Kali & James

Searching Flights to Australia:
We’d recommend the below online travel agencies for looking up flights. You can either book directly through these 3rd party sites – or use them simply as a searching tool and then book directly with the airline on its website.
• skyscanner.com (preferred)
• flightnetwork.com
• cheapoair.ca
• wotif.com
• kayak.com

Flight Cost:
We’d recommend starting to look at and consider booking flights any time between now (October) and before Christmas. If you happen to find a return flight that is around $1,500 or less – that’s a steal. To give you context, we typically pay $1,500 - $2,000 when we come home for Winnipeg summer, which is a slightly more expensive time of year (although we are flight bargain hunters, so usually manage to get a good deal!).

Flight Paths:
If you are flying from Winnipeg, you will be looking at two to three flights to get to Melbourne. When searching on any of the above online travel agencies, you will have the option to sort by most direct route, travel time, cost, etc. Common flight paths include:
• Winnipeg > Vancouver > Melbourne (most direct flight, with Air Canada)
• Winnipeg > Vancouver/Calgary > Los Angeles > Melbourne
• Winnipeg > Minneapolis/Chicago > Los Angeles/San Francisco > Melbourne
• Winnipeg > Chicago > Auckland > Melbourne

Airport Selection & Travel Timings:
The Yarra Valley (location of our wedding) is approximately a one-hour drive outside of Melbourne. The closest airport is Tullamarine Airport (airport code MEL). The airport is ~30 minutes from Melbourne’s city centre (rush hour dependent).

We are planning to arrive in the Yarra Valley on the Thursday evening or Friday morning (the wedding is at 4.15PM on Saturday, April 13th), however guests are welcome to travel to the Yarra Valley at their own convenience! Reminder that there is plenty of information regarding accommodation within the Yarra Valley on our wedding website (kaliandjames.appycouple.com) under the ‘Accommodation’ tab.

Searching Flights within Australia:
You can use any of the previously mentioned online travel agencies for looking up flights (note that, in some cases, not all options will be available on a single website). If you’re comfortable flying budget, Australia has a few budget airlines you can consider:
• jetstar.com.au
• tigerair.com.au
• flyscoot.com

Other Australian airlines include Qantas and Virgin – both of which are very good airlines, and also offer discounted seats at times.

Recommended Areas:
Melbourne is a big city, with many fantastic areas to stay in! We would recommend you stay in a central area for convenience, and to take advantage of the city’ great transportation system and easy access to many (many, many…) tourist attractions and dining spots.

Here are a few areas/suburbs we’d suggest looking at for your stay in Melbourne:

• South Yarra / Windsor / Prahran 
> Inner suburbs, with mix of residential areas and trendy high streets with some of Melbourne’s best café culture and shopping (including the Chapel Street shopping precinct). Scattered with lovely big parks, including Fawkner Park and Botanic Gardens. Plenty of public transportation running through, particularly along the main roads (Chapel Street, Commercial Road, Toorak Road, etc.)

• South Melbourne / Albert Park / Port Melbourne
> Quaint bayside suburbs, with many cute cafes and shops. All of these suburbs are quite close to the city centre (South Melbourne in particular). Bonus: South Melbourne has a great market that is fun to visit on Wednesdays and weekends!

• St. Kilda
> More lively bayside suburb, that has a reputation for being slightly unruly during the evenings and weekends. Great selection of restaurants, shops and bars. Easy access to the famous St. Kilda beach and Luna Park amusement park. There’s a great street-side market in St. Kilda every Sunday morning that’s worth checking out even if you’re not staying there (www.stkildaesplanademarket.com.au).

• Richmond
> Home of Melbourne’s sporting precinct – easy access to AFL/rugby games, or even just to take a look at the impressive stadiums. Very central location – not far from the Botanic Gardens, South Yarra and the city centre.

• Melbourne CBD
> Easy access to… everything! If you’re staying in the city centre, you would likely be looking at hotel accommodation and less space.

• Toorak / Hawthorn / Malvern / Glen Iris / Camberwell
> Beautiful residential suburbs – still conveniently located, but slightly further away from the action. FYI – we’ll be staying in Toorak!

