✈ Melbourne 2014 ♡ Lift Off! ✈


My Melbourne posts never seems to reach the finish line, cause I always give up after going half way through. From my trips back in 2011 I think that only went quarter-way, then to 2012 where I only post about the highlights like Stereosonic, I didn't even make it to Goldcoast. 

Anyways, for this year. I will only post things I deem super fun or relevant enough for my blog. 
Compared to back when I first went to Melbourne, it honestly didn't seem like anybody I knew or even bothered travelling there for a holiday but now, everybody wants to go to Melbourne when they think of Australia, well sort of. People around me that is. 





So I boarded my flight with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and the service was great, the flight was full and it was business as usual. The stewardess was really nice to me, probably also cause I looked lost as I was travelling alone. 





... and flying by Business Class meant, food after food after food. Like there will never be once which I will have my tummy going all croaky on me cause I'll never get hungry! Or I can't haha. Everything tasted up to par and the dude next to me probably had a whole bottle of champagne to himself while I tried staying away from alcohol as it's sort of a long haul flight and I didn't want my skin to dry out.

Landed safely and everything was pleasant from the start to the end, THANK YOU MALAYSIA AIRLINES! and friends were already waiting for me at the airport for my arrival.

I missed that long stretch of road from the Tullamarine airport to Melbourne CBD, the cold winters night, the freedom, breeze in my hair. 

After they've dropped me off at the city, I went straight to K-Box for the cousins birthday celebration!


I think it's a thing with my family that we never get to successfully surprise one another cause our moms are always talking to each other about everything and anything!

We sang, we laughed and had cake for supper. It was more like dinner to me as my bodyclock was still two hours behind.



Ended the night with too much alcohol that we ended up wasting quarter of a bottle (I am very against wasting alcohol -.- cause it's expensive and it's just ridiculous at times) and headed home for a good night's rest! 

Woke up early the next day for a full day out, took a stroll around the Yarra River/Crown Casino.



It wasn't as cold as how my sister explained it to be. And I've not really been there for winter, who was I to comment.

We ended up walking towards South Bank in hunt for something to eat.




&ended up taking pictures and selfies at this park nearby.
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and we didn't want to waste it indoors. 



Nevertheless we ended up shopping after and headed for some sweet treats later on :D



Everyone who goes to Melbourne would probably be caught hanging at San Churros or Max Brenner. There use to be more places to yumcha and chill but with this weather and times changing, this is the two best places I can think of after a whole day of walking. Of course you'll have places like Cho Gao (Asian Beer Cafe), Curtin Rooftop Bar (Cookies), or Father's Office and iDarts etc. but not all my friends are always onboard for alcoholic beverages like me all day every day haha.


Met up with Lisa, Nabil and Mijie.
(omg my forehead is huge -.-)

Catch up and then went for dinner. Had Indian cuisine, I don't know why didn't I take pictures of anything but the curries were delicious and flavourful! 

Headed home and chilled abit with a bottle of wine before changing for a night out.



Outfit of the night. Embellished Black Sequins and side panels River Island Dress, Studded Topshop Leather Biker Jacket which got stolen. Damn that person who stole the thickest jacket I brought along with me. I had to suffer in cold for most of the night outs here! grr. So if anyone sees someone wearing a UK6 studded collar and shoulder biker jacket from Topshop it's probably stolen haha. Why would I say so? Cause I bought this 4-5 years back and there wasn't a Topshop in Melbourne pfft. Yeah you probably would say they could've buy it online or blablabla, I don't care, I hope karma hits that person over. WITH A TRUCK. If that person took it by accident, go drop it back at the club. So I am pretty sure it wasn't accidental either. 

Anyways, moving on.. Yes, I kept that rant in when I was there cause I was on holiday and I didn't want no negativity and forgotten about it when I got back. And I had to write this post, so it brought up the frustration haha. 

Yes anyways!


