Melbourne = Love at First Sight
21st February to 1st March 2017
Let's get this out of the way first. We didn't make it to St. Kildas, mecca of all Irish people who come to Melbourne. Nor did we travel the Great Ocean Road.
It's not that we didn't want to go to these places. It's just that we fell in love with Melbourne city centre, and fell into city life immediately. There was so much to do, see, taste, and explore that we couldn't pack it all in.
Our Melbourne home was fantastic. It was a cosy little studio which was pretty much as central as it was possible could be. The CBD was on our doorstep, and neighbourhoods like Collingwood and Carlton were within handy walking distance.
Among many other things, this city is known for its coffee culture and street art. I'm pleased to say that the baristas of Melbourne made these little coffee nerds happy every day, and that the street art here is really vibrant and fun to explore. There is a street art tour you can take if you want to delve into the stories behind the works you come across in the city's laneways. However, we opted to stroll around ourselves, snapping pictures and taking our time.
We took a "free" walking tour on our first day to get a feel for the city centre layout, learn a bit of history, and earmark places to return to. You'll find the "free" walking tours in most cities, and they are a great and fun way to get your bearings in a new place. The "free" is in quotations because although there is no upfront cost, you are expected to tip the guide what you feel the tour was worth at the end - more than fair!
Melbourne also has some excellent museums. The State Library has a really comprehensive exhibition which takes you right through the history of the area, and is home to the notorious Ned Kelly's famous armour. Things you learn here include the fact that there is a Ned Kelly rock opera...
Melbourne Museum was full of fun things, such as a highly illuminating bug exhibition (home to several live, quarantined tarantulas), and the story of the indigenous people of what we now call the state of Victoria.
Other activities that Melbourne served up for us included a fabulous Amanda Palmer gig at the Gasometer pub, and a Super XV rugby game between the Melbourne Rebels and the Auckland Blues.
There really was such a huge amount to do, but luckily we had plenty of time for catching up with our lovely pal, Anna. She hooked us up with excellent advice on how to get about, where to get unbelievable cannoli, and even took us to Yarra Valley for the day, so that we could do some wine tasting. One day I may master wine tasting like an expert, but right now I can't quite bring myself to spit any of it out!
All I can say is that we need to get ourselves back to Melbourne as soon as possible!
Melbourne Snapshots
- The League of Honest Coffee, directly under our studio. I have never been in a busier coffee shop in my life! Fantastic coffee, every morning :)
- Rooftop wine with Anna on our first evening.
- Spotting little, almost hidden details in street art.
- Watching Blue Planet and My Neighbor Totoro on the projector in our studio.
- Filling our heads with more Melbourne history than we could have imagined.
- Touchline seats at the halfway line for our first Super XV rugby game. Pro tip: if you are sitting here, do not get a glass of red wine from the bar. Ever. Honestly, complete devastation from a good kick to touch.
- Amanda Palmer standing on the balcony of the Gasometer, playing the Ukulele Anthem on, well on her ukulele!
- Ordering a world of dumplings at Shanghai Street Dumplings.
- Ducking and weaving our way through the crowds at the Little Lonsdale Street Greek Festival.
- Craft Beer and laughs with Anna and Tim at Stomping Ground in Collingwood.