Melbourne credit: aspr2013.com.au
Unexpected trip turnover in Melbourne
IT specialists like to consider ourselves to be pretty clever, but whether that’s true or not remains to be seen sometimes. I’ve been a lot busier with work this year and the company has been sending me all over the place. I like traveling and seeing the world, and doing work that I enjoy.
Being able to think on your feet helps a lot when it comes to travel, you can plan for weeks but you never know what’s going to come up until you’re there. Most recently, I was traveling to Australia to help setup a new cloud data-center and to meet with a few existing clients. I ended up making lemons out of lemonade, so to speak, and I want to share that story because I ended up having a really, really fun time all thanks to thinking on my toes and making the best of a somewhat annoying situation.
At the last minute, I found out there was going to be a layover on my return flight. Eight hours. I didn’t really want to sit in the airport for eight hours when I’m in a capital city with lots to do and lots to see, so I went over to the counter and asked if I could exchange my ticket instead of waiting for the layover. The lady at the counter gave me a frustrated look and said, “No sir, there aren’t any sooner flights for you to take.” I said, “I’m actually looking for a later flight, that departs tomorrow or the day after.”
Like I said earlier, I figured I may as well take the lemons and make lemonade, so I extended my stay, found a cheap hotel a few minutes outside of the heart of the city, and decided to see how much fun I could have in Melbourne in the next two and a half days. I was lucky to be able to change around my ticket, there was a small fee but it’s nothing compared to the last-minute adventure I was able to have. An unexpected trip layover is the type of thing you can’t really plan for, I had no idea it would happen until I got there but deciding to stick around a bit longer and enjoy the city, rather than waiting in an airport all day, ended up being a great choice.
I started off spending about an hour at the National Sports Museum where I learned a lot about sports in Australia, it’s a really well put-together museum. After I felt I had soaked up a little bit of culture, it was time to head to Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours. Now, I had never been on a wine tasting tour before and I didn’t really know what to expect – and that’s a big part of the reason I choose this, I really wanted to spend a few days trying new things on this impromptu vacation of mine.
Yarra Valley Wine Tour Credit: yarravalleywinetastingtours.rezdy.com
After the wine tour, I went back to my hotel to get a good night’s sleep after a few rounds of pool at the hotel bar. The next day, I was looking for a place to grab lunch nearby that wasn’t too formal, but I still wanted to experience a special meal and I ended up going toIl Duca. I had the calamari as a starter and Misto di Pesce, which is grilled seafood with fries and a salad.
Il-duca credit: tripadvisor.com.au
Everything I did was pretty much within walking distance, but the public transportation in Melbourne is pretty good. It’s easier to get around in New York, but that’s just because I’m used to New York. I’m sure with a little bit more time in Melbourne, or a little better planning; I would have no problem at all. I went on a hot air balloon ride which was probably the highlight of my trip, the scenery was just beautiful. Other than that, for the most part, I just walked around – checked out some shops – had a few more great meals in nearby restaurants and enjoyed myself. When it was time to leave, I showed up to the airport and my flight was actually on schedule so that was great.
I travel alone all the time for business, but I’ve never actually had a vacation by myself. It was nice to be able to do exactly what I wanted to, when I wanted to, without having to think about the wants or needs of a travel partner. I think the next time I have to head back to Australia for business, I’m going to make sure I can take a week or two in Melbourne on my own time, because I feel like there’s a lot more to see in this city that I didn’t even have a chance to check out. A couple days definitely aren’t enough time to see a city, especially when you have never been there before.
Do I have any tips? Since I travel a lot, I would like to suggest two things that I found during my research before trip. First one, if you travel frequently, especially to Australia and throughout, it really helps when every flight you take lowers your cost for next one. You can achieve that with few programs. Second one, if you don’t have time and your always on the go, apps can be very helpful. On my next time here, I would still travel by foot mostly. It helps to work off all the big meals I like to have when I’m in a new city. I would spend a little bit more time choosing my hotel, and I would pick one that’s closer to the part of town that I want to spend time in, just to make everything easier. Overall, I had a great time in Melbourne, and I can’t wait to go back because there’s so much more to see!
Bob Gorman
Author bio: I’m Bob Gorman, IT expert currently living in New York. Recently, I became a travel addict due to my business. One who also enjoys outdoor sports, and of course everything related to IT.
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