Vietnamese Cuisine - Mylan Vietnamese Restaurant Wollongong

This is my first experience eating at a Vietnamese restaurant. We dined at Mylan restaurant on a Friday night, which was quickly filled by 7pm – I highly recommend to make reservations, which is what we did. 

Although the place is very busy, we didn’t have to wait long to be greeted by friendly staff and seated promptly at our table with bottles of water and glasses. 

There is a relatively large number of meals to select from their menu and yes, there are meals for vegans and dishes that are gluten free. 

Their prices are mid-range: Entrées from $4 to $13 and Mains from $19 to $33. I ordered ‘Spring Rolls’ for my entrée, which you get four spring rolls with a bowl of dipping sauce – the dipping sauce was bland (it had no flavour) but the spring rolls were cooked to that ‘crunchy’ perfection and the ingredients were delicious. 

For my main, I ordered ‘Sweet and Sour Pork’ (tomato, pineapple, cucumber, capsicum, celery and onion) at $21 – the presentation and colour of this dish looked amazing, the taste of the food was loaded with flavours and that this meal was made with fresh ingredients. 

One of my friends ordered ‘Fresh Rice Rolls’ as an entrée at $9 and ‘Prawn Satay’ at $25 – which the presentation looked equally amazing and I was told that it tasted very nice but the prawn satay was a little too spicy to enjoy the meal thoroughly – which he did tell staff when we left the restaurant for future patrons. 

The portion of our dishes were of normal size. This restaurant is clean, family friendly, very welcoming and the ambience is fun – a perfect place to catch up with friends and family. The service was quick, we didn’t have to wait too long for our meals to arrive and our meals arrived piping hot. 

What I was not impressed with, was that this restaurant is BYO, which I brought with me a bottle of wine – the twist top bottle. When we paid for our meals, we were charged an extra $15 for corkage ($3 per person – there were five of us), which I can’t understand how they can justify that when we didn’t need any corkage service! I’m not too sure if this is a common thing at BYO restaurants but if you brought beer, you weren’t charged extra – go figure! 

They have bathroom facilities available. Metered car parks are free for general public use after 5pm. A nice place to experience Vietnamese food.

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Wacky Start to Your Day At The Wacky Whisk

We were looking for somewhere to have brunch and wanted to start our morning right as we had a fun-filled day planned ahead of us. 

What lured me to ‘The Wacky Whisk’ was the word ‘Big Brekky Special’ for the price of $9.90 clearly displayed on their chalkboard at the front of the restaurant. 

We were greeted promptly, with a friendly smile, you have the option to dine indoors or outdoors. This place is clean, relaxing and feels like home. My brother on the other hand ordered ‘Hash Stack’ at $14. 

My Big Brekky Special was a generous serve that consisted of one rasher of bacon, two sausages, two eggs, tomato, a hash brown and toast and most of all the food was not greasy and tasted scrumptious. I had the choice how I wanted my eggs cooked, I have chosen fried – “over medium” perfectly cooked, yolks a little runny and whites silky and soft. 

The Hash Stack consisted with a piece of Turkish bread topped with wilted spinach, smashed avocado, two hash browns, bacon and two poached eggs with a side of hollandaise sauce, presentation was amazing and my brother mentioned that the food was mind-blowing. 

If you’re a coffee connoisseur, then you must try their coffee. The aroma is strong and hypnotising, best pick-me-up and start to your day– hats off to the Barista! The staff are attentive, super nice, welcoming and friendly, service was fantastic and the chef’s passion was shown through their food presentations (as you would see in my photos). 

Fresh food ingredients and flavoursome that awakened my tastebuds. This place is a genuine gem leaving you with an ‘outta-this-world’ experience – the best brunch I have had by far at low prices and most definitely value for money! 

If you don’t want to eat, grab yourself a coffee, trust me… it is the best coffee in the Gold Coast. Cannot recommend this place enough for family, friends, couples or simply on your own. 

Do yourself a favour and be sure to get this unique experience when you visit the Gold Coast – well worth a visit.

