I’m sad to report my shopping trip to Melbourne is over. I’m happy to report a fabulous time was had. We well and truly shopped til we dropped, and then shopped some more.
After nearly three full days of frantic shopping, we felt like this:
And at the end had to do a fair amount of this:
Even to the point of buying extra luggage!
One day we did an organised shopping tour, which is not an exercise for the faint hearted or the indecisive shopper. A full day of outlet shopping, often competing with up to 6 coach loads of crazed bargain-hungry women for the same heavily discounted shoe or lip gloss. It was chaotic, rushed and not conducive to our style of shopping but nevertheless, a fun experience and much cash was spent!!
A second day was dedicated to markets. The pace was a little more leisurely but still very exhausting with lots of walking and trekking across the city.
Our last day was spent in Bridge Rd, Richmond, where our best clothes bargains were found. Unfortunately, we were almost shopped out at this point and did not cover much ground.
We also managed to sneak in a little culture as well, with a trip to the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs which was amazing.
Despite all this mad shopping, I failed to get many items on my clothing wish list. I came home with far too many goodies for the men folk plus a few clothes and some big ticket items for me (a new leather jacket, some cute shoes from Tony Bianco & Diana Ferrari and my fave: a gorgeous little red leather backpack).
On our adventure I learnt a few little lessons along the way:
- Infuriating, incompetent concierges can drive you to start sprouting rather Dr Suess-esque rants “Oh, dear Brad, it is quite sad, that you make us so very mad. Bad Brad, BAD!!”
- Shopping til blood comes out of your shoes is actually possible, but not advisable.
- The best travelling companion is someone who can read your mind and finish your sentences, especially when you are too exhausted to be articulate.
- Sometimes you need to resist the urge to be courteous to strangers when making your way through a crowd. Case in point: frenzied shopping tours and the last call for boarding your flight
- After being solely inhabited by boys for four days, a house smells very much like… boy.
- Shopping til you drop is admirable, but not the most relaxing way to spend a kid-free, man-free holiday.
Next year (yes, we are already planning) we’ve decided to dedicate ONE day to shopping in Bridge Road, perhaps half a day to markets and the rest of the time will be spent enjoying the lovely city of Melbourne. Or Sydney. Or…
Where’s your favourite place to shop? Would you prefer a shopping holiday or a relaxing holiday?
Linking in with Jess @ Diary of a SAHM for IBOT
Images from We Heart It
Née Say 
How can I book on next year’s tour? Lol
This is great. We recently moved to regional NSW, 1/2 way between Melbourne and Sydney and made our first trip to the big city of Melbourne to stock up on some things not available in smaller centres. The female of the pair had a huge list that needed filled! The male…basically a pack horse, carrying bags back from places like Sole Devotion shoes, David Jones, etc… The hotel cleaner probably thought we were crazy: every morning she would come into clean there would be another pile of bags on the floor for her to hoover around. Melbourne is a good (great?) shopping city!
Melb def a great shopping city. And I love that you made good use of the male! 😉
I’m exhausted just reading about your shopping trip!
Although it does sound like lots and lots of fun!
My Bestie and I might have to organise one of these!
It was lots of fun! Definitely recommend it 🙂
Bless you. I hate shopping, I get overwhelmed. But we’ll be doing it soon enough…at the outlet mall near my in-laws, because it is cheap cheap cheap and as i hate shopping i especially hate to spend a lot doing it. I would have been excellent during the great depression. xx
hehehe cheap is good! Make the most of it & you won’t have to do it again for a while. Hope you have a great trip (despite the shopping & the 14hr plane journey!)
After Christmas my mother in law and I flew from Port Lincoln to Adelaide for a days shopping at harbor town. It was insane! But great!
No long pauses or thoughts over clothes, just spontaneous yes or no decisions. I would do it again in a heart beat. Shopping in Darwin is boring and expensive!
Such pressure! I’m too indecisive I’m afraid. I’m a dawdling shopper usually 🙂
Ah Melbourne, my darling city. Yes, it’s a great place to zap away all your pennies. Bridge Rd has always been one of my fave places to shop (especially for shoes, my weakness!!). Thanks for sharing your lovely trip with us all xxx
I think I could spend a whole week (& whole years salary) there! Can’t wait for next year 🙂
shopping shopping… i can’t remember the last time i just had a day of uninterrupted shopping 🙂 melbourne is always the best 😉 and your right… we do know how to make our coffee… us melbournians have a real culture for coffee!
I LOVE the place. I could become a Melbournian very easily!
I think I’ll have to come with you guys next year!!!!!
🙂
I have never been to melbourne and i have never been on a shopping tour 🙂 Sounds fun and exciting and will be added to my bucket list hehe Sounds a little painful and very fast though. Oh i really need to get out of this town!
It’s definitely an experience! Wasted for clothes shopping as no time to try things on but great for stuff for the kids, handbags & gifts!
You just reminded me about the Tutankhamun exhibition. I need to add the to my to do list. I have wanted to see it for a while!
You sure did fit in a lot of shopping! Sounds like a fun but exhausting trip!
It’s great – wish we had time to see more of the museum as well. Another reason to go back 😉
Nee, that’s so funny. Bad Brad! I’m so glad you had a good time shopping. Now, let’s see. Depending on my budget which has been pretty much zero since I stopped working to have kids, you can’t go past the States for good, bargain, outlet shopping. Melbourne’s smaller shopping complexes like Dandenong Plaza, Fountain Gate etc always have had good bargains when I went (Myers etc). I’ll let you get your shopping put away and all those blisters heeled before I give you a ring to catch up for a coffee.
Anne xx
I’m disappointed we didn’t get into Myer – some traveling companions went in & picked up some bargains including a pair of Guess stilettos for $26!!! Looking forward to catching up x
Not really much of a shopper here, mainly due to lack of cash and decent shops. I like the idea of a shopping holiday but since we don’t holiday often either I would probably opt for a relaxing break first. Glad to hear you had such a lovely time though
Thanks Rhi – definitely going the relaxing path next time!
I don’t do a lot of shopping these days, what with kids and no job 😉 I do however like to browse around the arcades and laneways in Melbourne City. And then stop for coffee!
Melbourne has the BEST coffee!! It was really ironic that the last coffee we had in Melb was at the airport & it was crap. It was like easing us in to coming back home to Bris Vegas where the coffee can be pretty average. 😉