This was published 14 years ago
Quest Williamstown review: On the waterfront
Safe harbour ... Quest has balconies with water and city views.
Kate Nancarrow takes an apartment by the bay.
Loading bikes, backpacks and two boys on to a gleaming white ferry, we begin a few days of travelling light and seeing Melbourne from a different angle. We have ridden the 10 minutes from our Ripponlea home to St Kilda Pier to catch the Sunday fast ferry to Melbourne's maritime village, Williamstown.
Leaving St Kilda's playground side of the bay, the ferry passes yachts, kayakers, sailboarders and groovy stand-up paddlers, but as we approach Williamstown the traffic becomes more serious. There are large cargo ships, ferries bringing passengers from Southbank and little fishing boats all making their way out into the bay or up the mouth of the Yarra River.
Offloading at Gem Pier, we ride about 50 metres to our accommodation, a serviced apartment at Quest Williamstown overlooking the water. The address is officially Syme Street, but with views of seaplanes taking off, pelicans and swans coming in to land and yachts and other boats everywhere, it's as close to on-the-water accommodation asMelbourne can offer.
Quest Williamstown is a pretty three-level building with a vaguely North American look that offers one- and two-bedroom serviced apartments. The northern face of the building (with the best views) is given over to Pelicans Landing, a restaurant and reception centre with a penthouse-wedding suite on top, but we still have great views from our northeast-facing accommodation on the first floor.
Our two-bedroom executive apartment has a large living room, a reasonably well-equipped kitchen and a combination bathroom and laundry.
Two balconies give lovely views over the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and across the bay to the city beyond. The night views of the city are spectacular.
The apartment is large and comfortable, let down a bit by drab colours and corporate-style decor, but the view and the location are unbeatable.
We go to sleep to the clanking of masts and are woken by the sound of large ships tooting as they head down the bay.
For families with youngsters new to cycling, a car-free visit to Williamstown is easy; there are bike paths all along the seafront.
The area is also so flat that there's almost no chance of exhaustion. We ride everywhere, following the bike path towards Altona, passing beaches, bird-filled wetlands and weird little boat harbours.
On the return leg, we make our way through Williamstown's botanic gardens and along some of the area's wide old streets.
Williamstown, for all its historic charm, is still a thriving village and has great strip shopping, as well as plenty of cafes and restaurants. For history buffs it is a delight, with many of the early buildings still intact. When we aren't cycling, we concentrate on all things maritime. Gem Pier is the mooring place for the HMAS Castlemaine Maritime Museum, a 1940s minesweeper filled with memorabilia. The volunteer guides are knowledgeable and interesting and almost all of the ship can be wandered around.
Two days pass quickly albeit slowly on the bikes and a ferry journey later we're back on home turf.
VISITORS' BOOK
Quest Williamstown
Address 1 Syme Street, Williamstown.
Bookings Phone 93935300, email questwilliamstown@questapartments.com.au, see questwilliamstown.com.au.
Getting there Quest Service Apartments Williamstown is a 15-minute drive from the centre of Melbourne across the West Gate Bridge or catch the ferry from Southbank Berth 1.
How much Up to $280 a night for a two-bedroom suite and $295 for a two-bedroom executive suite.
Summary A great location to explore Williamstown and the city and make use of the bay and the Yarra River. And Williamstown is flat enough for child-friendly bike touring.
Verdict 17
The score: 19-20 excellent; 17-18 great; 15-16 good; 13-14 comfortable.
All weekends away are conducted anonymously and paid for by Traveller.
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