Checked out Scarlett Saturday at Ms. Collins and woah, why has no one ever brought me here when I was in Melbourne? It was so prettyyyy.



had a few rounds of shots, as usual I never know what I am being served. Sometimes I figure it out, sometimes, I just really don't. Got scared after the 4th or 6th shot as I got slightly tipsy it was crazy. Didn't want to get alcohol poisoning my first weekend there haha.

They played music that I liked. R&B and EDM tracks. and the crowd there really dressed up. Girls were in their highest heels and tightest dresses while the lads came in shirts and dress shoes.

After a few more rounds we headed to Bamboo at Fashion Lounge.


It was slightly smaller but had two floors. One for R&B and the other played EDM but harder. Wasn't really hardstyle either. Okay I got no idea how to classify the music I heard there. You do hear the commercial EDM tunes once in a while and as the night goes by the beats just get harder. Something different which I enjoyed as commercial EDM every weekend can get boring.




So we did more rounds of shots and danced to the music.
Though I did feel overdressed. My lady friends were all in their comfort wear I was so jealous.

& when I left, my biker jacket was stolen. What an end to my second night in Melbourne haha.

Woke up the next day with no hangover and headed for brunch. Melbourne is two hours ahead with day-light savings and all that waking up especially in this cold weather was such a torture for me.

So for brunch..




Everything looked so so good and appetizing!
I don't have to take hours to think about what I want to eat whenever I am there. 


#asianatwork.

Then we took a stroll around the CBD as Erin's friend from Adelaide was on a visit.




Protests in Australia that I've come across are always peaceful. I wish that will happen in Malaysia but certainly not anytime soon. We never seem to agree on the same page and people like to use the racial card. 

Then we headed to Curtin Rooftop Bar for some sunset beer :D



And more walking around the city before dinner time.




I know I have tons of pictures of the State Library of Victoria but none with my sister yet. Thankfully enough we took one that day as they started renovating it few days after.

We headed to Max Brenner for some waffles and ice cream after.


Then we took the longest tram ride to the suburbs for dinner at a friends place.
We walked so much today we could barely feel our feet.


It was a great weekend with the sister and oh boy every time I am in Melbourne I have to get all adjusted over again as the difference in lifestyle.

Anyways will update more in the next post!
Till then, x.



Comments

Thing said…
Hello! Just found out your blog, and love it! You're so pretty btw! <3
Nice to meet you :D
Huai Bin said…
I love all your photos! :)

I spent 5 years in Melbourne (college and uni) and have been back on an almost yearly basis ever since! I flew back last year and earlier this year too. It's my favorite city in the world, some people like Sydney better, but having stayed in both (only spent 6 months total in Sydney though) I still prefer Melbourne by a long margin.

The place to be back in the days (circa 1999-2003) was Billboards and then Dex Nightclub. Hard Kandy used to hold raves in Billboards and then changed to dex. I'll be there every weekend for their epic 13 hour raves (10 pm - 11 am) which was always an experience coz you walk out to sunlight when it was totally dark when you walk in.

Some people are more towards PHD (Pure Hard Dance, competitor to Hard Kandy) but I've always been a Kandy Kid in uni, loved the scene, too bad it's so different now.

Cheers!
stephiielim said…
Hi Thing, thanks for that lovely compliment and I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much I enjoy writing it :) x
stephiielim said…
Hi Huai Bin,

Thanks for sharing your experience with me. Melbourne does sound very different back in the day, haha! I've not been to Billboard yet but I heard that there's much improvements to be made now as the place is a tad bit run down :/ so far I've only been to Trak for indoor raves and clubs here and there for the usual clubbing nights.

Melbourne will always be a place I hold dearly in my memory eventhough I've never studied there :) so jealous of those who've studied there though! haha. Glad you enjoyed yourself when you were there and yes Melbourne seems like a wonderful city to live in.

Thanks for being an avid reader and for the comment about my pictures :) Goodd to see that hardwork pays off! Till then, I hope you enjoy my upcoming posts xx.

You'd be interested in . . .