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In touch with natural beauty Hanging Rock Reserve.

We were travelling from Ballarat heading toward Beechworth but stopped in our tracks when we noticed a sign ‘Hanging Rock’. 

I have always wanted to see this place and this was by accident that we happened to see the sign and interrupted our planned journey to Beechworth. 

The reserve is closed with boom gates, but as you drive closer to the boom gate, it automatically opens for you to enter the reserve – plenty of parking. Upon entering, there is a sign of entry fees, where it is $10 per car, you pay this outside the café where a vending machine for tickets is located outside however, it does not accept coins. 

This is the place and the making of the film by Peter Weir ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ based on Joan Lindsay’s book – all that was missing was the eerie sounds of pan flute playing in the background, glad I did not hear that during my visit there. 

We walked through the discovery centre with displays of statues of girls from the movie ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ where you can take photo opportunities, as well as other displays, photos of native animals with information on panels, plus background history and much more. 

There are lots of toilet facilities and if you choose to have a picnic, there are barbeques and picnic tables available, which of course we were not prepared for. We headed straight towards our climb to the ‘Summit’ of the Rock - make sure you wear walking / climbing shoes, very uneven grounds and a lengthy walk. 

There is a sign stating that it would take at least 50 minutes in total there and back. You have the option to choose either the ramp or stairs to climb to the Summit, we chose the ramp. 

The Rock is magnificent up-close-and-personal’ great views and peaceful – the walk is doable because you can do it at your own pace, no time limit. There is a café where you can buy snacks or drinks – it is also a gift / souvenir shop. 

If you are planning to do this activity in advance, bring along sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and bottles of water.

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Bee-autiful Bees, where you will get a "Buzz" from this visit At Beechworth Honey.

This is a must see, whether you like honey or not, it is worth a visit, plenty to see, plenty of free samples of honey to taste made from Australian native trees and free educational ‘self-guided’ honey tour - where you learn the history and importance of beekeeping and gifts to buy. 

When you enter the store, there is a sizeable table in the middle of the store, with a large selection of honey varieties you may taste for free – love the idea, taste before you buy. 

The store’s merchandise is not limited to honey, you can buy beeswax candles; honey drizzlers; chocolates / nougat; and gifts for the kids – their bee gumboots are just too adorable, I cannot remember what else they had in stock. 

We ended up buying different honey flavours but could not resist the ‘Honey and Macadamia Nuts’ jar and bought a few to take home. 

You will see a sign next to a roped off area, stating that you can do a ‘self-guided’ honey tour but you need to ask a staff member to gain access – the tour runs every ten minutes, which we took part in. 

The free tour is within the shop and divided into sections, with individual displays of honey equipment and photos and a video to watch and learn the history. 

What was fascinating was the fact that Beechworth Honey company has been in the family for four generations, where you get to see the current owners sharing their history and knowledge with you. 

You are guided by the video when to leave and head to the next section with a countdown when the video is ready to start again. 

The store is opened everyday from 9am to 5.30pm, plenty of free off-street parking for two hours only but that is plenty of time for you to enjoy your experience at this store.

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Eureka Rebellion Comes to Life.

To avoid disappointment, you need to book ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’ sound a light show to reserve your place, seating is limited per session but must be used on the day that you have booked it for. 

We did our day session at Sovereign Hill but we had to return to Sovereign Hill for the sound and light show later that day because it started at 8pm. 

We were confused at first, because we thought it was outdoors but instead we were guided to sit inside a theatre to watch the commencement of the show – a short film. To our relief, we were then instructed to go outdoors for the continuation of the show. 

It was something we have never experienced before! The 1854 ‘Eureka Rebellion’ story comes to life and unfolds before your very eyes. The show involves a small amount of walking from site to site, so be prepared to wear comfortable walking shoes because the grounds you walk upon are not even and certain places are a bit muddy. 

Then you board a transporter that takes you to another theatre where you are seated once again indoors, but to our amazement, the doors open up in front of you exposing outdoors where you watch the finale of the show. 

