A Weekend away in Melbourne.

[Blackadder]

Something that wasn’t on my travel radar until around 2weeks ago a Footy finals weekend away in Melbourne.
Despite relatively short notice, managed to find affordable flights with QF , and my go to Hotel in Melbourne the Doubletree on Flinders.
Around 10.30pm last night I get a SMS from QF my 0845 flight has been cancelled due to air traffic control limiting the movements in to Sydney. So instead of getting some rest before an early departure from home to the airport, it was spent regularly refreshing the app to see what the rebooking gods came up with.
After around 45mins , I had been moved to the 1130 departure. Thankfully no real impact on the day, other than a few extra hours in Bed.
Waking up around 0600, check the app again for any more changes to find the offer of a change to an earlier flight. Check the offer, and it was for the flight departing SYD at 0730, needless to say that wasn’t going to happen. So it’s a 1130 departure (weather gods willing) on a very full flight.

 

[BAM1748]

I came in last night and very windy in Melbourne today so don’t expect a smooth run

 

[Blackadder]

On time boarding for QF439, Priority boarding done , then by rows starting from the back.
All seemed to go smoothly.

 

[Blackadder]

The usual lengthy taxi from the gate to the Southern Runway, plus a capacity load saw a late departure from Sydney with a 1hr 4 min flying time seeing us arrive just after schedule.
Bag was relatively quick to come out, so then it was out to a glorious Melbourne Spring day of 11°c , and a feel like temperature of -2.2°c just after 1pm.
Thankfully first in the queue for the Skybus , as it was already near capacity on arrival. Some further along the queue weren’t so fortunate, and had to endure more of the cold.
A relatively uneventful trip into Spencer St Coach terminal.
I am not sure if it’s just me but the way finding at Spencer St leaves a lot to be desire, so took to relying on my app for the platform for the train to Flinders St, which turned out to be in about 2mins by the time I navigated the non existent way finding.
Just across the road to the Doubletree , my home for the next 3 nights.
No upgrade from the King guest room, and no view unless you call looking across to other buildings a view.

 

[Blackadder]

Day 2 , an early morning trip to South Melbourne Markets surely nothing out of the ordinary can happen, right? Nope….
Arrive back at Tram stop, and a the Tram there with doors open waiting, a quick check of the timetable app shows it overdue to depart so I’m assuming a breakdown, and contemplating how to get back into the city, then Police under lights and sirens come up parking across the front of the Tram.
Police pull someone off the Tram, and everyone else boards the Tram and away we go.

The Afternoon was a trip out to Belgrave and the Puffing Billy for a trip to Lakeside and return. A lengthy trip from the city , was made longer thanks to Rail replacement buses along the way.
These days all tickets must be pre purchased, and on board you must sit in your designated carriage.
A chilly ride through the Yarra Ranges to Lakeside and just over 1hr before the return trip back to Belgrave.

 

[Blackadder]

The final full day of my trip to Melbourne was a V/line day trip up to Albury, roughly 3.5hrs each way and with the price cap now in place $7.60 return.
A decent cafe just across from Albury Station, Cafe Musette who have their own farm for produce supplies and attached to a Bike shop for the bike riders amongst us.

Was planning on doing the heritage walk, which is roughly 2 hours in length but I had didn't have the time or so I thought. I was wondering why there were no people on the train at the time I thought it was due to depart, turns out I had another 50mins up my sleeve.

Arrived back to the Hotel around 5pm, contemplated going out looking for something to eat but after realising what time I would need to be up the next day to get back to MEL , the decision was made for Uber Eats.

Next morning the OMG it's early get up for my 0745 flight. Being a shift worker you would think I am use to being up at ungodly hours, but its never easy especially when you aren't going to work.
A short walk, then tram ride later I am back at Southern Cross coach terminal for the Skybus back to MEL., and around 30mins later back at the QF terminal.
Queues were starting to get busy at that time of the morning with the fifo/business crowd, but the economy queue moved at a steady enough pace. Unfortunately no lounge access as LTS in Y, and I wasn't going to take QF up on the offer of paying $54 for lounge access so just mixing with the common folk at the gate.
For my return flight I was in row 5 so expected QF to have a similar boarding to SYD (ie starting at the back and then front) , so decided to hang back from the Y line. Big Mistake expecting QF to be consistent in boarding , after the premium boarding was done they decided to do aerobridge/stair boarding at the same time, so a lengthy queue already in front of me.
This was a full flight due to some other QF cancellations , so by the time I got on the other two seats in my row were taken, not to mention 99% of the overhead space in the area. Thankfully with a bit of rearranging the bags above row 4, I was able to squeeze my bag in there.
Arrived in SYD ahead of time by about 10mins, but any thoughts of a early disembarking were dashed with the announcement of no available gates as we were taxing towards the terminal , so around a 15min wait, made it a slightly later disembarking.

 

[love_the_life]

Love visiting MEL for the weekend and must say very impressed with all you managed to fit in! Interesting about going to Albury on the train as there was a media report that people were forced to stand or sit on the floor - the cheap fare has increased patronage a heap.

 

[Blackadder]

Love visiting MEL for the weekend and must say very impressed with all you managed to fit in! Interesting about going to Albury on the train as there was a media report that people were forced to stand or sit on the floor - the cheap fare has increased patronage a heap.

It’s now booked seats only, I guess to eliminate the over crowding.