Arriving in Melbourne and Free Tour

Wednesday March 6 was a beautiful day in Queenstown.  Our flight was not until 2:25 p.m., which meant we could sleep in a bit, finish our pack and enjoy the deck at our Airbnb.

Enjoying the deck with the amazing view

Jason, our host, was heading into town, so he gave us a ride to the bus stop where we caught the bus to the airport.  It was only a 10 minute ride and cost the usual $2 local fare with our Queenstown card (which one can use for more than one person).

Last view of the Remarkables with their jagged edges-- lovely, clear day

 The Queenstown Airport is a very pretty small airport.  We liked the departures signs which had "Relax" under the status of the upcoming flights.  We were leaving on the 14:25 flight to Melbourne.

Relax in an airport!!

I loved the washroom signs at the airport which clearly set out that toilet paper should go in the toilet!  This is not always the case in Europe and other countries.

Customary in NZ to put used toilet paper into the toilet

I took a few pics from our departures lounge.

Great views

Our plane

We left on time and arrived a few minutes early, just before 4:00 p.m. Melbourne time.  There is a two hour difference between Queenstown and Melbourne (Melbourne is two hours earlier).

Unfortunately, Alain's luggage was missing!!  This was strange as Queenstown is such a small airport and planes only fly to a few destinations in NZ and Oz.  He made a missing luggage report and then we took the Skybus ($18 each one way) to Southern Cross station and then hopped the free tram to go two stops to the street with the apartment in which we are staying.  There is a huge part of Melbourne CBD that is serviced by free trams.

We are staying in a heritage older apartment building on Elizabeth Street and have our own studio apartment on the second floor, which is well equipped and in a perfect location.

Kitchen area-- there is also a washer/dryer

Bedroom area

Heritage apartment building we are staying in

While on a big street, it is quite quiet.  Alain contacted Virgin Australia and it turned out that a carousel at the Melbourne Airport hadn't been working and no one found his bag until the next flight came in.  However, they told him that the bag had to be X-rayed first and that they would let us know about a delivery time.   We went to the supermarket across the road to get the basics.

Interesting signs about delay in getting vegetables due to drought in parts of Oz

We then went for a long walk down Flinders Lane which is just around the corner from us.  I first took a picture of Flinders Street Railway Station which takes up two city blocks. It opened in 1854.

View down our street

Another view

We wandered down Degraves Street off Flinders Lane, one of Melbourne's famous "laneways".  Degraves Street is a pedestrian street with a number of coffee shops and restaurants on it.

Signs on Degraves Street

 We continued our walk to Hosier Street, another laneway full of graffiti.

Cat on Hosier Lane

Very much like graffiti alley in Toronto

Many of the restaurants we had passed on our walk were already closing just after 9:00 p.m.  It is still hard to get used to cafés closing at 4:00 p.m. and some restaurants by 9:00 p.m.  We went back to our apartment for a light dinner.  Alain called Virgin Australia again and they told him that while the bag was "out of quarantine", it was too late to deliver his bag on Wednesday.  It would be delivered between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. the next day.

We had an early start to our day on Thursday March 7, as Alain's luggage arrived at 6:40 a.m.  I then decided to google "best bakeries in Melbourne", and one of the highest rated was a kiosk called Wood Frog Bakery located just across the street  that was going to be open at 7:30 a.m.  Alain went over and got a fresh baguette!  It was only 10C getting up, but it is going to be sunny with a high of 22C today.  We are glad that we have missed the recent heat wave in Melbourne.  However, we are now officially into fall weather.

Getting set up with great bread and treats across the street from our  apartment

We went around the corner on Flinders Lane and stopped for coffee at Dukes Coffee Roasters.  Very popular place and fabulous coffee.

Alain at Dukes

Line up when we left-- also located in a lovely heritage building

We stopped at the Aesop a few doors down.  A beautiful store, with a hand crafted cardboard interior. Prices are less than in Toronto.

Entrance at Aesop-- green tubes of body cream on display

We then started our walk up Elizabeth Street to the Queen Victoria Market (about a 15 minute walk from our apartment).  We stopped to peak into a wonderful arcade called "The Block Arcade".  Beautiful tiles and a style reminiscent of the Milan Galleria.  It opened in 1892.

The arcade- beautiful lighting and design

Entrance tiles

We have noticed a number of new buildings in Melbourne CBD along with many construction cranes.      
Later in the day, our Free Tour guide told us that many of the new buildings have just been constructed in the last five years.   Melbourne is the fastest growing city in Australia and its population is predicted to rise to 8 million by 2050!  The population is currently around 5 million.

