Saturday, February 22, 2014

My Top City Date Ideas

Hi everyone! So most of you may know that I’m actually English, and I went through a big move from London to Australia and I now live in the suburbs of Melbourne. It has been pretty hard for me to adjust to being further away from the city and I really miss doing things there and being around the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. I’ve written a list of activities I’d love to do in the city of Melbourne and I realised they are actually great date ideas, and I’m going to take my boyfriend with me so they can be romantic days out. I wanted to share this with you because I’m always interested in new ideas for activities, so I hope you like my list!

1.     Moonlight Cinema Melbourne | Link
“Australia’s favourite open air cinema screening advance previews, contemporary, cult classic movies on the Central Lawn at Royal Botanic Gardens.” This is such a romantic idea, and it’s awesome because it is only $18 for a ticket, plus you can bring BYO picnic, drinks, and they even have dress up nights and, my favourite, DOGGY NIGHTS! So you can bring your puppies and just lie down on your picnic blanket outside and be all romantic. The movies they show are from the cinema and also older movies that are well loved. It is in the botanic gardens so you’ll be surrounded by beautiful flowers and quiet, all with the gorgeous city skyline behind the screen.



2.     Melbourne Museum | Link
At the risk of sounding like the world’s most boring person, I absolutely adore the museum. I could get lost in them for hours. The Melbourne museum is awesome and I’ve been once before for my birthday. It is just such a rich environment and provides a whole load of conversation material for you and your date. There is some beautiful stuff; plants and animals, some gross stuff; the human body and birth videos, some amazing stuff; dinosaurs and a huuuuge psychology labyrinth (a massive passion of mine). You’ll struggle to get bored on this date, and you can stroll around the gardens and parks that the museum is set in afterwards. Oh, they also have an amazing IMAX cinema that shows incredible 3D movies, which is also a great date idea.


3.     Queen Victoria Market | Link
Ahhh, who doesn’t love a good market. This kind of place is the epitome of the hustle and bustle of cities that I love, plus, you can pick up some amazing bargains. These places are just a treasure trove of trinkets and amazing food! There’s jewellery stands, technology, pet stuff, artwork, flowers and souvenirs, plus incredibly delicious foods, such as Turkish and German cuisine. Yum.


4.     AFL Match  | Link

Depending on your interests in sports that is! I used to be absolutely adamant that I’d never ever enjoy a sport, but I actually love AFL now! My boyfriend totally got me into it and we’ve been to a couple of matches now. This is definitely one for the boys but it’s a nice little bonding experience for a couple. I’m a Hawthorn girl so I’m looking forward to going to a few games next season. It’s just such an exciting experience to share on a date, and if your guy likes sports, this is definitely a great one to go on. And if you hate sports, just persuade him to go in the clothes shops on the way back to the car.


5.     Medibank IceHouse for Ice Skating | Link

Awww, it is always nice to fall flat on your face in front of your date, isn’t it? Nope! So this is one I wouldn’t personally choose for a first date, but it’s really really fun and awkward and embarrassing later on. It’s the perfect excuse to hold hands while you’re skating around and you can get wrapped up warm during the winter. Afterwards, go for hot chocolate in Docklands and make an afternoon out of it. The ice house is a really great place for that typical ice skating date.


6.     Chapel Street – South Yarra | Link

Hopefully your date is okay with trawling round endless shops! But if it helps, there is a cinema on this street and a bunch of wonderful cafes with delicious coffee and cakes for breaks when they’re needed. There’s also bars and beer gardens (beautiful in the summer), stunning restaurants and hotels nearby. I absolutely love Chapel Street, and it doesn’t just have to be about the shopping. 


7.     Werribee Open Range Zoo | Link
The zoo! The zoo! It’s so ridiculously exciting to me! I’ve also never been on safari so I’m especially excited about this one. Animals and birds and furry things will give you plenty to talk about, and getting up close and personal with the animals will give you lovely memories together. It’s cute and childlike I guess; a really innocent and playful date. Tickets are $30 per adult, but it’s a whole day out. Take a picnic and sit in the sun, and spend a whole load of time with the wonderful fluffy things. I guess this isn't technically the city (there is a zoo in the actual city) but this one looks better and more amazing so I'm going to this one!


8.     Crown | Link

Is there anything Crown doesn’t have? If you’re looking for the ultimate date, I’d suggest this place. There’s endless shops, an arcade, a load of impressive restaurants, a cinema, clubs and hotels. It sits on the edge of the river, so is picturesque and romantic if you want to take a walk alongside it. I stayed at Crown for my 18th birthday. Granted, it was a very expensive trip, but I have wonderful memories with my boyfriend and of the lush food, I’m planning on going there for my 19th too! I’ll get a spa treatment this time, mmmm.


1.     SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium | Link

Melbourne Aquarium has just recently opened a few more attractions, so I’m excited about going there now. They’ve got a crocodile and sharkies and it seems like a really interesting place to take a date. Plenty to talk about, plenty to see, and I always maintain that I’m half mermaid (top half mermaid, bottom half human) so it’s always lovely to see my fishy friends.


1.     Soda Rock Diner in South Yarra | Link
This might be one you’d include on your visit to Chapel Street, but I really wanted to write about it separately. For my fellow foodies among you, you and your date will probably share a love of eating out. This diner, I literally cannot say how much I love it! It is the ultimate traditional American Diner and such a unique experience to share with that special someone. It’s really affordable and utterly delicious. Here are a couple of my favourite menu items:
Chicken Burger  $10.95
Grilled whole chicken breast fillet, marinated in our diner original recipe, with lettuce, tomato & mayonnaise.
Healthy and delicious!
Grilled Cheese & Ham  $5.95
Extra lean Virginian ham and melted tasty cheese on grilled bread.
Chilli Fries (Mild or Hot)  $9.95
 bowl of crispy fries, smothered in authentic American
beefy chilli con carne and topped with grated tasty cheese.
COOKIE SHAKES  $9.45
Oreo cookie crumbs mixed into our famous thickshake. In your choice of:
 • chocolate
 • strawberry
 • vanilla
 • caramel
 • blue heaven
 • cappuccino
 • banana
 • lime
 • pineapple


1.     Botanic Gardens | Link

It can be hard to believe these beautiful rolling hills and trees are in the centre of a huge city. The parks and gardens are so quiet and peaceful, and absolutely huge. They are perfect for a romantic picnic near one of the fountains or flowerbeds, and you can pick up your food at a nearby 7/11. Sandwiches, slurpees and sunbathing in the grass with your date? Sounds amazingly relaxing and peaceful. The perfect low cost date.


So there it is! A list of some low cost, some more expensive, but all romantic and thoughtful date ideas. These are dates and activities I’m hoping to work through, and these will make for some beautiful memories for me and my boyfriend to share.


What is your favourite idea for a date? 



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