The show does not involve any actors, just voices acting out the past, accompanied with sounds and lights to guide you where to look and where the events took place – it gave you that surreal feel to this show. 

No photography was allowed, however you may purchase a DVD of the show to take home. Be prepared to bring along a jacket, it was rather chilly for Spring weather, the evening we attended was 1st October 2017. 

I highly recommend this show, it completes Sovereign Hill adventures / experience, we are still talking about the show – it is truly spectacular!

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Impressive History of Ballarat with the most talked about nuggets

The ‘Gold Museum’ is located across the road from Sovereign Hill, you cannot miss it, it is a glass-fronted building with an unusual architectural design. 

As you walk towards the museum, you will notice a bronze statue of the Premier of Victoria - ‘Sir Henry Bolte’. Entry to the Gold Museum is free with your Sovereign Hill ticket, so be sure to make time to go to the museum… after all, you have already paid for it but you must show your Sovereign Hill ticket at the desk before entry. 

However, if you specifically came to see the Gold Museum, separate entry is also available but I do not know the cost. The Gold Museum is like a continuation to the history of Sovereign Hill with a massive collection of artefacts and photographs. 

You would be pleasantly surprised to see the most talked about nuggets, they are impressive replicas of the “Welcome Nugget” and “Welcome Stranger Nugget” displayed and enclosed in a glass frame. 

Check for times for a guided tour or just simply do it at your own pace. The museum is nicely laid out, with views outside, air conditioned for comfort and seats, quite spacious to walk around and a gift shop.

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Sovereign Hill… a place where you literally step back in time!

Our day out at Sovereign Hill was absolutely amazing and breathtaking! The cost for two adults and two children entry plus the ‘Blood on the Southern Cross’ sound and light show came to a total of $343.60 but worth every cent of it. 

Doors are opened at 10am and greeted by friendly staff dressed in their 1850s style outfits, handing out programs to visitors and directing where to need to go. 

To get your money’s worth of Sovereign Hill, please read the program (that also has a map with it) and plan your day wisely so you will not miss out on all the fun tours and demonstrations they have on offer and of course the history that comes with it. 

Once you walk through their gift shop and out into the open, it is like time has moved back and placed you into the 1850s. The first thing we did was to walk around, absorb our surroundings and take lots of photos of the place, that eventually led us next to a cabin labeled ‘Gold Mine Tours’… why not? 

There are three tours to choose from, we purchased family tickets (2 adults and 2 children) for $20 to do ‘Journey Through the Labyrinth of Gold’ – it is a must do on the list. It is a fully guided tour where you board the mine tram and travel underground, like miners did back then in darkness, however it is softly lit once you have arrived at your destination. 

The tour guide was thorough and knowledgeable, explained the history and the dangers miners endured during the 1850s, you also get to see the machinery they once used. ‘Red Hill Mine Tour’ was free and equally amazing. It is self-guided but you are guided by voices through speakers with their stories guiding you where to head to next, you are in for a real treat but I do not want to spoil the surprise. 

There are stacks of demonstrations to see that will fill your day – some demonstrations are a once-off. We started with ‘Musket Firing’ where a man is dressed as a police, giving a brief history of their responsibilities and their ‘double-dealings’, display of their firearms as well as firing the musket – very entertaining and informative. 

Do not miss out on ‘Sweet Making’ demonstration, it is worth your time. You actually get to see the confectioner making their traditional famous hardboiled lollies, using the processes into making their sweets with the equipment they once used and still using. 

What blew us away and horrified us most was the secret ingredients they used to add colouring to their sweets in the 1800s – I won’t spoil it by sharing what they used, you just have to go there and find out for yourself. At the end of the demonstration, each one of us were rewarded with a warm hardboiled lolly that was made in front of us for free, in this case it was Raspberry Drops… yum. 

‘Candle Making’ was an interesting demonstration to watch, it was fascinating how time consuming it is to make candles and watching the candlemaker / chandler in action. At the end of the demonstration, you have the option to purchase a candle and do your own candle dipping to take home. 

