The Great Aussie Market: Vic Market

The Queen Victoria Market (also known as ‘Vic Market’) is the southern hemisphere’s most largest open-air market and offers a variety of fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood, gourmet and deli foods as well as specialty delicacies. On Sundays, a much wider range of merchant items is available and is almost alike a modern Arabian Nights bazaar. The Queen Victoria Market is a major tourist destination and was named after Queen Victoria who ruled the British Empire, from 1837 to 1901 and the market is now an historic landmark for Melbourne as the building dates back to more than 120 years ago.

Locals often visit QV Market mainly because of the vast variety and abundant availability of beautiful fresh seafood.

I love this section of the market – bakeries full of fresh breads and pastries, pastas, cheeses, and more! Oh my.

Feta & Spinach and Beef & Onion

Quiches and Home Made Pies… Ooooh lorrddd.

But best of all.. MACARONS AND CAKES!

Where do you go to get fresh coffee beans and tea leaves? QV Market!

Fresh pastas, ready to cook.

Honey, dried fruits and nuts!

Fresh fruit market. This place is hugeeeeee.

Did I say… FRESH!!

It also has a large non-food related market, selling a diverse range of clothing, shoes, jewellery and handmade art and crafts.

What I love most about this place is the availability of unique Australian items and souvenirs for vistors (and locals like me!) all round. Can you ever have enough koala and kangaroo plushes?

Too cute!

Did you ever want to grab yourself a the famous Aussie bush tucket hat? You can take the opportunity to pick one up right here.. For cheap too!

The market was also once known as a a thriving underground pirated goods centre however there was a massive crackdown in 1997 and the market cleaned up its reputation.. But you still find some pretty strange coloured (with odd Brand Labels with unusual fonts) here. It’s “UGG”, really? You sure?

And why of course, I just had to buy one of these. AUSTRALIA!

Vic Market: Trading hours and Location

The Queen Victoria Market trading hours are 6am to 2pm on Tuesday and Thursday; 6am to 6pm (with the general merchandise section closing at 4pm) on Friday; 6am to 3pm on Saturday; and 9am to 4pm on Sunday. The market is closed on Monday and Wednesday, and on Good Friday, Anzac Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

About the Crown Casino Chinese New Year Festival at Southbank, Melbourne

Each year, Crown Casino holds a festival in celebration of Chinese New Year. I’ve been to the festival once before and enjoyed it so we went back again this year.

Southbank is filled with bright red hanging Chinese lanterns, hawker (street) stalls and hungry hungry people. There is also light entertainment with traditional Chinese dances and the most-loved lion dance. I love all the street food and the colourful dances!

Holding a festival for Chinese New Year at Crown Casino is perfect – since Asians love casinos and they all flock to this event. I don’t normally like Asian festivals because they’re overcrowded and dirty, but Crown Casino always makes sure that their events are classy and well organised.

 Chinese New Year Festival 2011 at Crown Casino Photos

Here’s me with Denny and my mum on Southbank.

I especially enjoy visiting the Crown Atrium (where the hotel is) to see what decorations they have in store.

On our long drive along the Lyell Highway from Hobart to Davenport, we decided to stretch our legs in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Within a short walk from where we parked our car, we found ourselves surrounded by natural beauty. It was so peaceful and green!  

And after a very short 20 minute stroll, we found ourselves at Nelson Falls. I’ve seen photos of these Falls before and they’re just extrodinary with water continuously gushing to the bottom. I suppose with Australia’s recent drought, there wasn’t much water here but I was sure glad there was water at all! There are so many lakes and waterfalls in Victoria and New South Wales that I’ve seen to have been completely dried up which is really unfortunate. 

After we marvelled at the falls for a little bit (and after many mozzie bites), we were on our way to the famous Cradle Mountain. The area is frequented by many tourists all year round as it has a large number of day walks as well as strenuous hikes of up to 6.5 hours. This climb involves scrambling over large boulders for several hundred metres so you need to be fairly fit and hope for a lovely dry day. 

I know we were in Tasmania during the summer, but I didn’t prepare myself for a Tasmanian summer – it was cold and rainy that day! Here’s me and my family in front of Dove Lake & Cradle Mountain. Notice how I look like I’m freezing my ass off! Hahahaha. 

