A Walkabout in Melbourne

Today I ended up touring around on my own in Melbourne.  Sue dropped me off at the V-Link train station in Lara and I headed into the city around 10am...but not until we figured out how to get money put on the train pass...not an easy task I must say!  The train ride was about 50 minutes and about 60km in total. I got off at the Southern Cross station...a fairly large above ground station in the heart of Melbourne.

         

I had a bit of an itinerary in mind so decided to start off by walking to the Queen Victoria Market...the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere.  The walk took me about 20 minutes and upon arrival this is what I saw...

                                           

                                          

NOTHING!!  I guess it pays to read things carefully, because the market is closed on Wednesday.

Not to worry, because instead I just jumped on the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle and toured around a few sections of the city I wasn't going to have time to see by foot. I jumped off the bus just down from Federation Square...Melbourne's cultural and civic hub.  Lots of preparations going on for NYE tonight.

       

I then headed over to Flinders Street Station...a 100 year old rail station with lots of charm that was full of hustle and bustle.  I absolutely loved the architecture...

       

                                   

                                        

Across the street from Flinders Street Station was St. Paul's Cathederal....one of the finest examples of architecture in Melbourne.  Beautiful stained glass and Gothic design make this a stunning place to see...although no cameras were allowed without a permit.  You'll just have to come and visit for yourself to truly appreciate it. 

While crossing the street I came across these beauties having a rest before taking another group out for a ride....gorgeous!

                                        

My next item on my list to do was a walking tour of the famous Arcades and Lanes.  I really knew nothing about this until Sue mentioned it to me the other day. Melbourne's little laneways started as rear access to properties facing big streets.  Many were later roofed as "arcades" to provide cover from weather and to make more space for crowds and shops.  What a magical experience I had travelling for the next 2 hours through all the little lanes and beautiful arcades...a true highlight!!

      

                                   

Before I even started my self-guided tour I was pleasantly surprised by my first stop...lunch at Perkup Burgers on the incredible Degraves Street...a Mecca for Melbourne's cafe society.  The best homemade veggie burger I've ever had in the tiniest restaurant I've ever been in. The vibe was very eclectic and the lineup for orders never stopped.  Loved everything about it!!

                                    

                                 

As I left my little oasis I took a stroll up the street only to find more and more eclectic little food places, shops and even funky hair salons. The tiny street was packed with people enjoying their food and coffee or perhaps listening to the incredible band that was busking at the end of the street.  I loved  the vibe and energy on this street so much I walked up and down it a couple times...what a find!!

                                 

                                   

                                             

                                          

From here I strolled through Centre Place with it's large number of cafés and people filling all the tables in the center of the lane, Block Arcade with its beautiful mosaic floors and fascinating shops...a Tea Room actually had a huge lineup to get in...and Royal Arcade which is the oldest shopping arcade in Australia (1869).  As I came out onto Bourke Street I was greeted by a crowd of people listening to a band. After sitting to listen to a few songs from this European band I decided I liked them so much I bought their CD...Our Symphonic Life.

      

When I finally finished my stroll through the Arcades and Lanes I decided to sit for a bit and enjoy a local cider at Federation Square...it was a quick stop as I soon realized how hot it was outside and I needed some shade.  I decided to walk down along the waterfront at Southgate and take in some of Mebourne's spectacular views from above and below. 

                                          

       

       

       

Thankfully during my walk I came across some much needed visual aids to make sure I didn't get run over...

       

Driving on the left hand side of the road can create some challenges, like getting in the wrong side of the car, walking on the wrong side of a path or even passing people on the wrong side when walking...don't even ask about crossing the street or driving!!

I finally decided I was getting a bit tired of walking around after 5 hours and decided to head back to Lara. I thought I would take the free city circle tram, but it was so packed with people I just decided to walk back to the train station...my poor feet.

       

By 5:15pm I was back in Lara...I didn't even have a nap today!!  John BBQ some shrimp and we all had dinner out on the patio enjoying the nice weather...about 26 degrees...while having a well deserved cold Corona or two. 

Instead of going to Geelong to see the NYE fireworks, we decided to stay at home and enjoy the evening on the patio while chatting, "dancing",  swimming and maybe even doing a little dress up to bring in the new year....as Finley said "we're having a party"...even the dogs got involved!!!

                                   

A great way to finish 2014 and so glad I was able to spend it catching up with Sue and John and finally meeting their little princess Finley...and of course Chief and Kenya.

Happy New Year 2015 from Lara, Australia!!!

See you in 2015...

Travelling the Great Ocean Road

We had a slight change in plans this morning and decided to hold off going to Melbourne.  Instead we decided to visit the town of Lorne and travel along parts of the Great Ocean Road. By 9am we headed off on our way...hoping the grey skies would be long gone by the time we reached our destination. 

The drive to Lorne was about 1.5 hours and on the way there we went inland to avoid possible traffic.  Part of the drive was in the rain, but once we arrived the rain had passed and we decided to check out Erskine Falls.  It was nice to get out for a walk and check out some of the sites, including the huge gum trees...also known as Eucalyptus trees.

