Lifestyle | Travel with DS: Melbourne, Australia

The flight from Toronto to Melbourne, Australia, is a treacherous one, but I would say it is well worth it! On my way there, my connecting flight from LA got cancelled (after we had already boarded the plane and waited over an hour), and the next flight out wouldn’t be until 24h later. The airline provided no hotel rooms and of course all of the surrounding hotels were at full capacity! It was a nightmare, so needless to say, I was ecstatic when we finally made it to Melbourne!

I lived in Melbourne for the latter half of 2016, eating, exploring and working. The CBD (Central Business District) or downtown core itself is quite small, but there seemed to be events and things to do every weekend in and around the city. There are so many highlights, but I really enjoyed the variety of amazing food, art galleries, and the scenic walks along the coast. And yes, the coffees are amazing, and no, brunch will never be the same.

Exploring the former defensive facility at Fort Nepean – this is where they used to watch for foreign, invading ships. The first Australian shots for WWI and WWII were fired from Fort Nepean!

From Rustica Canteen: I’m a dessert for breakfast kind of gal, so obviously I went for the waffle!

There were many days of cloud and rain, but when the sun came out to play, the weather was beautiful. We had winter while Toronto had summer, but the temps would rarely go below double digits – what a life!

At one of the museums or galleries I visited – the exhibition was aptly titled, “Leaving home.”

From Lune Croissanterie: the best croissants I’ve ever had – seriously. You have to wake up early and queue for these, but the experience is unique and a must-do for visitors in Melbourne.

I loved seeing all of the shops that we don’t have here in Canada. This one, 3INA, was particularly colourful! I loved the display of colours and the packaging for these cosmetics are simple and well thought out.

A beautiful day in St. Kilda. Don’t let the bright weather fool you though! It was so windy on this day.

Hosier lane, the place covered and graffiti, and also where the infamous Taylor Swift mural was found – check it, and the artist, LushSux, out here.

Taken at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne – loved walking through the garden and seeing the different indigenous plants! Eucalyptus plants were my favourite; though not very aesthetically pleasing, I really enjoyed the scent of them!

This is the tallest building in Melbourne: the Eureka Tower. It reaches almost 300m (the CN Tower is ~550m), and it offers an opportunity to overlook the city at its Skydeck.

The fashion, surprisingly, was quite similar to that of Toronto’s. Their winter wardrobes were equivalent to a fall wardrobe in Toronto. I felt like the summer fashion for ladies was more feminine and playful – off-the-shoulder tops were definitely having a moment. Events like the Melbourne Cup were ideal for fashion inspo for men and women alike – I can see a Melbourne girl wearing this lovely Oscar de la Renta dress with a matching coloured fascinator!

Have you visited Melbourne? What was the highlight of your trip? 

Designer Swap is Canada’s online luxury consignment shop and Toronto-based fashion blog. We sell authentic and pre-loved designer pieces and write about the newest fashion and beauty trends. Make sure to check us out on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

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Images taken by Katy, on iPhone 6.