Travelling Post 29 - Melbourne (or how I finally ended up in Prison)

Having planned to spend just 5 days in Melbourne I've ended up staying 9, and am leaving this Tuesday. I have been on one day trip 125km away and go on another to the Great Ocean Road tomorrow, so it really has been only 7 days in Melbourne itself. I have taken my time in visiting Melbourne, you could easily do the city in a week, including the 2 day tours, but i didn't want to hurry, nor after two and a half months of hard labour did I have the energy.

After an 8 hour journey from Melbourne to Mildura, I simply ate and went to sleep. My first full day was spent just wandering and looking around like the gormless tourist I was. I first headed to where my Lonely Planet guide recommended me to first head - the Visitor Centre, and arguably the most well put together visitor centre that I have yet been to. Set on the edge of Federation Square this underground centre is part of a specifically designed, highly stylised complex housing a variety of galleries, museums, cafes, restaurants and bars. It is an example of the amazing variety of architecture on show in Melbourne's Central Business District.. and I have no photos of it.

I picked up a pamphlet on exploring the old Eastern Suburb with its Victorian architecture so decided to amble along this short 2hr walk, which took me though the Treasury Gardens and Fitzroy Gardens, passing Cook's cottage before heading around the Eastern suburb. I didn't take many photos as these Victorian houses were still lived in, although I did take this photo of a converted Church, which is now a set of flats. As you can see it was a bit cloudy, it has been a bit cloudy all week.

Cook's cottage, which was Captain Cook's parents home in Yorkshire. It was dismantled and rebuilt in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens and if it weren't for the skyscraper in the background you might think I'd sneaked back home and not told anyone. I haven't.

On Monday I visited the Chinese Museum in Chinatown, whose exhibts chronicle the history of Chinese Australians. It was interesting enough, but had a bizarre display on Chinese criminals in early Australia, why? I just didn't understand.

On Tuesday I checked out Victoria Markets, which were not as good as Paddy's Market in Sydney, and then headed to the Botanical gardens via the Shrine of Remembrance. The Shrine is a war memorial to all those Australians, particularly from Victoria, who have fought to protect their country. It offers a fascinating insight into individual soldiers rather than heavily detailing specific wars. It is also worth the entrance price alone (a donation but I would have willingly paid for a ticket) for the views of Melbourne.

Above, a view of Melbourne's CBD from the Shrine, below the Shrine itself.

On Wednesday I went on a day tour to the Penguin Parade at Phillip Island, with a very enthusiastic tour guide. The company was recommended by IEP, through whom I got a wonderful $9 discount (every cent counts!) Our first major stop was wine tasting and then we went off to Maru Koala and Fauna Park where I got to stroke a wombat, feed a Koala, an Emu (which was dangerous) and Kangaroos (again.) I also saw a Tasmanian Devil, which look nothing like their cartoon counterpart, in fact they are pretty ugly creatures and have jaws that will snap your bones in two.

The Penguin Parade was an up close, natural, wildlife, experience; there was a specifically built platform heading into the Little Penguins habitat and I got to see them come out of the ocean and waddle to their homes. It was amazing, these Little Penguins swim 20-30km out to sea then return to the same spot at sunset in waves, there are around 60,000 penguins in on the island including the 6,000 or so that lived in the habitat open to public viewing. To be that close to nature, that wasn't a zoo or a wildlife park, was great and something very different, at one point there was only a wire fence that separated me from the penguins waddling home. It was a shame that photos were prohibited but understandable.

Above, a wombat at Maru Koala and Fauna Park; below, I got to feed Kangaroos again; just a bit further below, a Koala bear.

I spent Thursday amongst even more wildlife at Australia's oldest Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, I even got my own personal tour guide, it is amazing what you get if you just ask, and had a great day.

Above. a Tree Kangaroo,

Above and Below, Melbourne Zoo had the most amazing Butterfly Palace I can ever imagine entering. I got to walk amongst hundreds, if not thousands of Butterflies, and with a tour guide I learnt how they were kept in the zoo. I'm not telling how though, you'll have to visit yourself - oh what's that? You're several thousand miles away? Tough!

Below, a family of Simiangs

Now onto Friday, I didn't do much. Yesterday I visited the immigration museum which is pretty self explanatory as to what it is. Today, my final day touring Melbourne City, I went to Gaol, well I had to end up there some day and I'm just glad it wasn't Thai and they let me out after a couple of hours.

The Gaol was, arguably, the best museum I have been to in Australia. It was an Melbourne's oldest Gaol having been built in the mid 1800s. The displays were informative and interesting but importantly brief, keeping to the point without wandering, thus keeping my attention. This was the same prison that Ned Kelly that infamous outlaw was finally hanged, but despite this tourist pulling fact there was nothing glorifying him (except in the shop), which is unusual for Australians. They could have done with giving a discount to backpackers though, they did give one to students after all!

This was taken on the top floor with the only night light the inmates would have had would have been from those neon 'Exit' signs. Dead give away for escapees if you ask me.

Melbourne has a European vibe to it, but I prefer Sydney, I can't tell you exactly why I do I just do. It is not a logical thing, but there seemed to be more to do in Sydney and it does have that iconic status with that bridge and that opera house. Preferences aside, I still really like Melbourne as a city, verdict: - I'd come again but wouldn't necessarily want to live here.

Tomorrow I'm off to do a a day tour of the Great Ocean Road and then next stop Adelaide.

p.s. I found a picture of Federation Square, or more accurately a number of the buildings that it is comprised of, they are at the bottom of the picture below.