                                     

We walked down the long set of steps to the base of the falls...Finley doing it all on her own...and took a few obligatory photos. 

                                      

                                     

While there we also took a little walk along the river.  It's incredible how huge the ferns are here...and very old as well.  

                                       

       

From the falls we headed over to Lorne...a highly popular location for surfing and vacationers. This relaxed, Mediterranean atmosphere town was fairly packed with a surfing competition happening and a music festival in the area...plus people on vacation.  There was lots of new development in this growing vacation destination and I loved some of the modern architecture of the homes in the area.

      

       

The wind was gusting from time to time so the waves at the beach were quite big and great for surfing.  The sand at Lorne beach reminded me of PEI north shore beaches...I felt right at home!

                                     

       

Before we checked out the beach we went for lunch at one of the local restaurants on the main street. The entire stretch along the beach is packed with little shops, restaurants and rental shops...and lots of traffic for this little area.

       

       

Before calling it a day, we stopped for ice cream...an entertaining sight with a 3-year old!!!

                                      

On our way back to Lara we drove back along the Great Ocean Road....what a spectacular drive!  This route is 243 km of coastal road along the south-eastern part of Australia.  The winding road takes you along beautiful beaches and cliffs, with various look offs to capture the stunning views.

       

                              

By 4pm we arrived back to the house for a bit of relaxation on the patio and supper.  Tomorrow looks like it will be a walkabout Melbourne and then possibly NYE fireworks in Geelong.  

Until then...

Time to Adjust

Today was a down day for me trying to adjust to the time change.  I managed to sleep for close to 12  hours, so at least I'm partially on the same time zone...night is now day.  Although I did have to sneak in a two hour nap at 2pm...not even our little 3 year old needed a nap!!

                                   

First item on my to-do list today was to figure out a plan of activities for my stay in Melbourne. I thought I'd check out the Great Ocean Road but what I soon realized was that being summer, things fill up quickly, so doing a tour wasn't an option. Looks like we'll take a day to explore Melbourne and another to drive down the coast to take in some beaches.  No beaches today however, as very high winds and rain swept into the area making it the perfect day to stay inside...although I'm looking forward to taking a dip in the pool at Sue & John's before I leave.

         

By about mid morning after Finley had some playtime...Chief also got into the fun by singing along with Sesame Street...we decided to go for a drive and check out You Yangs Regional Park.

        

It's a small park area with lots of mountain bike trails and picnic areas, but not very many views of the town.  We did however come across an echidna (spiny anteater) walking across the road....first time seeing one of those in the wild. 

We spent the afternoon watching some cricket...I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that a test match can take up to 5 days!!!  Finley also demonstrated her expert play dough and IPad skills and Chief and Kenya loved hanging out looking for belly rubs. 

        

        

Had another great meal for dinner thanks to my great hosts and ended the evening watching a movie at home. Looking forward to venturing out tomorrow and checking out the city of Melbourne. 

Until then....

Arrived Down Under

Other than the sheer length of time to get to Australia from PEI, the trip was pretty uneventful overall...even the 5 infants on my 15 hour flight from Vancouver decided to snooze the majority of the way.  Nothing much to complain about overall..my four flights even ended up being all on schedule :)

      

I arrived in Melbourne to a beautiful 30 degree summer afternoon, with my friend Sue arriving to pick me up just as my luggage arrived...couldn't ask for more perfect timing. We arrived at her place in Lara where I was pleasantly greeted by her husband John, her dogs Chief and Kenya, and her 3 year old daughter Finley who just happened to be getting up from her nap.  I must say she had about a 100 times more energy than I had after my long journey and the fact that it was 11:00pm my time at home.

After having a bit of a chat with everyone, drinking a lovely glass of Shiraz...wine always makes things better...enjoying a delicious dinner made by John and then having a little playtime with Finley, my entire being was screaming for a good night's sleep.  So by 8:00pm I was in bed and ready to crash...good to know I was able to stay up at least as long as a 3 year old!!

                                       

Tomorrow will be a day to plan a few things out for my few days in Melbourne, do a little exploring and possibly have a swim at the house...we'll see what transpires.

Until tomorrow...

Australia Bound!!

It's Boxing Day and I think it's finally hit me that I'm travelling to Australia today...or maybe it's the fact that I just checked into my flight online!  Not sure why, but I've slacked on the planning side of things and before I knew it the day was here. I guess it's going to be a different kind of unplanned adventure for me. 

Strange leaving for vacation over Christmas, but I'm looking forward to heading Down Under for their summer. Over the next 3-weeks I plan to visit Melbourne, Tasmania and Perth...along with visiting friends from my time teaching in North Carolina. Crazy to think that was over 13 years ago!  Looking forward to catching up...

So with that said, I guess I should get a good meal into me before I head out on my 36.5 hour journey (if all goes well) and I'll touch base from the other side of the world when I arrive on Sunday, December 28th...along with a 15 hour time change!

Things could get interesting.....

Lisa