We didn’t have a lot planned for our final day in Melbourne. We’d had some pretty full days so allowing for a more relaxed day sat well for both Photos and I. Nonetheless there were still a few things on our list and most of it involved food or photo opportunities!
Hardware societe
Our first stop was breakfast (or brunch given our sleep in). Throughout our time in Melbourne, we passed by this small breakfast shop called Hardware Societe that always seemed packed so we made it a point to have a meal here before we went. We weren’t disappointed! After a very short wait we were seated, ordered and sampled some great breakfast food! Photos had a pork belly dish while I had a Lobster benedict!
Wandering around Melbourne
There wasn’t much of a plan after breakfast so we wandered around Central Melbourne peaking into stores or buildings that looked interesting. One place we did want to get to was the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre. We had come here the the night before for the movie and saw this cool tower within the mall building! Turns out they built around an older historical building called Coop’s Shot Tower and we thought the picture opportunity looked great!
We then made our way north east towards another bar/eatery that I had read a great deal about. We ended up taking photos along the way and enjoying the slower pace of travel today.
Naked for Satan
The name itself is already pretty striking and certainly jumped out at me when I first read about this place. Naked for Satan came highly recommended on many travel blogs and reviews when I was researching things to do in Melbourne. If you can get past the name, the bar inside is very cool and well worth the visit. They have a large selection of beverages and if you visit during happy hour (which we did) the food is reasonably priced and very tasty! Photos and I were still pretty full from breakfast/brunch, but I still ended up getting a drink and some popcorn chicken so I could sit on their very nice rooftop patio and enjoy a 180 degree view of Melbourne!
Thai Massages
Continuing with our day of relaxation, Photos and I had been joking a lot about finding a spa to get massages for the past few days. Today we figured we were on vacation so why not! We googled a Thai massage place called Vigorous Thai which was only a block away from Naked for Satan. We booked an appointment, walked over and enjoyed an hour of relaxation!
It was a relaxing afternoon and very much what the doctor ordered after three weeks of travelling. Photos and I actually split up for a few hours. He met up with an old friend, while I returned to the AirBnB to take a nap!
Dinner at Max
We met again in time for dinner. One of the very cool things about Melbourne is its vibrant alleyways full of restaurants and patios. We decided to walk through one of these alleyways to see what grabbed our attention. What we didn’t expect was how aggressive the employees are in trying to convince you to eat at their restaurant. They would all offer discounts, free appetizers or a complimentary drink. We chatted with a few before deciding on eating Max on Hardware. We had been craving seafood and italian so they seemed to offer a good combination of both! Photos ordered a seafood pasta, while I ordered a Paella. We were also given complimentary garlic bread (which was nothing to write home about) and a glass of house wine. All in all it was a tasty meal in a cool environment!
Webb Bridge
Our final stop of the night (and for Melbourne) was the Webb Bridge in the Docklands district of Melbourne. Photos had seen pictures of this very unique bridge and wanted to visit and take our own shots. It was a short tram ride and walk to the bridge and the are was very nice! It was kind of a marina for small pleasure craft as well as apartments for what seemed like the more affluent. We spent about an hour taking shots of the bridge from different angles. What an enjoyable way to close out our Melbourne adventures!
I really enjoyed Melbourne and I think if I had to choose I’d pick it over Sydney. I loved the vibe that the city gave. It’s a bit more chill, more relaxed and has a great artistic atmosphere! Its a bit bitter sweet but tomorrow we start our final leg of our Australian Journey as we fly in the morning to Airlie beach where we will visit the Great Barrier reef.