Here’s me up on a boulder in front of Dove Lake when it started to rain! See the dark clouds! Nooooooooo! 

Here’s my mummy and daddy in the rain :) Hehehe. 

And then we were back onto the Spirit of Tasmania and off back home to Melbourne! 

Here’s a lovely shot of the Melbourne cityscape from the ship! Homeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee <3 

Ever since my brother and I visited America, we’ve had a huge craving for good ol’ American burgers. Juicy, fatty, delicious burgers that is. We’ve been lingering for the taste of a good burger til we return to the States. I recently discovered that there is an American owned diner in Prahan, not far from the City of Melbourne, called Misty’s diner! We were so delighted that all the people that worked there still have their American accent! Hehehe.

Here’s the sign welcoming you to go in – Best American Style Burgers, Chili Fries, All Day Breakfast - how can anybody resist?!?!

This is the interior of the diner. Love the booths, the jukebox and the American car plates!

Here’s Peter and Hao patiently waiting for our food.

How good do these burgers look with chili fries!

Here’s Peter with his meal.

Here’s Hao’s burger!

And here’s Hao with his burger!

All of us at the booth! :) Good times. Haha.

Misty's Diner Restaurant Review
Food
Atmosphere
Service
Value

Overall
Good food at decent prices but love the great service. The people were lovely!

Just a short distance away from the City of Melbourne, is St Kilda which is located on the bayside and home to Melbourne’s most famous beach. While it has been long known to be home of druggies and prostitutes, they’ve been pushed out of the area and is now alive with new apartments, restaurants, cafes, and a new image.

Places to visit in St Kilda include:

One of the biggest sporting events in Melbourne is the annual Spring Racing Carnival which is held during late October to mid November (the spring time). In Australia, the cricket and tennis are the most popular sports during the summer, whilst the Australian football and rugby are the most popular sports during the winter. However in the autumn and spring it is racing season and almost everybody comes out in celebration.

Whilst there are many carnivals held at different racecourse around the city of Melbourne (Caufield Carnival, Flemington Carnival, Sandown Carnival, Moonee Valley Carnival, Geelong Carnival), the most famous and popular carnival is the Flemington Carnival and attracts the most attention from the media and the wider community. It spans across four days starting on Saturday and includes the four following events.

Flemington Carnival (Spring Racing Carnival) 

• The Victoria Derby is held on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup. It is a set-weights race for three-year-old horses. There are also other major races held on this day as well, making it the biggest day in racing.
• The Melbourne Cup handicap race is held on the first Tuesday in November, and is a public holiday in Victoria, but the Cup is witnessed by those all around Australia as well as internationally.
• The VRC Oaks race is held on the Thursday following the Cup. It is a three-year-old fillies race, and traditionally it has been known as ‘ladies’ day’.
• The VRC Stakes day is held on the Saturday following the Oaks, and traditionally it has been known as ‘family day’.

Out of all of the four events, the Victorian Derby is known to be the classiest. It is held annually on the first day of Melbourne’s annual Spring Racing Carnival and marks the beginning of Melbourne Cup Week. The total prize money for the race is A$1,500,000 and $10,000 trophy.

Whilst the major focus of Victoria Derby Day is the stars of the turf (since it is the only race day in Australia where each and every race has Group Status), in recent years the annual ‘Fashions on the Field’ celebrations have shared the limelight. ‘Derby Day’ is traditionally a ‘Men’s day’ in the Fashion Stakes, and every year increasing numbers of fashionable gentlemen competing for prizes and a spot in the social columns. Traditionally black and white are worn on this day by women and morning suits by men. The flower of the day is a blue cornflower.

I had so much fun at this event, sipping on champagne and checking out all the other girls hats and dresses. I wore a black and white hat, a black and white scarf, a black dress and a black blazer. All the guys looked spiffy in their grey suits but I didn’t see many who wore the traditional blue cornflower which was unfortunate. If you’re ever in Melbourne during the spring this is a MUST-GO event with Derby Day being the event I recommend the most! You will have so much fun!

More Derby Day 2008 Photos