I took the opportunity today to visit a very different and delicious restaurant, Lentil As Anything. This restaurant was unlike any I have ever visited before; Lentil survives on the generosity of its patrons. There are no prices, no bill when you finish your meal, no cash register, just a box near the front of the restaurant where patrons may, if they wish, pay what they feel.
So let me first talk about the restaurant, then we'll revisit the concept of Lentil. When you first enter, it can be a little confusing as to where you are meant to go. To get to the front you walk past the outdoor dining tables and there may be someone out front preparing food for the next group of visitors. You'll see the days menu on a big chalkboard near the main door, there is also a menu just inside on a large white board. Chances are someone will greet you here and this is where you will order your meal. They will also happily answer any questions about the menu- like, What is a Sri Lankan Farmers breakfast?
Once you've ordered you can choose a place to sit, out front, inside, or outside in the rear of the building. Just be sure to let the staff know where you're headed so they can bring your food. The food is all vegetarian and you'll find a mix of traditional as well as foods from all over the world. You can see the brekky menu on the above photo and later on you can enjoy items such as: lentil burgers, Vietnamese salad, Japanese cabbage-and-carrot pancake, or a range of curries.
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal of poached eggs on toast for myself,
for my husband, The Sri Lankan Farmers Breakfast (a crepe filled with spiced potatoes and other veg),
and for the kids, sweet French Toast.
We were pleasantly surprised with the quality and presentation of the food. When you take in the surroundings of mismatched chairs and tables along with the eclectic art hanging on the walls you may wonder what type of food you'll be eating. But not to worry, the food was delicious!
Lentil's philosophy of trust and generosity allows them to provide food for all, including those with very limited resources. They also provide training and educational opportunities for new migrants, refugees, and the long-term unemployed. Basically, if you are willing to put on an apron, you are welcome to work in the kitchen.
Name: Lentil As Anything Telephone: (03) 9419 6444 Website: www.lentilasanything.com Location: 1 Hellers Street, Abbotsford, Victoria 3067 Geting There: Via public transport the best way is bus. Take the 200, 201 or 207 from Lonsdale, or the 205 from Melbourne Uni (it then heads down Lygon, Elgin and Johnston), get off at the Clarke St stop (just before you cross over the Yarra). Turn right and walk down Clarke then left onto Hellers and into the Abbotsford Convent.
We were craving some Italian the other night and were having dinner with friends, so gave Toto's a try. We've walked by plenty of times and it's always bustling with lots of patrons enjoying themselves, so that's a pretty good gauge that's its worth a try. Toto's is located on the city side of Lygon Street, which makes it really convenient to us city-folk. They opened up in 1961 and claim to be the first pizza restaurant in Australia. One thing I can say for sure is that their pizza was yummy! We actually had our food delivered this time, which is a nice option. We tried Toto's Super Special (tomato, cheese, hot salami, ham, mild peppers, mushrooms, olives, prawns) and the Pizza Bolognia (tomato, cheese, spiced meat, onion, bacon, salami, ham). I preferred the Super Special as the Bolognia was just too much meat, and I'll say I liked it so much that I'll have a hard time trying something different next time. The olives were a mix of black olives and kalamata olives, which gave it such a nice, distinctive flavour.
We also tried a few pasta dishes, the Fettucini carbonara and Rigatoni matriciana, both were delicious. I was really impressed with the value of the food at Toto's. It was delicious and quite inexpensive. A pasta main dish costs under $11 and was more than enough food. The main meals (meat based) are served with chips and a salad and include things like chicken parmagiana, veal scaloppine, porterhouse steak - In my opinion the mains were nothing special (we tried the chicken parm), I'd rather have a flavourful pasta any day.
