Travel and Review : From Melbourne to Sydney – A road trip via Sapphire Coast traversing the Eurobodalla.

 

Part 2 : Lakes Entrance.

A stop at Lakes Entrance on your road trip to the Sapphire Coast is a must. The many reasons why people refuse to take the highway from Melbourne to Sydney are due to the fact that highways are boring and there are many interesting and beautiful thing to see along the way if one decides to plan their journey differently.

The final destination is definitely the same but by taking a few days to explore and discover the route less taken (or the much longer route to be exact) one might just enjoy the process of the experience.

How often does one get to enjoy a majestic view as seen above? Well for me, a city dweller, such view is very rare indeed. That is why as I drive towards Lake Entrance, the act of simply soaking in the atmosphere is in itself a truly wonderful experience. For me, most of the times, a good holiday does not have to consist of great shopping and sorts but more of appreciating nature at its best and beautiful.

Heyfield Motel is a great place to stop while you are in Lakes Entrance. The apartment is rather well kept and comes with fully equipped kitchen.

 

Pardon me for the mess seen above as I have totally forgotten to take pictures prior to habiting it…..oh well , one sometimes forget when one is totally enjoying oneself.

For those who drive, parking is a simple act of leaving your car on your front porch.

Lakes Entrance is a rather quiet and quaint little town but the draw of the town is a bridge in the middle of it.

Crossing the bridge above will lead you to a beach that feels untouched by anyone before. The sand is as crystallized and clean as the eye can see. The ocean, without a trace of any boats or islands feels as though the horizon from east to west is one vast magnificent ocean that transcends reality. Well at least it was for me. The view is simply phenomenal.

 

Travel and Review : From Melbourne to Sydney–A road trip via Sapphire Coast traversing the Eurobodalla.

 

Part 1: Melbourne followed by a drive to Lakes Entrance.

Melbourne is a busy city. It is not uncommon to get lost once you are in the city due to the one way streets but the charm of Melbourne lies in its diligent effort to merge the modern and yet retaining some sort of cultural identity amidst all the buzz. From students studying at its university to the tourists that comes from all over the world, Melbourne sits in well as one of my favourite city to visit.

Within Melbourne itself, one cannot help but visit the Queen Victoria Market.

Here you can find myriads of food ranging from local and international flavours plus souvenirs that are good for value. If you are looking for generic souvenirs, this is the place to go as it has it all. In my opinion, if you find similar products elsewhere in Melbourne at a a higher price, it is probably because they got it here and then jacked up the price.

 

 

If you are driving in Melbourne, staying within the city can be quite expensive so getting a hotel which require some driving could be a money-saver. Bayview Eden and Bayview by the Park are both good for value hotels. Situated along Queens Rd roughly 400m apart, they provide simple accommodation that offers free parking.

Targeted towards business traveller, the hotel is rather clean and well maintained.

The sister’s hotel Bayview by the Park is equally good. (pictures below)

Other than a good ventilation system which Bayview By the Park has, Bayview Eden is rather similar in most of its design.

Of course, if you are willing to spend a larger amount of money and have a kind of luxurious hotel stay then just drive towards the Melbourne Convention Centre for a stay at the Hilton Melbourne.

Also at the Melbourne Convention Centre, you can find the Direct Factory Outlet (aka DFO – selling branded named clothes at the fraction of the price ) within 5 minutes walking distance. Thus if you prefer to laze around at the Hilton and then feel like a good shopping spree, staying at HIlton is a great choice although it will probably set you back 3 times what you will spend at the Bayviews Hotel.

Melbourne offers free tram ride however you have to bustle with the locals as well. Despite it being a tram designed for tourists to get a sense of where everything is around Melbourne, locals use it too to get from one location to the other. A better alternative, yet less charming, is to hop on the free Melbourne CIty Shuttle which will take you to many places from the University to its zoo to the Queen Victoria Market to its science centre. Thus if you only have a day or two to visit Melbourne, this is a great transport to be acquainted with.

But after the shopping and the sight seeing, you prefer something more relaxing, you can stop at one of the stops on the Melbourne City Shuttle and land yourself at the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens.

Here you can pretty much soak yourself into a tranquil atmosphere that is so calming you wish you stay here forever.

Or simply take a seat and simply ponder on your life’s journey by having a rest at some of the garden interesting architecture.

Melbourne has its charms and it is rather quite lovely when you think about it. It has a bit of everything for everyone. However, Australia charms was never about her cities. Her charms lies in her less touristy suburbs.

With that in mind, the road trip from Melbourne to Sydney is still in its infancy as the rest of the journey will attest. A few hours drive from Melbourne via the Princes Highway will lead you to beautiful Lakes Entrance.