New Year, New Adventure: Part 2
Welcome to Melbourne, Australia. Capital of the state of Victoria and home to over five million people in its metropolitan area. First impression… it resembles Texas. I’m not sure how Melburnians or Texans would feel about that, but it has the same setting. It is hot, flat and wide open. It is a sprawling modern city and a busy seaport. Also like Texas, its modernity contrasts with the flora and fauna, which feel pre-historic.
The airport is located north and west, about a 45 minute ride from the city center. We landed in the late morning and shuffled through baggage, customs, and immigration with what seemed like a quarter of the population of the city. (It turns out the entire country was on holiday.) At the curb-side, the ground transport we had arranged wasn’t there, because we were 24 hours late, so we hired a cabby and headed into the city. Thankfully the hotel still had our room ready for check-in. We dropped our junk and popped down the block to Betty’s Burgers for a passable sandwich and fries. Back at the hotel we cleaned up, changed out of the clothes we’d been wearing for nearly three days, and headed back out into the mid-summer sunlight. The first objective was seeing the Central Business District built along the banks of the Yarra River. The second was staying awake until a reasonable bed time. Getting on the local time zone is the best thing for diminishing the effects of jet-lag.
Melbourne is not an old city. Founded in 1835, it is named for the British Lord and Prime Minister of the same name. Most of the original public works are built in the “Victorian” style because Victoria was Queen at the time of construction and the mid 1800s gold rush.
The post-WWII construction is modern concrete and glass.
Like most big cities, Melbourne is crowded with small streets and alleyways. Many of the small businesses are located in these spaces. They do a good job of cleaning the pavement, but the walls are well marked with “street art.”
We took a side trip to the Moonlit Sanctuary. Tours are given after dark to allow visitors to experience the local animals during their nocturnal activities. The quokka, wallaby and kangaroo wander the park begging snacks from the visitors. We also saw koala, wombat, Tasmanian Devil, Gliders and a number of other species.
From the Skydeck at the top of the Eureka Tower, our home away from home was visible at the cruise ship terminal.
Unfortunately, our stay in Melbourne was cut short by the airline snafu, but we enjoyed our visit anyway.