Bottom line- great pizzas and pastas, affordable, casual/family friendly
Sorry for the lack of pics (next time I'll take some, because I'm sure we'll be back)
Name: Toto's Pizza House Telephone: 03 9347 1888 Website: totospizzahouse.com Location: 101 Lygon Street, Carlton Getting There: Take the Free City Circle Tram to Russell and La Trobe (at the North of the City) get off the tram and walk North (Russell turns into Lygon St)
It was brought to my attention that I have failed to do a post about Queen Victoria Market! I can explain why... I live close enough to our beloved market that I am lucky enough to do lots of my shopping there. I guess it has become such a normal part of my life that I forgot it's also a tourist destination! So today I brought my camera and tried to look at the market through the eyes of a first-timer.
When most people hear "market" they think fresh produce/farmer's market, and they would be right. Queen Victoria's Fruit and Veg Precinct is amazing. The produce is fresh and delicious. I saw some of the biggest mangoes I've ever seen during the summer, literally, as big as small pineapple. Beyond its quality, the produce is also wonderfully inexpensive. Just to give you an idea, I was there today and bought Willaim Bartlett pears for $1.50/kg, white button mushrooms for $4.00/kg, and Pink Lady apples for $1.00/kg. There's also an organic section where you can find 3 certified fresh fruit stalls and an organic dry goods outlet.
One of my favorite parts of the Market is the Deli Hall. Here you will find heaps of fresh bread/bakery stalls, local and imported cheeses, dips, olives, chocolate/sweets shops, and poultry shops (where you will also find game meats like crocodile, rabbit, kangaroo).
Within the Deli Hall you'll also find a number of take-away stalls where you can get some great eats to take to the tables outside for a quick bite or eat as you browse the rest of the market.
One of my favorites is Colour of Earth (shop 97-98), which specializes in all-natural pizzas. They make a variety of Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian pizzas, as well as full gluten, meaty pizzas :)
I spoke with their chef, who told me they've started grinding their own specialty flours to make the pizza bases, including: pumpkin, beetroot, polenta, wholemeal and white. They make so many different flavours you're sure to find one that suits your taste buds; from a simple margherita to a spicy satay or asparagus pizza. Delicious!
There's also a food court in the market with plenty of options to satisfy your hunger (my favorite in the food court is the butter chicken from Drums).
Adjacent to the Deli Hall is the Meat Hall. Here is where you find all types of meats; pork, beef, lamb, with every cut to suit your needs. The Meat Hall also home to ten fishmongers, offering whole fish, fillets and crustaceans. Even if your just touring the market, don't skip a walk through the Meat Hall. It's quite a sight to see the butchers shouting their specials down the aisle, luring customers to their stalls.
Finally we come to the general merchandise stalls. When I pulled out my camera to capture this section of the market I was at a loss. There is such a variety of goods sold here that I could not choose just one photo to illustrate the diversity of market stalls. Instead, let me give you an idea of the many things you'll find. Clothing- children's, women's, men's, leather coats, wool and cashmere jackets, shoes, accessories Sheepskin- australia is known for their sheepskin and you'll find all types here: rugs, seat covers, fake UGGs (I've done my research and the UGGs you find at the market are true sheepskin, but are not the REAL UGG brand) Home decor- artwork, sculpture, photo frames, gifts, fabrics, pillow covers Souvenirs- boomerangs, photos, didgeridoo Toys- stuffed animals, children's books, dolls
Trips the market are not complete without a stop at one of the Doughnut Vans. The Spanish Doughnut Van (located in the upper market past the Fruits and Veg) sell hot, crispy Spanish-style churros. My personal favorite is The American Doughnut Kitchen has been making hot delicious, jam-filled doughnuts right in their van since 1950. The queue can be quite long on weekends, but totally worth it in my opinion.
TAKE NOTE OF THE HOURS:
Monday- Closed; Tuesday- 6am to 2pm; Wednesday- Closed; Thursday- 6am to 2pm; Friday- 6am to 5pm (General Merchandise to 4pm); Saturday- 6am to 3pm; Sunday- 9am to 4pm
Name: Queen Victoria Market Telephone: 03 9320 5822 Website: www.qvm.com.au/qvm
Location: corner of Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne Getting There: Take the City Circle Tram and exit at La Trobe and Elizabeth Street, then head north
Among all the Italian restaurants on Lygon Street there a few misplaced Asian restaurants that should not be overlooked. We tried out Ying Thai 2 last Friday night and if the number of people waiting for a table indicates anything...then we were in for a treat.
