#visit vic

With the Easter holidays just before ANZAC day, I took advantage of the numerous public holidays scattered throughout April to take four days of annual leave between Easter Monday and the next long weekend. Why, I hear you ask? Well, it was to ensure that I could enjoy as much time off as I could. And finally get to enjoying some time exploring the great outdoors. A homebody, I might be, but a chance has finally arisen for me to cross state lines and to check out if Melbourne truly was the most liveable city (at least from 2017 standards) and to also possibly pick up some nerdy merchandise to feed the gaping void in my soul. 

After all, I never denied I was a materialistic girl.

The problem, of course, was picking my travelling companions. Before my stepfather returned to Australia, I was hoping for some bonding time with just my mother and I. We could go down to Melbourne, the two of us, and enjoy what the city would offer. Failing that, I’d simply go my own way and she could do whatever she preferred.

Unfortunately, my mother’s husband testing positive to COVID-19 prior to the trip only served to further sour our relationship. Mostly because I could not deal with his selfish tendencies during our period of self-isolation and his blatant disregard for the health guidelines. Then, of course, there’s the other baggage I won’t go into. But, let it be known, that ever since they got married in Malaysia (a wedding to which I wasn’t even invited to), I’ve tolerated his presence in my mother’s life.

And so, after much hewing and hawing, the trip would remain as it was. For one glorious moment, I had prayed he would decide to stay back and it would just be my mother and I. Alas, it was not to be.

So, eschewing the convenience of a one hour flight and unconcerned about exorbitant petrol prices, we drove down. On the first day of our journey, we stopped several times for toilet breaks, petrol or food. Our first stop was at Sutton Forest. A most popular place to rest before heading all the way to Canberra. The next was Gundagai where we enjoyed a lot of Hungry Jack’s latest fried chicken range of burgers. Disappointed that we couldn’t try anything else, we continued the long drive down to Albury - stopping briefly at Wagga Wagga because the outback city had piqued my mother’s curiosity and she wanted to take a photo of an old post office.

Instead, we got a hotel that was aptly named the Mantra Pavilion Hotel with a conical roof. Of course, we didn’t go in. Just take snaps of it from the outside before we continued the drive to Culcairn and finally to Albury.

After staying the night, we continued our trip down to Melbourne. Of course, not without stopping first at Noreuil Park Foreshore to stare at the Murray river (and the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria) and heading up Monument Hill to see both the twin cities of Albury-Wodonga.

Despite the early start, we didn’t arrive at Melbourne until well past noon. At the very least, we stopped briefly on the road for a small lunch that consisted of a chicken wrap and a few crackers. As soon as we checked into our luxurious apartment, I was out pounding the pavement. There was little time to lose. While my mother and the stepfather decided to go for an early dinner, I was much too concerned with stopping by Critical Hit, Minotaur and One Stop Anime to feed my desire for all things nerd.

Thankfully, they were all quite close to each other in the centre of Melbourne. Better yet, our hotel wasn’t too far. By the time the shops were all closed, I had gained the Octopath soundtrack, a new book that had been recommended by BookTuber Daniel Greene (while also scoping out the manga heavy sections that were also peppered with plenty of pop vinyls) and some breakfast for the morrow from Breadtop.

I also jammed my finger when trying to exit the Breadtop, but the bruising wasn’t too bad. 

So ends part one of my Melbourne adventures. Tune in next time to read all about my disappointment that there were no keyblades on displays or the fact that One Stop Anime was so confusingly placed in some corner in the wall. Okay, I kid. It wasn’t that bad. And if one does follow the most popular anime shows, I’m sure there would have been plenty to love. I, unfortunately, haven’t fallen for anything beyond my beloved Detective Conan. May Kudo Shinichi reign supreme forevermore.