New buildings

We then arrived at the Queen Victoria Market.  It is a huge market with separate buildings for fish and meat; vegetables; organic vegetables; delicatessen foods; and a building with seating and small restaurants.   They are open Tuesday-Sunday (varying hours but usually from 6:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m.).  The Market is closed Monday and Wednesday, although they have a Summer Night Market on Wednesday evenings with street food, drinks and entertainment from 5-10 p.m.  The Market officially opened in March 1878.   It is an incredible place to visit.  

We entered at the Deli part--- returned later to get a spicy potato borek

Corner chicken- where we bought some chicken and sausage

Wonderful display of chicken products

We stopped briefly at Market Lane Coffee and chatted with a woman who, while she worked there, wasn't on shift and was just having a coffee.  She got me an espresso sample and gave us some great tips on restaurants.  She also consulted with some folks and told us which fish vendor to go to in the fish and meat building.

Packaging at Market Lane Coffee-- they have two locations in different market buildings.

We went into the fish and meat building-- totally overwhelming.  We were glad we had the recommendation to go to Prosser's.

We bought some ocean trout

Prosser's stall

We also decided to have a 1/2 dozen oysters to start our lunch - fresh Coffin Bay Oysters-- just $9.50
(we have seen very pricey oysters in restaurants)

Alain with our oysters-- they were excellent

Next we went to the first of the fruit buildings--- we got some plums.   These have been our favourite fruit on the trip.  All local, in season and lots of different types.  Some of the buildings are open air, like the fruit area; but others are fully enclosed, like the meat and fish buildings.

Plums galore

We then wandered into the organic certified building.

Egg guy

Certified organic

We shared our spicy potato borek outside the deli building

We are planning our next visit to the Market on Sunday.  It has to be one of the largest and highest quality markets we have ever visited.

More new buildings

Modern Melbourne

What is incredible is the free tram system in a large part of the Melbourne CBD.   It is extensively used, there are lots of trams and it does keep cars off the road.  There is also a good tap on, tap off system with a transit card for service on busses, trains and trams that travel outside the free zone.  One can also explore other parts of Melbourne by taking the free tram to the edge of the free zone and then walking.  The planners also ensured that the free tram area includes the Queen Victoria Market.  Finally, there is a free City Circle Tram that travels on the outside circle of the free zone  (one can do a mini tour of a chunk of the CBD).  We wish that Toronto would be so enlightened.

We stopped briefly at one of my favourite stores- Dinosaur Designs.  I have bought many of their beautiful resin bangles over the years from this Australian company at their NYC store.  The prices are slightly lower here.  They have stores in Sydney (their headquarters) and Brisbane as well.  Too much choice.  I will be making a purchase here.

Window at Dinosaur design

We then went to the meeting place for our Melbourne Free Walking Tour, which started at 2:30 p.m.

Across the road was a green sculpture on the top of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) building

We met in front of the sculpture of Sir Redmond Barry (1813-1880) , a colonial judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia.  He also was the inaugural Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, serving from 1853 until his death.  He was the judge that sentenced Ned Kelly, the famous Australian bushranger, outlaw and convicted police murderer, to death by hanging in 1880.

Statue of Sir Redmond Barry in front of large State Library, undergoing renovations

Another interesting building

Our guide was Laura, who was finishing her Masters in teaching at one of the many Melbourne Universities.  She had an undergraduate degree in politics and French and had lived in Melbourne for a number of years, being born just outside the city.  After giving us a bit of the history of Melbourne, we walked to the Old Melbourne Gaol, a few blocks away.  The Gaol is now a museum.  It consists of a bluestone building and courtyard.  It was used as a prison between 1842-1929.  It held some of Australia's most notorious criminals including Ned Kelly, before they were executed.  Laura told us that the museum has a number of the death masks that used to be made of those prisoners who were executed.

In the courtyard of the Old Melbourne Gaol

I kept taking pics of some of the new buildings as we walked

Laura telling us the Ned Kelly story

We then walked to a monument with 888 on the top.  The plaque noted it was to commemorate the 8 hour movement initiated in Victoria in 1856.   888--stood for 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leisure and 8 hours of sleep.   It honours the Victorian workers who won the first 8-hour day in the world in 1856.  We also passed a large building across from the monument called the Victorian Trades Hall which is the headquarters of the Victorian Trades Hall Council.  It is the world's oldest trade union building.  Four flags fly from the roof of the building: The Australian Flag, the Eureka Flag (commemorating the Eureka Rebellion of 1854 ); the Australian Aboriginal Flag and the Red Flag.  The Hall is also used for a number of cultural events-- there was a poster for the Melbourne Comedy Festival which will be held in the building.