‘Gold Pour’ was a magical demonstration to watch, you will see melted gold poured into a mould and minutes later, formed into a gold ingot. 

But do not miss ‘Redcoat Soldiers’, this is a one-off spectacular demonstration to watch. We also squeezed in ‘Blacksmith’ demonstration, beating red hot metal and shape it into hooks, what was popular there was to purchase horseshoes at $7 each and watch your name being imprinted on the horseshoe and take it home as a unique souvenir. 

Unfortunately, we could not do everything that was on our program because we did not have enough time. Had I known this, I would have purchased a two-day pass, I strongly recommend a two-day pass to give you the opportunity to see and do everything that is on offer. 

And yes, there are plenty toilet facilities, food / drinks and an outstanding souvenir shop on site. Doors are closed at 5pm and 5.30pm during daylight savings. 

You can also visit ‘The Gold Museum’ that is located across the road from Sovereign Hill, inclusive with your day-pass tickets.

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The Perfect & Convenient Location in Ballarat

For a family of four, I booked a ‘Two Bedroom Cottage’ for three nights at a total of $520 to serve our holiday purpose – our fun and adventures at the Sovereign Hill and Kryal Castle! 

This two bedroom cottage is self-contained that caters for two adults and four children. Check in time is after 2pm and check out is before 10am. 

Greeted by a friendly, knowledgeable staff, issued the key to our cabin along with a map to show you how to get to your cabin (we were located opposite the reception area) the map was handy to show you what is available on site, also another map of Ballarat to help you get to places easier and on the set of keys provided, there is a plastic tag attached with it, this activates the boom gate when entering and leaving the premises – no need to enter codes. 

We paid the difference owing on our invoice, where you have the option to use credit cards or cash. I was impressed with the reception area, where they provide pamphlets of ‘what to do’ in the area as well as a freezer with a many ice-creams to choose from to purchase as well as coffee – we did use these services but an excellent idea to have. 

What was more impressive was that they offered free Wi-Fi during our stay!!! We walked into our cabin to find a small lounge and dining area furnished with a table and four chairs, two-seater lounge and a television. Very comfortable living conditions with reverse cycle heater / air conditioner, with full size stove and oven, full size refrigerator with complimentary single servings of milk and ice already set in the ice-tray in the freezer, the necessary cooking utensils, plates, glasses, mugs, kettle and complimentary tea bags and to my surprise, iron and ironing board, ensuite and hair dryer. 

The main bedroom has a double-sized bed and a television, the children’s room comes with two sets of single bunk beds. All beds have linen, the double bed made up (not the bunks), there is a towel allocated in front of each pillow, with a small soap per towel. The bathroom has a shower, a toilet and a sink and a face towel. 

There are other facilities available on site according to the map given to us, BBQ area, games room and laundry – which we did not use. 

There is a free guide ‘Best of Ballarat’ that came handy and well used for our dining experience and entertainment available for the month. 

This holiday park is a prime location, especially during summer, where it is situated next door to outdoor heated pool from November to April and offers free entry to all guests of Eureka Stockade Holiday Park – we did not get to use the facility because we were there in October but the pools do look impressive and only a short walking distance to it. 

Walk a little further from the pools, there is a museum M.A.D.E (Museum of Australia Democracy at Eureka) – admission fee applies. 

Or just enjoy the park close-by, it is huge for all to enjoy. On top of all that, not only is this holiday park a couple of kilometres away from Ballarat CBD, it is only a few minutes’ drive from Sovereign Hill and Kryal Castle… BONUS. 

At least we did not have to wake up early for a long drive to these popular destinations – perfect and convenient location for your holiday stay in Ballarat.

https://www.eurekaholidaypark.com.au/

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BIG4 Borderland Wodonga – 65 McKoy Street, Wodonga – Victoria (Australia)

Looking for a quiet, relaxing but an affordable place to stay that will not break your budget? Cabins are the way to go! 

