• Brad and Mandy PearceTravelling Oz in our PearcyPodBrad and Mandy Pearce
    Alowyn gardens
    Wisteria arch1This is what the wisteria arch looks like in full bloomZen gardenKokoda MemorialBrad took lots of photos of steps to show what I was missing out on1I'm glad I didn't do it!I remained at the bottom of the track1Was it worth it for the view?

    A few days in Melbourne

    Nov 13–16, 2025 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Just a few days in the Yarra Valley region of Melbourne. We didn't go into the city because had visited last year and done many of the touristy things then. A pretty area - we visited the lovely Alowyn Gardens - unfortunately their famous wisteria arch had finished flowering as it would have been magnificent.

    We would have liked to have a ride on the puffing Billy, but unfortunately that was booked out for weeks in advance. We went instead to the Kokoda 1000 steps memorial track. Well, Brad walked the track and I waited at the coffee shop at the bottom (I had a sore foot - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! ). He reported that it was indeed steep and he thought they had transported part of the Kokoda track to here.

    Just a short one this time. This was just a base to get from western Victoria to Eastern Victoria.    Read more