Restaurants here in the Melbourne CBD are not like the big chains found outside of the city, you won't normally have to wait for a table. But the night we went there was a full house.We waited about 15 minutes for a table, then another 5 for the server to clean the table from the previous patrons, another 10 before he took our order, and our food came after about 15 minutes. Wow, when I say it like that it sounds like a lot of waiting. I was pretty excited to try it out after all the good things I had heard, so the wait really didn't bother me, but it's something to be aware of (on a Friday night anyway). While we waited I had plenty of time to take in the atmosphere. Not exactly what you'd expect of a Thai restaurant, the decor was a little more like a kindergarten, bright colors, drawing on the wall. Something different.
On to the most important part...the food. They offer a fairly large menu, featuring salads, noodles, curry, stir fry, and rice dishes. Most main dishes range in price from $13-$16.
We opted for the Kao Pud (Thai style fried rice with onion, sping onion, egg and choice of meat) and Pud Thai (I usually see this dish as Pad Thai).
We also tried the Gang Panang (Mild thai curry in coconut milk with Kaffir lime leaves) over sticky rice. Bottom line- Very authentic, very flavorful, high quality ingredients, I loved the Pud Thai (some of the best I've had). Next time I will probably order different items from the menu (I'm not up at night craving the Gang Panang, although it was good), but I will definitely be back. When ordering keep in mind the Thai love their chili, mild is equivalent to a typical medium and if you order hot be prepared to blow fire.
Name: Ying Thai 2 Telephone: 03 9639 1697 Website: none Location: 110 Lygon Street, Carlton Getting There: Take the Free City Circle Tram to Russell and La Trobe (at the North of the City) get off the tram and walk North (Russell turns into Lygon St)
I had a friend visiting from the United States and decided it was the perfect opportunity to tour the Great Ocean Road. Since I live in the CBD and don't have a car I had to come up with a way to get there. I had two options 1) Pay for a tour that would drive us around, stopping at all the spots they thought were interesting 2) Hire a car and try my hand at driving in a foreign country for the first time... on the other side of the road....on a very winding road (with lots of beautiful scenery to distract me). Although I normally prefer being able to plan my own outings and spend as much time as I like or stop wherever I want, I opted to go with a tour company, A Tour With A Difference (which I highly recommend- small group, great guide, lots of good stops).
Our first stop was just outside the town of Torquay, Victoria's surfing capital. Torquay itself is a great little town where you could easily spend the whole weekend. There are awesome surf beaches as well as protected beaches, perfect for the family. If you're into surfwear, this is the places for shopping. Every major surf label has a retail store here.
One of the calmer beaches, at Torquay
Cape Otway Lighthouse was our next stop along the way. The lighthouse was the second lighthouse built on the Australian mainland (built in 1848). You can take a tour of the lighthouse at 11am, 2pm, or 3pm, or it's open for self-guided tours from 9am-4:45pm (entrance fees apply).
Just down the path from the lighthouse you will, of course, find the views the Great Ocean Road is famous for.
Another seaside resort town, Lorne is a popular holiday location along Loutit Bay. Lorne boasts a 2km of protected beach, perfect for families. Near Lorne there are 5 waterfalls to visit, getting to the falls range from easy 1/2 km walks to 8 km hikes.
Another next must-see destination is the small hamlet of Kennett River. This is one place that you are almost guaranteed to see some adorable koalas in the wild. With the forests of local gum trees the koalas have a plentiful food source here. On our tour we pulled just off the main road and were able to see two or three koalas snoozing high up in the trees. I have been told that if you head further up the road you can see lots more (30-40).
