"But I can see you,

Your brown skin shining in the sun.

You got your hair combed back

And your sunglasses on, baby."

This post features my favourite set of visuals from sunny Melbourne. They are set in Brighton and St Kilda Beach, you know the little colourful row of houses? You would always see them in postcards. Brighton's the place to go for lovely pictures, even in harsh sunlight.

It is very strange why the beach is almost completely deserted even though it is one of the classic images of Melbourne. Not all Australians love the beach... people of Melbourne very much prefer to hang out in laneway cafes. Well, more space for us! Brighton offers azure-blue waters and a rugged feel, and of course the highlight is to take photos with the 82 bathing boxes. They are locked shut, if you are curious, because I tried it too.

This is definitely my favourite bathing box because of the nautical-themed, minimalist and that shade of blue, it's perfect! It matches my summer beachwear outfit too. Bikini top from Fox (SGD15/set), skorts from ICE (AUD3). I know right, what?! I will explain more about the cheap shopping for reasonable-quality clothes in Melbourne in a separate post.

Number 77: Another bathing box drenched in spectacular blue. It calls out to me. We blend as one.

No, that is not possible. From Brighton Beach to St Kilda's, you cannot walk unless you have plenty of time. It is a nearly 8km hike and you want to relax because it's beach day. There is also no bike rentals nearby (Beach Road Cycles on 232 The Esplanade on Brighton does not offer rentals). Your public transport option is to take the metro train from Brighton Beach to Balaclava before changing to tram 3/3a/16 towards Melbourne University.

It was freezing cold in St Kilda's. Do not be fooled. Beaches are really damn cold places. You need to be equipped with a windbreaker, and lying down on the sand is almost impossible because it felt like dipping into an icy swimming pool at midnight. The sunlight was brilliant though, and photographs looked effortlessly pretty.

You can see penguins at St Kilda's Beach breakwaters for free. It is in a public area. You do not need to travel to Phillip Island if you very much would like to see penguins in the wild. But there are a few things that you should take note if you want to do this:

1. Penguins will swim into the bay only after sunset, depending on different times of the year. It was around 7.30pm when I was there, but now the sun sets at 6pm.
2. It was extremely windy and cold even in the middle of summer. I had my jacket with me and I did not feel properly insulated at all. Bring many layers to pile on even if it was hot in the midday - this is Melbourne we are talking about. We huddled together like penguins for warmth!
3. The public breakwaters get crowded very quickly, people start gathering about an hour or two before sun sets. It takes about fifteen minutes to get to end of the pier by strolling. If you want to get a good position to view the penguins (ie. seated instead of standing), go early. Bring your own foldable chair/ mat if you can't stand for long.
4. Do not use flashlights because it will scare the penguins away and they will not swim ashore for sometime. You can bring flashlights covered with red cellophane.
5. The later you stay, the more penguins you will get to see. So be equipped with warm clothing, food, and good company. :)