?? Get some tickets if so
melbourne zoo

SavoyCabbage · 01/03/2015 08:46

Mole, I think I understand more than most, as I have told you before, I have been in a very similar situation.

I am just so positive that this is not going to work. I've seen it all before because when you are an immigrant you meet other immigrants and everyone has a story to tell.

Your dh is not going to come here and hate it or think it's too expensive to live here because it's a holiday situation.

He's going to bloody love it and so is your ds and then your dh is going to pile on guilt to you that it is you that is stopping the rest of your little family emigrating.

Which would be ok if you had not decided for sure that you were definitely not emigrating.

Then he will tell you to come for six months or a year just to see and that you will decide after that.

Checkmate.

He won't be able to get a job in Victoria because of his visa restrictions. So you are going to have to live in South Australia. What does he do for work?

Original poster

molehillormountain · 01/03/2015 09:00

I have decided for sure savoy.

Thanks for all the suggestions of what to do in Melbourne while we are there.

OP posts:

GirlDownUnder · 01/03/2015 09:07

The Great Ocean Road is an awesome trip, I can see why your DH fell in love. And mm yum Lygon Street.

As lots of other people have said it's doubtful he'll fall out of love on a second trip even if you're in an apartment living more day to day life than holiday.

Apart from all the other issues (and you've had excellent advice) the biggest elephant in the room is you're doing a reccie in Vic when your visa is for SA, so is pretty pointless. This might help with a conversation with DH re immigrating
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9884913/British-couple-to-be-deported-from-Australia-for-living-in-wrong-suburb.html

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 01/03/2015 09:28

Can i suggest you DON'T show DH that link? It's clear you're going to end up emigrating with him so screwing up your visa conditions might be the only chance you have of getting home with your son. It's a ridiculous loop hole to rely on though. If you don't want to go, don't.

MorrisZapp · 01/03/2015 09:33

So you're taking it on yourself to research great things to do in Melbourne, in the hope this will give your DH a reality check and he will decide after years of effort and financial investment not to emigrate after all.

Okaaay.

ChristmasinQueensland · 01/03/2015 09:35

Echo the Great Ocean road suggestion. I don't think in two weeks you have much chance of really getting it to feel like work rather than holiday tbh so you may as well do the spectacular stuff.

Chippednailvarnish · 01/03/2015 10:58

Maybe you should spend more time investigating the Hague Convention and what happens when you choose to live in a geographical area you don't actually have a visa for, rather than asking for sightseeing suggestions...

EmmaJacksonHarley · 01/03/2015 11:16

There is no helping some people is there. People have advised and advised. You say you don't want to go.

Dig your fucking heels in and tell DH 'NO!' He wants to live in Australia so let him fuck off along on his own.

Thumbwitch · 01/03/2015 12:34

Now see, that couple in that report, that IS shit. 3m outside their designated zone and 5y later, they're being deported.

OP's DH wants to settle down in the wrong bloody state - that's far more likely to cause problems (but STILL not enough to rely on).

alphabook · 01/03/2015 14:16

"It is a bit of a reconnaissance trip to see if we could live there" is completely different to "Please give me suggestions of things to do on holiday."

I really think you are so far gone in denial that I don't know what anyone can say to you anymore. You really think your DH will hate it because of living in an apartment and having to do shopping and cooking? That'll just make the "dream" of living there even more real for him. I'm sure he's just going to hate the sunshine, sitting by the pool/beach, doing all the fab activities that people have suggested on this thread. It would have to be a pretty fucking dire holiday for him to give up something he has invested 4 years and a lot of money in.

Your dream of him coming back and realising he doesn't want to emigrate really really isn't going to happen. But I honestly hope you at least have a nice time before you get home and the shit well and truly hits the fan.

GoneGirlGone · 01/03/2015 20:32

Surely you should be investigating the more unpleasant parts of the city in an attempt to put your DH off the idea? Bad move to experience the very best the city has to offer if you are genuinely hoping he will decide it's not the place to live.

Original poster

molehillormountain · 01/03/2015 21:01

Ha ha, where are the not so desirable parts?

OP posts:

NotwhatIusetobe · 01/03/2015 21:41

Moonie ponds, sunshine, altona meadows, basically head out towards ballarat on the hwy and all the suburbs along there.

But you really can't live in VIC if your visa is for SA, you won't be able to access services and it is highly likely you will be found out, you will then be deported. SA and VIC are to totally different areas. I mean from melbourne to the boarder is maybe 5 or 6 hours drive. It's a different time zone!

Adelaide is a lovely liveable city, with good festivals, close to wine country, good schools, blah blah blah but it is totally different to Melbourne.

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