I did want to book a ‘Standard Cabin’ with two bedrooms to cater for two adults and two children but I had left it too late for bookings and had to book a ‘Deluxe Family Cabin’ with two bedrooms for two adults and four children. Proof enough that it is a favourite or perhaps a popular place to rest, so please plan ahead and do not leave it too late like I did. 

Check in time is after 1pm and check out is before 10am. Only needed for a stop over on our way to Ballarat after our four and a half hour drive that cost me $170 for a self-contained cabin. My first cabin experience with my family and we were quite impressed. 

Greeted by a friendly, knowledgeable staff member, issued the key to our cabin (that also works to activate the electricity to your cabin) along with a map to show you how to get to your cabin and also a unique code to activate the boom gate when entering and leaving the premises. He even gave us a map of nearby places and the best way to get there. 

Our cabin had a verandah with outdoor setting if you would prefer to eat outdoors. We walked into our cabin to find an open lounge and dining area furnished with a table and six chairs, two lounges and a television. 

Our cabin was spacious, very comfortable living conditions with reverse cycle heater / air conditioner, full size gas stove and oven, full size refrigerator with six single servings of milk and ice already set in the ice-tray in the freezer, microwave, toaster and the necessary cooking utensils, plates, glasses, mugs, kettle and tea bags. 

The main bedroom has a queen-sized bed and a television, the children’s room comes with two sets of bunk beds. All beds have linen and are made up, there is a towel allocated in front of each pillow, with a small soap per towel. The bathroom has a shower, a toilet and a sink with complimentary small tubes of shampoo, conditioner and body wash (enough for a couple of washes) placed beside a face towel. 

You do have free Wi-Fi but only enough to open one email, should you require more of this service, it attracts a further fee – which we did not bother because we were leaving the following day. 

There are other facilities available that we noticed when I drove to our cabin that is included in the price, such as BBQ area, as well as a ‘Jumping Pillow’ (similar to a jumping castle but instead it looked like a huge blown pillow to bounce on), there were children already bouncing happily on that pillow. 

What is not included in the price is the laundry facility – it is coin operated, again I did not use it, so I have no clue if laundry detergent was available in there as well. 

We were also advised that we get 10% discount should we dine at Edward’s Tavern – only walking distance and that we did. 

They also cater for pets, we had a dog kennel on our verandah. I am sure there are many more facilities there but we did not stay there long enough to explore and see what else is on offer. 

But I can definitely say we were well rested to continue on with our travels the following day – a very quiet place to rest.

 

#big4borderland #big4borderlandwodonga #big4wodonga #borderlandwodonga #travel, #trip, #traveling, #experience, #traveller, #travelphotography, #travelblogger, #traveltheworld, #travelblog, #travels, #traveladdict, #travellife, #travelphoto, #travelpics, #traveldiaries, #travelbug, #travelawesome, #travelpic, #travelers, #travelgirl, #traveldiary, #traveldeeper, #travellingthroughtheworld, #travellers, #travelmore

Shellharbour Ocean Pool

Port Kembla Beach

Belmore Falls – One of Many Australia’s Hidden Gems

We had a day out at Robertson and part of our day was to visit one of the most talked about falls ‘Belmore Falls’. It is about 9 kilometres from town, it only took us perhaps a 5-minute-drive to get there. It has a nice picnic ground and plenty of free parking however our intentions was to see the double waterfalls surrounded by Kangaroo Valley landscapes – we already had lunch in town. When we saw the waterfall, there are no words to describe it. The waterfalls were breathtaking with serene atmosphere and amazing in real life – photos do not justify this place. This is truly an underrated place and a hidden gem that Australia has to offer – nature at its best! We are so fortunate, Australia is truly beautiful country.

