Travel Zette

Flying to Melbourne from Perth, I had a nice view from my window of the Great Australian Bight.  This was my second visit to Melbourne (my first in 2003) and I decided to stay in St Kilda after finding a great Airbnb apartment.  I was a block from Acland Street with great shops, restaurants and the beach a block away.  In the evenings, I would often go up to roof area with great views of the sunset over Port Phillip Bay, St Kilda and the city of Melbourne in the distance. On Sunday, a market with handicrafts was set up on the esplanade along the waterfront.  I walked down this esplanade to the St Kilda Pier with a view of Melbourne and the harbour, then walked back along the beach.

During my two weeks in St Kilda, I enjoyed relaxing and taking day trips to visit sights around Melbourne.  Tram 96 which I picked up on Acland Street took me right into central Melbourne and I used my myki card, given to me by nice gentleman in Perth when I dropped off my rental car.  The myki cards allow you to load money at various locations and pay as you go on public transport around Melbourne.  I visited the State Library of Victoria which has a beautiful a glass dome and displays on the history of the state of Victoria, which include artwork, books, maps, etc.

 

Another day, I took the tram to Southern Cross Station and walked through the Docklands to the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel.  I had the whole capsule to myself with magnificent views over the city, Port Phillip Bay and could even see the Yarra Ranges off to the east.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This city felt very European and at around four to six in the evening, it seemed everyone stopped for coffee or tea and a little treat.  One of my favorite spots was ‘Time Out’ in Federation Square where I stopped more than once for afternoon tea and a lemon tart.  Dinners were later, typically around 9:00 pm, and there were some great spots along the Yarra River to enjoy an evening stroll.

A friend from California would be joining me in Melbourne in a couple weeks and I was close to Tasmania, a destination I had desired to see for many years.  I realized the time of year was good, past peak season but still nice temperatures, so off I went!

Returning to Melbourne after my Tasmanian Dream, I arrived at another Airbnb apartment, with a good location on the Yarra River, near the Seafarers Bridge.  A friend from Newcastle I had met on a trip to Antarctica in 2009 was in town for a quick visit and we spent two days touring the city.  A highlight was at the National Gallery of Victoria for a wonderful exhibit; ’A Golden Age of China: Qianlong Emperor, 1736-1795’. He was the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty and an art collector.  The exhibit was amazing and displayed over 120 works of art, some rare and valuable, from China’s Palace Museum.  The following night, we were joined by another good friend from our Antarctica trip and had a great dinner at Kenzan Japanese Restaurant.

My friend from California arrived and we had a tour booked the next day with some fun adventures on Phillip Island. Under cloudy skies, our first stop was the Trout Farm for lunch.  The trout was fresh caught and delicious. After lunch, a guide walked us through the gardens and showed us how the native plants are used.  We then went to the Koala Sanctuary where the sun came out a bit and we were able to spot koalas up in the trees.  Stopping at Phillip Island Winery in the late afternoon, we had a wonderful tasting of wines pared with local cheeses.  From there we headed out to the Nobbies, where it was very windy, cold and rainy.  I got quite wet trying to get a couple of photos! After the brief stop, we went to the waiting area for the Penguin Parade, the highlight of our tour.  It was a bit rainy but we were covered in our plastic ponchos.  Walking out to the viewing area with permanent bleachers for viewing, we could see the little blue penguins come in for the evening, washing ashore with the waves and stumbling to get their feet under them.  No photos were allowed.  We were advised that the flash would stun their eyes as they are accustomed to the dark.  They waddled up the beach and we could see them all along the boardwalk as they paraded along to their nightly nests in one of the largest colonies of little penguins in Australia. We had an eventful and awesome day!

We spent our last day in Melbourne, taking in some of the famous sights.  We took the tram to Elizabeth Street Mall, walked to Flinders Station and Federation Square.  We continued on the tram to Spring Street and the Hotel Windsor that has been serving afternoon tea since 1883.  We enjoyed sultry chai tea with fresh baked scones and jam, it was divine!  Close by was Fitzroy Gardens and we walked through the conservatory, the warmth very comforting on a cool day. We visited the National Gallery showing paintings by Renoir, Rembrandt, Cezanne, Monet, Manet and the famous Banquet of Cleopatra by Giambattista Trepolo (1743-44).  In the evening, we went to the Melbourne Star and again had the capsule to ourselves. It was lovely with sparkling views of the city lights at night!

In Melbourne, I discovered that the weather can change in 15 minutes.  More than once, I looked out the window and saw rain and less than an hour later when I was ready to venture out, it had become a sunny day!  Or it would go from sunny to rainy just as quickly.  I learned to always carry a jacket and an umbrella as the weather was not predictable…no matter the forecast.  On my first visit Australia in April 2003, I visited Melbourne and Sydney with the latter being my preference.  I feel this trip gave me a new view of Melbourne and I loved the European feel with easy walking and transportation options.  Long walks along the Southbank area of the Yarra River during the day or evening were always a pleasure.  Everyone was kind and helpful and I felt safe anywhere I walked or toured in this city.  It was an enjoyable 3 weeks but now it was time to Follow the Great Ocean Road!