• North Melbourne / Carlton / Fitzroy
> Hip central university suburbs, known for some of Melbourne’s most famous cafes.

• There are also some incredible (and family-friendly!) areas outside of, but close to, Melbourne as well! You might consider staying in Geelong or down The Great Ocean Road (Torquay, Lorne, Apollo Bay, etc.) – or down the other side of Port Phillip Bay on the Mornington Peninsula.

• We would also suggest looking at the neighbouring suburbs to the above areas. Please feel free to reach out to us if you want a second opinion on a neighbourhood not listed above.

In terms of safety, think of Melbourne as being similar to Vancouver – very safe, although (as with all big cities) you should be cautious when walking alone at night.

Searching for Accommodation: 
Suggested sites to use for booking accommodation:
• airbnb.com
• agoda.com
• booking.com
• hotels.com 

IMPORTANT: We’d highly recommend that you take a look at accommodation ahead of booking your flights as this will be a large portion of the travel expenses. 

Car Rental:
If you’re planning on renting a car, you can consider the following rental companies:
• hertz.com.au
• budget.com
• vroomvroomvroom.com.au

There are also plenty of other 3rd party sites you can search and compare on.

PS – Don’t forget that we drive on the left-hand side of the road in Australia (as a fellow right-hand-side-driver, I promise you it’s not that scary!).

Public Transportation:
Melbourne has a great public transportation system – inclusive of trams, trains and buses! To use Melbourne’s public transport, you will need a Myki card. You can purchase and top-up your Myki at every metropolitan train station and 7-Eleven store (www.ptv.vic.gov.au/tickets/myki/). You can use the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) app or website (ptv.gov.au) to search for travel routes and timing.

Cabs:
Melbourne has Uber (yay!), as well as a couple of local taxi companies (13CABS and Silver Top Taxis). Each of these companies have websites as well as apps.

Transportation from Tullamarine Airport:
You can travel from the airport to Melbourne city centre by bus on the SkyBus (ticket cost: ~$18pp one-way). Tickets are available at the bright orange SkyBus counter just as you leave the international arrival terminal, and buses run every 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can take an Uber or cab (~$50-60 to city centre, upwards of ~$80 to other suburbs).

Melbourne to Yarra Valley:
The easiest way to get to the Yarra Valley from Melbourne is by car (approximately one-hour drive, depending on where in Melbourne you’re coming from).

You can consult Visit Melbourne for more information on how to get to and around the Yarra Valley > www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/yarra-valley-and-dandenong-ranges/travel-information/getting-around).

If you’re strapped for a ride, please let us know – and we’ll try to pair you up with another wedding guest who has room in their vehicle!

Alternatively, you can hop in an Uber/taxi. The fare from Melbourne to Yarra Valley would be ~$80-$120.

There are also wine tour buses – which may be economical for a one-way trip if you have enough people (and you have the benefit of getting a wine tour in!).

Ballpark Cost Figures:
• Flight: $1,500 - $1,800 return flight per person
• Accommodation: $150 - $300 per night for a queen bedroom
• Food: $50+ per person per day
> Note that this category can of course vary greatly – but thankfully, you’ll easily be able to find meals within any price range (and you can also pick-up groceries from Coles or Woolworths to take home to your kitchen, if you have one!)

• Activities: Choose your own journey!
> Again, this will vary – but thankfully there are plenty of no/low-cost activities to partake in in Melbourne. See below for a few ideas!

Things to do around Melbourne:
• See a game!
> Australian Rules Football (AFL)
> Rugby

• SHOPPING!
> Melbourne CBD
> Chapel Street
> Chadstone Shopping Centre
> One of the many local markets (Queen Victoria, South Melbourne, St. Kilda and more)

• So much eating and drinking
> We’re spoilt for choice in Melbourne at every price point (you pretty much can’t go wrong!). We’d recommend checking out timeout.com.au, broadsheet.com.au and Zomato (web or app) for the highest ranked cafés, restaurants and bars in your areas. Or, reach out to us and we’ll give you tips on our faves!