We also stopped at the Cape Patton Lookout, but I won't bore you with another beautiful coastal photo. :)
Don't miss the Great Ocean Road sign for a photo-op:
To change things up a bit after all the coastal views, we headed inland to the Cape Otway National Park. We took the Mait's Rest Rainforest Trail through the beautiful untouched rainforest. According to our tour guide Mait's Rest is named after one of the original settlers who explored this region and typically stopped to rest and camp at this location. I was really surprised how much cooler the temperature became as we moved into the rainforest. The path is very easy and only takes about 30 minutes.
If you'd like to check out an amazing beach and get a sneak peak of the Apostles, head to Gibsons Steps, where you can take 86 steps down the cliff face to the beach. You can see one of the Apostles and if the tide is low enough you can continue around the corner of the cliffs and see another. It a beautiful view from sea level that you won't get at the 12 Apostles Park.
It's on to the highlight of the trip, the 12 Apostles, which was just as beautiful as expected.
The Twelve Apostles have been created by constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland that began 10–20 million years ago. The stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore.
Here you have lots of options, there are accommodations if you'd like to stay the night, helicopter rides for a different point of view, or you can just take a walk out along the pathway to enjoy the scenery.
Not far down the road, and completely worth a stop is Loch Ard Gorge. This location is famous not only for its beauty, but also for the story that accompanies the beach.
The Loch Ard departed England on 2 March 1878, bound for Melbourne, carrying a crew of 17 men and 37 passengers. On 1 June, the ship was approaching Melbourne and expecting to sight land when it encountered heavy fog. Unable to see the Cape Otway lighthouse, the captain was unaware how close he was running to the coast. The fog lifted around 4am, revealing breakers and cliff faces. Captain Gibbs quickly ordered sail to be set to come about and get clear of the coast, but they were unable to do so in time, and ran aground on a reef. The masts and rigging came crashing down, killing some people on deck and preventing the lifeboats from being launched effectively. The ship sank within 10 or 15 minutes of striking the reef.
The only two survivors of the wreck were 18 year olds, Eva Carmichael and Tom Pearce. They came ashore at what is now known as Loch Ard Gorge and sheltered there before seeking assistance.
The final stop on our journey was that of the London Bridge. This formation used to be connected to the mainland and visitors were allowed to walk out across the two arches until the arch closest to the shoreline unexpectedly collapsed in 1990, leaving two tourists stranded on the remaining arch. Luckily nobody was injured and the stranded tourists were rescued by helicopter.
A beautiful day, beautiful scenery, lots to see and do. You could easily spend a whole week exploring the Great Ocean Road staying in the seaside towns along the way, or do it like I did, in one long day.
Head down the steps from Federation Square and turn left (as opposed to walking into the Yarra River), you'll find Birrarung Marr
Its name comes from the language of the Wurundjeri people who originally inhabited this area, 'Birrarung' means 'river of mists' while ‘Marr’ refers to the side of the river.
This is a great spot for the kids to get some energy out. We find that when we go down to Southbank or Fed Square area my kids always need a break right about the time we cross the river, so this play yard is a perfect stopping point.
The park features rock and rope climbing features, swinging hammocks, a swing for wheelchairs, picnic tables and don't worry, public toilets too.
ArtPlay is a civic studio where families and children can be creative and express themselves in ArtPlay’s open and supportive environment.
At ArtPlay, children up to the age of 13 and their families are encouraged to learn the language of art together.
Our mission at ArtPlay is to involve children and their families in artistic, interactive and creative projects. Through workshops with professional artists, ArtPlay aims to improve educational and arts opportunities for children.
If you have adventurous climbers, just past the playground is a formation of boulders with rock carvings, see if your kids can identify the animals carved into the boulders.
You can see the Giant Sky Wheel just past the boulders. Don't walk down there if you don't want your kids to beg for a ride!
The Sky Wheel is the largest travelling Ferris wheel in the southern hemisphere, so it won't stay here forever. Rides cost about $8 per person and a ride lasts about 10 minutes.
Suga Lolly Shop is a great place to stop for a treat while shopping at the Royal Arcade or anywhere along Bourke Street Mall. They make the lollies right there in the shop in front of a big window looking out onto the arcade, so all the lolly-lovers can watch there treats being made right in front of them.