Monument to the 8 hour movement

The Trades Hall

Our guide pointed out that there were a number of Victorian England style buildings that were well preserved in Melbourne.

Beautiful Victorian buildings

We then went into the beautiful Carleton Gardens near the Royal Exhibition Building.

Very peaceful city gardens

Wrapped trees to protect possum damage-- doesn't really work

We walked up to the Royal Exhibition Hall, which was completed on October 1, 1880, in just 18 months to host the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880-81.  It represented the money and pride Melbourne and the state of Victoria had in the 1870s.  The building sits on 64 hectares of land.  Some of the original wings were demolished, but the main building, known as the Great Hall has survived.

Fountain near Great Hall

The building reminded us of the Grand Palais in Paris, which was built for the Universal Exposition of 1900.

We then walked down to the Parliament Gardens.

Fountain in park

There was a statue to Pastor Sir Douglas and Lady Gladys Nicholls.  It was the first memorial statue in Melbourne dedicated to Aboriginal community leaders.  They fought for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Paster Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls (1906-1988) and Lady Gladys Muriel Naby Nicholls (1906-1981)

We passed the beautiful Princess Theatre which has the Harry Potter play 

We stopped at the Parliament buildings which opened in 1856.  Beginning in 1901, it served as the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, during the period when Melbourne was the temporary national capital.  The federal parliament moved to Parliament House, Canberra, in 1927, allowing the Victorian state parliament to return to the building.

Parliament building

Our tour had a half-way 15 minute break and then the second half focussed on the art laneways and cultural spots in the city.  Our guide explained that buildings in the laneways had to apply to get permission for artists to paint on their buildings.  Real graffiti is prohibited and there can be heavy fines for even carrying a spray can without the proper authority.

Mike Makatron- a laneway artist

Another work by Makatron

We walked through Chinatown-- the second oldest after San Francisco.

Entrance to Chinatown

Statue to Dr. Sun Yat Sen

Another new building

More street art

We walked through a number of cool alleys, where Laura commented on the coffee shops and restaurants in each ally.

Mama's Buoi--- great name-- a Vietnamese resto

We walked through another beautiful arcade-- The Royal Arcade.  It was the first arcade in Melbourne and is the longest-standing arcade in Australia.  It opened in 1879.  There is a magnificent  clock at one end flanked by two giant statues of the mythical figures of Gog and Magog.

Royal Arcade

We then walked to Federation Square.   It is a venue for arts, culture and public events on the edge of the CBD.  It covers an area of 3.2 ha (7.9 acres).  It opened in 2002, after an architectural design competition.  The main square is paved with 470,000 ochre-coloured sandstone blocks from Western Australia and invokes images of the outback.  The building facades are clad using pinwheel tiling.  Lots of angular surfaces.  Very controversial when it opened.

Outside cladding

View of St. Paul's Cathedral near Federation Square

Sandstone pavement -- Atrium building on one end

We checked out the Arts Centre Melbourne with its spire over a "tutu".   A new spire was completed in 1996 to replace an older one.  The Arts Centre is a complex of distinct venues, including Hamer Hall, a separate building used for orchestra and other music performances.  There is the State Theatre and Playhouse and a number of Galleries.  The National Gallery of Victoria International is also there.

Arts Centre Melbourne - Eiffel Tower like spire (completed 1984)

Giving the group the lowdown

Our guide pointed out the amazing Eureka Tower, a 975 foot skyscraper.  The building opened in 2006.  It is named after the Eureka Stockade, a rebellion during the Victorian gold rush in 1854.  The gold crown represents the gold rush and the red stripe represents the blood spilt during the revolt.  The blue glass cladding that covers most of the building represents the blue background of the Stockade's flag and the white lines also represent the Eureka Stockade flag.  The white horizontal stripes also represent markings on a surveyor's measuring staff.  

Truly amazing building with history built in

View of the Yarra river

Looking back from the Southbank into the city

It was a great three hour tour.  We covered more ground than most of the free tours we had taken.

We then walked back to the Royal Exhibition Hall.  The Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival was taking place from March 1-10.  While many events were ticketed, there was public access to the Plaza which is located between the Exhibition Hall and the Melbourne Museum.

Royal Exhibition Hall- one side

Signage for Fashion Festival

Plaza area-- lots of places for a drink 

Lots of people taking photos of the street fashion

Yikes- Channel symbols 

Posing for her close up

Poster

Another pic of a side of the Exhibition Hall as we were leaving

We were definitely not dressed for the fashion event.  We checked out the scene, had some ice-cream (dairy and non) that a booth was handing out and then took the free tram back to our apartment where we had a lovely trout meal and started a new bottle of Australian red.  A very full first day in Melbourne!!