JAMERBOO ACTION PARK (1215 Jamberoo Road – Jamberoo NSW, Australia)

Whether you’re a tourist or a local, it’s advisable to buy ‘Summer Fun Pass’. If you do your math, ‘Day Pass’ is $64.99 (adult), $54.99 (child 4 – 12 years) – for one day only, while the ‘Summer Fun Pass’ gives you entry to the park a total of 65 days for $94.94. If you go twice with the ‘Summer Fun Pass’ it works out cheaper than the ‘Day Pass’. I can guarantee you, that if you have younger children like myself, you will definitely go there more than once and yes… I did buy ‘Summer Fun Pass’ because it’s the smartest thing to do.

Jamberoo Action Park is opened 10am till 5pm, plenty of free parking available, bathroom facilities, eateries to dine at and lockers to store your valuables for $10 per day hire. Trust me, you will need a locker, you don’t want to lose or ruin your valuables in the wet and wild rides? The locker works on a pin system, reasonably sized – not too small and not too large… just the right size and you can access it many times during the day. Here’s something exciting… the lockers allow you to charge your devices while you’re having a great time splashing about. Just bring along your charger and cord to plug into the power board inside your locker.

What rides do I recommend? ALL of course, especially if it’s your first time there! Everyone has different tastes in rides but my favourite, exhilarating rides are ‘The Perfect Storm’ ranking as my #1 followed by ‘The Funnel Web’ as #2.

The Perfect Storm is a four seater ride, where you start off smooth until you reach your first drop, giving you a simulator experience of being stuck in a tornado, where it’s all dark with flashes of lightning and the ride only gets rougher – a bit hard on my tail bone but that didn't stop me from going on that ride again - love the ride. However, not a good ride for those who are afraid of the dark or bad back.

The Funnel Web is also a four seater ride and similar to The Perfect Storm, only you’re not in the dark – this would suit those people who want a similar ride to The Perfect Storm but not in the dark. That’s why these two rides are my favourites because they’re just exhilarating rides.

If you don’t want to go on rides and want to go to the beach, you can go to ‘Outback Bay’. It’s a huge pool where you can swim or catch a wave (staff pre-warns you when the waves are coming – about every 15 minutes) or simply relax on the sand or deck chairs and soak up the sun.

If ‘Outback Bay’ doesn’t suit you, there’s ‘Rapid River’ where you can casually enjoy floating along the rapids on the rubber rafts. It can be rough hitting the rapids and the waterfalls (not too rough though) or you can simply avoid it.

There’s also a section for younger children to enjoy – family friendly place with loads of rides to enjoy. There are two ‘dry’ rides as well, ‘Bobsled’ and ‘Chairlift’, where you are required to wear your clothes – your swimwear is not adequate, this is when the lockers come in handy.

There are two tracks on the ‘Bobsled’ one with high speeds and the other with less speed – the choice is yours. Or ‘Chairlift’ where you can enjoy breathtaking views. I could go on with all the rides, but it’s best if you experience the rides first hand – words cannot justify the experience and thrills of these rides.

We had lunch at ‘Bombora Seafood’, where we had fish ‘n’ chips of course. It costs $14 per meal but I can honestly say you get your money’s worth. As an adult, I was struggling to finish my meal while my teenage daughters couldn’t finish their meal – and they are good eaters! But they are not limited with just fish ‘n’ chips, they sell burgers, pies / sausage rolls, hotdogs, sweets, ice-creams, etc and beverages both hot and cold drinks. A well-thought out park that will cater even for the fussy customers both rides and food.

https://www.jamberoo.net/

EASTERN BEACH RESERVE – (95 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong – Australia)

A nice family-friendly place to enjoy. This is a well-thought out place, with a pool for the youngsters and a shark-proof beach for teenagers and adults to enjoy. Walking upon the boardwalk heading into ‘the beach section’ you will notice metal plaques on each piece of slats with a name on it, the individuals kindly paid and donated that particular slats for the boardwalk. 

In the beach section, apart from swimming, you can have lots of fun where there are floating islands where you could play by sliding off a rotating barrel and into the water or simply climb up a large diving tower for that big splash you were hanging out for plus more. 