Established in 1998, Suga makes old-fashioned rock candy completely by hand. Their "lolliologists" create heaps of flavours, as well as lollies with tiny messages inside. You can even order personalized treats to suit an special occasion.
Name: Suga Telephone: 03 9663 5654 Website: www.suga.com.au Admission: Free, but you'll want to buy some lollies! They run between $4.50 and $6.50 for a package Location: Royal Arcade, Shop 20, Bourke Street, Melbourne Getting There: Bourke Street runs east/west across the center of the city. Between Swanston and Elizabeth St. is the Bourke St Mall, you'll find the Royal Arcade here.
Head up 88 stories to the highest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere!
It's pretty touristy but you really can't beat the view up there.
There are floor to ceiling windows around the whole floor so you can really see every bit of Melbourne. Dotted around the space they have fixed scopes you can look through to see key buildings and landmarks and of course there's a snack kiosk in case you get hungry.
The EDGE experience is also available, where you enter a glass box which is then moved out from the building (so you can look down below you through the glass) be aware that it does cost extra. Apparently a lot of people have been confused about that. It costs nearly as much as your ticket up and from what I hear it's not any better view, I think it's more for the thrill of looking down and seeing the ground 300 meters below you.
Name: Eureka Skydeck Telephone: 03 9693 8888 Website: www.eurekaskydeck.com.au Admission: Adult $16.50, Child $9.00, Family $39.00 Location: Riverside Quay, Southbank Getting There: Take any tram along Swanston/St. Kilda and exit at Flinders St. Head east from there along the river and just head toward the really tall building :) You can't really miss it!
Where to start? There are lots of things to do on Phillip Island. We did it in one day, we hired a car and drove down in the morning and then left after the Penguin Parade, however there is more than enough to keep you busy for two days, so consider staying overnight on the island. That being said I'll tell about the things we did, and give some other info on the attractions we missed.
Our first stop was Woolamai Beach- I was so sad we only brought bathing suits for the kids, because it was a really fun swimming/surfing beach. Next time, we'll bring suits and boogie boards. There were lifeguards keeping watch over the swimmers, that always makes me feel a little safer.
From Woolamai Beach Carpark there are two walking trails. The first is a two hour walk heading up to the highest point on the island, Cape Woolamai. The is also a one hour walk along the beach to the Colonnades, a "natural attraction featuring columns of basalt and is best seen at low tide". No dogs are allowed on either path. Check here for more walking paths on the island.
Along the main road there is also Surf Beach (original name, right?) which I'm sure is also an awesome beach.
Next stop was the Koala Conservation Centre, so cool! There is a nice gift shop and Visitors Center where you can learn about the koalas before going out to see them. There are a few different paths, The Koala Boardwalk, Woodlands Path and one other that I forget the name :) The Koala Boardwalk is a raised platform that allows you to the walk high up in the gum trees where some of the koalas are resting right at eye level. We got some great views of the adorable little guys.
We were even lucky enough to see a few with their eyes open. Since they sleep 18-20 hours a day, that is pretty exciting.
Don't skip the woodlands walks because you're likely to see some cute little wallabies jumping around and even an echidna if you're lucky.
Another destination is the Churchill Island Heritage Farm. We didn't have time to make it there, but it looked like a lot of fun. Here's what the website says about it:
Experience a piece of Victoria's heritage on this historic island, where you can enjoy a relaxing stroll through the fragrant cottage gardens and lawns. Coastline walks offer magnificent views of Phillip Island and Western Port, while the restored farmhouse and cottages provide a glimpse into the past lives of early Australian settlers and past farming practices.
It was about 2:30pm and by this point int he day we were STARVING! We headed over to the town of Cowes to grab lunch. Bad idea at 2:30pm because most places were closed till dinner. We finally found Gulliver's Cafe and restaurant and grabbed some fish and chips. It was fine, but I was so hungry that anything would have tasted great, so I wouldn't be a very good critic. The town itself was unimpressive, though it did have a lovely bayside beach and nice tree lined main street.