• Check out the famous street art
> www.timeout.com/melbourne/art/where-to-find-the-best-street-art-in-melbourne

• Southbank
> River lined with restaurants and bars, and Crowne Plaza at one end.

• Melbourne Zoo
• Old Melbourne Gaol
• National Gallery of Victoria (www.ngv.vic.gov.au/)
• Royal Botanic Gardens (don’t forget to join us on Tuesday, April 9th for a picnic!)
• Lygon Street (Italian district)
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival (Wednesday, March 27th – Sunday, April 21st)
• Check out Vue de Monde for the most spectacular view of the city (www.vuedemonde.com.au/)!
> They do a very expensive (but well worthwhile) degustation, or you can head up to the bar for a night cap over the city lights!

• There are also a few calendars of what’s on in Melbourne by month:
> www.visitmelbourne.com/events/april
> www.timeout.com/melbourne/things-to-do/things-to-do-in-melbourne-in-april
> whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au 

Things to do in Victoria outside of Melbourne:
• The Great Ocean Road
> Several beautiful beach towns, including Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay
> The 12 Apostles (Port Campbell National Park)
> Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach (April 18th – 22nd)

• Healesville
> Animal sanctuary with most of Australia’s most iconic creatures
> Only a 10-minute drive from the Yarra Valley

• Yarra Valley (already on your list!)

• Mornington Peninsula – Sorrento and Portsea
> Beach towns
> Wineries (nearby in Red Hill)
> Swim with dolphins (e.g.: www.moonrakercharters.com.au/)

• Phillip Island
> Secluded beaches
> Little penguins
> Phillip Island Wildlife Park (you can feed the kangaroos and wallabies!)

• Hiking
> Check out the Grampians, Dandenong Ranges and 10,000 steps

• Daylesford and the Macedon Ranges
> Hiking and hot springs!

• Wilsons Prom

Great 'What's On' Resources:
There are a BUNCH of frequently updated websites and blogs that post useful information on restaurants, bars, events, and everything fun in Melbourne. Here are a few of our faves:
• timeout.com.au
• broadsheet.com.au
• theurbanlist.com/melbourne

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you want a more customized recommendation, or to chat through any of your travel plans!

Something missing from this list? Let us know! Chances are it could be useful for other travellers, too. If so, we’ll draft something up and pop it up on the website.

We recommend that our guests stay at the lovely Yarra Valley Lodge on Saturday April 13th.  Buses will depart from Yarra Valley Lodge to Zonzo Estate at 3:15pm, and will return following the end of the reception at 11:00pm (where the festivities will continue, for those who are keen!).

When you book, please inform Yarra Valley Lodge that you will be attending our wedding.  We have pre-booked a number of rooms for our guests (with the benefit of a capped nightly rate). 

Yarra Valley Lodge
2 Heritage Ave, Chirnside Park VIC 3116
+61 3 9760 3333
www.yarravalleylodge.com

Below is a list of other suggested accommodation options.  There are also other options available on Booking.com and Airbnb.

Buses will depart from in front of Yarra Valley Grand Hotel (in Yarra Glen) to Zonzo Estate at 3:30pm, and will return following the end of the reception at 11:00pm.

Yarra Valley Grand Hotel
19 Bell St, Yarra Glen VIC 3775
+61 3 9730 1230
www.yarravalleygrand.com.au

Yarra Glen Apartments
5 Herbert St, Yarra Glen VIC 3775
+61 429 396 509
yarraglenapartments.com.au

Racecourse Apartment
7 Armstrong Grove, Yarra Glen VIC 3775
+61 3 9730 2233
www.hollylanemews.com.au/racecourse-apartments-yarra-glen-accommodation-yarra-valley

Art at Linden Gate  
899 Healesville-Yarra Glen Rd, Yarra Glen VIC 3775
+61 3 9730 1861
www.artatlindengategallery.com.au/ 

Yering Gorge Cottages
215 Victoria Rd, Yering VIC 3770
+61 3 9739 0110
www.yeringcottages.com.au