You can see many lifeguards patrolling the area that puts your mind at ease as well. If you want something to eat or have a cool drink or treat, there are kiosks there to cater for your needs. They also have a picnic area with facilities or playgrounds if you don't want to get wet – lots to do there. 

But what this beach is famously known for is their Baywalk Bollards, scattered all over the place. Each set of bollards represent a story of the city’s past, the bollards are from old timbers and piles from a city pier and transformed into beautiful work of art by an Australian artist Jan Mitchell. If you want to know the story that goes with the bollards, there is a book available for purchase from the Carousel at the Waterfront. And yes… I couldn’t help myself, I had to take a photo of myself with these characters. 

You could easily spend a whole day there with plenty to do and see.

#geelong #easternbeachreserve

WERRIBEE PARK AND MANSION – (K Rd, Werribee South Victoria – Australia)

If you are looking for that “perfect” place to relax and enjoy your surroundings, Werribbe Park and Mansion is that perfect destination – run by Parks Victoria. It is only 30 minutes from Melbourne by car, with plenty of free parking available and the best part is… entry to this magnificent Werribee Park Gardens and Victoria State Rose Garden is FREE. 

We strolled through the park and absorbed the well laid out landscape of roses in many colours and took time in smelling their fragrances. Plenty of places where you could sit down on their sculpted seats or pick a spot on their luscious green lawn – the area is huge to walk around that enables you to find a suitable piece of lawn to rest upon, under a shade of tree or sunlight – your choice. I even saw a family kicking the ball – a family-friendly place to visit. 

Many photo opportunities and then there is “The Mansion”. You cannot miss the mansion because it truly is a mansion, it was built during the 19th Century (Victorian era) with Italianate architecture style. They do run tours there where you have the opportunity to see inside the Mansion and the history that goes with it, but we chose not to do it, we were quite happy enjoying the free views of ‘The Mansion’. 

There is also a café located near the mansion where you could buy something to eat, have a cuppa or an ice-cream or why not bring along a picnic basket instead? And yes… they do have toilet facilities there as well. If you had a stressful day, smell the rose that would surely make you forget the past and an opportunity to recoup!

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/werribee-park
  

ARROWS PLUS – (17 Wallace Avenue, Point Cook, Victoria – Australia)

Now this is a sport that would suit people with a small budget. Bookings are essential, for it is a very popular sport. So if you want to find out if this is the sport for you, give it a go, it would not affect your budget. 

It only costs $15 per person, per hour but the price includes the use of equipment that is supplied to you on the day when you attend. 

 It’s a family business operated by mother ‘Irene’ and her son ‘Luke’ who are both exceptionally skilled and professional shooters. 

The venue has limited free parking spaces available and the range is an 18-metre indoor range. We were greeted by both Irene and Luke, they handed us the ‘safety rules’ sheet for us to read that you must follow before doing archery and then they explained the rules to you verbally to be sure you understood it clearly. 

They are very strict on their safety rules, so everybody can enjoy their time and leave the range without any injuries. You then need to sign-in when you start the and sign-out when leaving. 

We were handed arm guards and finger guards for your protection, asked whether you’re a right-handed or left-handed person and selected the appropriate bow for your body size. We each received six arrows and were instructed that our feet must not go over the yellow lines. 

They showed us how to place the arrow properly on the bow, how to aim and then shoot when ready. Once you shot all arrows, you must wait until everybody has before it is clear to collect your arrows and do it all again until your hour is up. 

I was pretty amazed with myself, I did manage to hit the bullseye many times! And then to make it fun and entertaining, Irene added a balloon on the target for us to hit. It was hard but I managed. I enjoyed my experience of archery so much, that I ended up going there another two more times – I was only a visitor in Melbourne. 

My second visit, my target was moved further away, I’m guessing because I needed more of a challenge and on my third visit, my target was at the end of the room. Very thrilling and self-satisfying indeed. 

They have bathroom facilities, café and if you’re keen and serious about archery, you can shop for your basic archery needs there as well. Suitable for ages 8 years+.

http://www.arrowsplus.net/