I asked someone once what these trees are called but I cannot, for the life of me, remember. So if you know, please leave me a comment and tell me! I love them!
We didn't go to the Phillip Island Wildlife Park, but I would highly recommend it because you'll have a chance to hand feed the kangaroos, and we all know how much I love that! They also have bats, dingoes, wombats and heaps of other animals.
Next on our list was a visit to The Nobbies, which is a free center and walk along the cliffs just past the Penguin parade entrance. It's the perfect thing to do for a couple hours before you go see the penguins.
The center has lots of great information on the marine life found around Phillip Island, including some cool interactive displays. But the highlight of the Nobbies is the view. Head out onto the boardwalk to the bright green hillside cliffs that drop into the ocean.
Check out all the interesting rock formations at the base of the cliffs, including the blowhole. Wait for a big wave to come into this cave and as it crashes at the back water comes spraying out the mouth of the cave.
On a clear day they say you can see fur seals off the shore, but we didn't see a single one.We did, however, see some of the adorable fairy penguins high up on the hills, poking their heads out of their burrows.
Since you cannot take photos at the Penguin Parade I felt very lucky to get a picture of these little guys.
After a long and fun-filled day we headed over to the Penguin Parade, the culmination of any Phillip Island trip. In case you don't know, here's an explanation of the Penguin Parade:
The Penguin Parade is Australia’s most popular wildlife attraction and home to the largest Little Penguin colony in the world.
Every sunset, the hundreds to over a thousand wild Little Penguins emerge from the sea and march across the beach to their sand dune burrows.
The Little Penguin is the world’s smallest (and cutest) penguin and the Penguin Parade is the best place to experience this completely natural phenomenon. Courtesy of Phillip Island Nature Parks
Don't get your hopes up for seeing "thousands" of penguins, but they are cute and it was amazing to see them heading home after a day out fishing. We upgraded our ticket to the Penguins Plus, based on the recommendation of a friend and I second that advice. Then general viewing area is out on the main beach, but the Penguins Plus section is over on an isolated corner of the beach where 50% of the penguins pass by on their way up the hill, and you can follow them down the boardwalk and watch the find their way home.
Name: Phillip Island Location: an hour and a half south of Melbourne Website: www.penguins.org.au and www.visitphillipisland.com Admission: A 3-park pass get you into Churchill Island, the Koala Conservation Center, and the Penguin Parade. Child $18.00, Adult $36.00, Family $90.00
The Nobbies is Free.
For my son's birthday we went to down to Luna Park for some fun!
It's right by the beach in St. Kilda, so very easy to get there. If you're going to plan on purchasing the unlimited ride tickets, plan on staying a while. However, it's also kind of fun to just do one ride on your way to the beach (just be sure your kids understand that you are only doing one ride). According to my kids all the ride were a lot of fun and there was plenty to keep them busy.
My only complaint was the Circus of Screams attraction. We saw that the line was kind of long so we asked the lady at the front how long she thought it would be and she said about 20 minutes. Nearly an hour and a half later we made it to the front (you go through in groups of 8, each taking about 10 minutes). So take a look at the line, if there are more than 20 people, you'll be there for a while and it's really not worth it. Even my 7 year old thought it was predictable and not very scary. Just a lot of black lights and stuff hanging from the ceiling. And if you get hungry, no worries, there's plenty of amusement park food!
Name: Luna Park Location: 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda (right by the beach) Telephone: 03 9525 5033 Website: http://www.lunapark.com.au/ Admission: Single Ride tickets- Toddlers $3.50, Children $6.50, Adults $8.50 unlimited ride passes- Toddlers $12.95, Children $29.95, Adults $39.95, Family $122.95
Need a little nature in your day? Take a quick tram ride (most of the tram running down St. Kilda Road will get you there) and get off at stop 20 (Domain Interchange) and take a walk up the hill to the gardens.
At the entrance to the garden you'll find the Garden Shop and Observatory Cafe, a great place to grab a bite or just an ice cream to eat as you head into the Gardens.
