Melbourne family roadtrip

Melbourne, what can I say?! I love Melbourne and it’s been a few years since I last went. Hubby and I are still on a high from surviving our road trip to Queensland with the girls, so by some miracle, we decided to book a 3 day trip and drive down to Melbourne. I know, we’re crazy. The girls have been dying to go to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to take them as I had some annual leave coming up. 

We stayed at the NOVOTEL on Collins Street, right in the heart of Melbourne. Omg, what a hotel! It was so lovely, I could not fault the place. The central location was amazing, and the huge windows let in so much light, the girls were just gazing out at the city for ages. 

The facilities were perfect for a tired family fresh out of the car after an 8 hour drive! Pool, gym, spa , and a family corner to keep the kids entertained while we were checking in and out. The attentive reception was available 24 hours for anything we needed, and the room service and in-house restaurant meant we never had to worry about planning our meals – we knew we could always grab something to fill our hungry explorer tummies right at the hotel. 

When we arrived we had a quick dip in the pool to refresh, and the girls had a relax in the spa – bubble time is always exciting. The rooms were so comfortable too. We slept so well after that long drive, so I was very thankful for a comfortable family room.

First on our list was the Melbourne Star I was so worried I’d let the girls down and not be able to do it because, fun fact about me: I’m terrified of heights. But luckily I made it! The Star goes round one loop in 30 minutes, so you get to take in all the scenery as you go. There is an overhead cabin that guides you where to look, so we got the most out of our 30 minute ride. The girls loved it, of course. They have so little fear at that age! It was a really special thing to do with my family, and while you’re in your capsule you really get to connect with one another without any distractions. 

Being foodies, we of course got stuck right into Melbourne’s cuisine – and the coffee, obviously. A stand out meal for us was 400 Gradi at Crown. The pizzas are AMAZING there. They’ve actually won awards for being the best margherita outside of Italy! We had the gnocchi as well, and the girls loved getting slurpy with their spaghetti meals. The interiors were beautiful and it was the perfect mix of smart and casual. 

Now, the all-important LEGOLANDvisit. We had to wait until the last day to take them, so obviously they were hanging out for it the whole time, but they had such a ball there. We watched NinjaGo in 4D, did a Lego workshop and made our own Halloween-themed witches, and enjoyed an extra special Lego lunchbox pack when hunger struck.

Hubby and I even got excited about the Kingdom Quest Ride. You sit in your own little carriage and have to go around zapping the baddies with a laser to save the captured princess. It was super fun – I think the grown ups enjoyed it almost as much as the kids!

We also got to explore the Underwater Lego Quest, where we discovered mysterious sea creatures on the interactive table. There were tasks to complete and photo opportunities throughout the quest. The girls were transfixed!  

Once we rolled back to the hotel after LEGOLAND we were more than ready to collapse into bed ahead of our long drive home tomorrow. A tiring yet amazing trip to Melbourne for the girls, and we didn’t have to worry about airports, security, or delays – that’s the major upside to road tripping! 

Have you road tripped with kids or been to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre?! It’s totally worth a visit!

** Thank you to all these amazing places and hotel