I love the Gardens for the walking paths, I feel like I could get lost in there, which is exactly how I want to feel when I need a break from the city. I love how one minute you can be walking through the bright sun and vibrant colors and the next minute you are in the shady, cool "jungle" (as my kids call it).
The Garden is also an great place for having a picnic, talking your dog for a walk (they must be on a leash and are not allowed in the cafe, visitors center or children's garden). If you're bringing the kids be sure to check out the Ian Potter Children's Garden, found just a few steps through the garden gate. The Children's garden has lots of fun pathway through the trees, over bridges, under tunnels. Once you get far enough back in the garden you just might see a smiling dwarf or water nymph :)
They have loads of special events, guided walks, holiday programs and more. See the "What's On" section of their website to find what is available at any given time of year.
Name: Royal Botanic Gardens Telephone: 03 9252 2300 Website: www.rbg.vic.gov.au/rbg-melbourne Admission: Free Location: Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra Getting There: Take any tram south on Swanston/St. Kilda and exit at the Domain Interchange/Shrine of Remembrance stop, then head up the hill and cross Birdwood Ave. You can also take the Free Tourist Shuttle, which will drop you right at the Shrine of Remembrance.
My trip to Healsville Sanctuary led to my first up close and personal kangaroo encounter. This is a rite of passage for a foreigner and my experience did not disappoint. We arrived at the zoo at 11am and they were doing a kangaroo feeding at 11:30, so we made it just in time. NOTE- they only do the feedings once a day, so don't miss it. There were a lot of people around for the feeding, but most got their fill after a few minutes and we were essentially the last ones left with the kangaroos and the keeper. The big males couldn't be bothered to come over and have a snack, but the small females were more than happy to let us pet and snuggle them.
The were all fun to watch, even the big boys over in the corner that pretty much kept to themselves.
The zoo is much less commercialized than Melbourne zoo. The grounds are all kept very natural with dirt paths leading you between the animals. In between the enclosures you can even find lots of large birds and a wallaby if you're lucky. There is a shop with souvenirs near the main entrance and there are a number of places to grab a bite to eat. A few kiosks with snacks and ready-made sandwiches are tucked away among the trees and there is also a yummy bistro if you'd rather have some freshly made hot food (chips, pizza, foccacias, pies, as well as a rotating menu of restaurant style items.)
Back to the animals. The sanctuary mainly houses Australian bush animals: emus, platypus (is there a plural form of platypus?), koalas, Tasmanian devils, various reptiles, dingoes.
Many of the animals have been brought in because they were sick or injured. These animals are treated at the Australian Wildlife Health Center (located on the Sanctuary grounds and available to tour) then some are released into the wild, others who are not fit to be released will stay at the zoo.
There are lots of chances to "Meet the Keeper," in which the keeper will talk to you about the animals and answer any questions. During the kangaroo presentation the allow you to feed the animals and during the reptile presentation you will be allowed to pet a snake or two, but get there a few minutes early, otherwise you can't see anything. The Birds of Prey presentation is pretty amazing, don't miss that one. The keepers bring out lots of different birds and demonstrate their hunting habits as they swoop over the audience. Get there early for this one too, the close the gates and won't let you in late.
Getting there was my only problem with the zoo. If you have a car, skip ahead because you won't have any problem. If you want to take public transport, plan on 2 1/2 hours each way from the city. You'll take the Lilydale line all the way to the last stop. From there you take the 685 or 686 bus to the Sanctuary (the bus leaves right from the train station, though you might have to wait a bit for the next bus). NOTE- be sure you find out when the buses come by the Sanctuary for your return trip home. We were finished at the zoo at 4pm and had to wait for the next bus till 5:30!
Name: Healesville Sanctuary Location: Badger Creek Road, Healesville Telephone: 1300 ZOOSVIC Website: www.zoo.org.au/HealesvilleSanctuary Admission: Adults $24.40, Children $12.10, Family (2 adults, 2 children) $55.50
Friends of the Zoos Passes also available, see website.
