A Sojourn in Melbourne

The train

We boarded the day train, for Melbourne, at Central Station, Sydney on Thursday morning, 12th July 2012....more. The train travels through surburban Sydney from Central to Menangle then through more rural and bush country, from Menangle to Melbourne.

Melbourne

After a brief stop at a rest spot on the highway, we continue our bus ride. We arrived in Melbourne pretty much on Schedule. The Melbourne Central YHA is a short walk, downhill, from the railway station.

Tall residential buildings are going up around Melbourne city at a phenomenal rate. The facades of the old buildings are being retained, with elaborate scaffolding to hold them up, while the buildings are being constructed.

Solar Energy

"Launched in April 2003, the Queen Victoria Market solar energy system is the largest grid-connected solar photovoltaic installation in the southern hemisphere."... more

Food

In Melbourne, we enjoyed a Mediterranean dinner in the World Trade Centre. The Queen Victoria Markets offered a fabulous selection of fresh food including a wide variety of potatoes and mushrooms, baby beetroot, fresh and salamied kangaroo.

The Straits of Malacca, 247 Chapel Street, Prahan provided generous tasty servings of all the styles of food Malaysia has to offer.

Enroute to the train home, we squeezed in a very worthwhile visit to Charcoal Lane in Fitzroy. We enjoyed a glass of wine and beer with our Barramundi and Kangaroo.

"In a 145 year old, bluestone building at 136 Gertrude Street, on the fringes of Melbourne CBD, sits Charcoal Lane: a vibrant and innovative restaurant that offers a unique experience of high quality modern Australian cuisine in a contemporary Aboriginal setting."...more

It was one Tram ride back (112) to the YHA, though we got off a stop too early as the tram turned into Spencer street and stopped at the corner of Flinders and Spencer Streets.

Entertainment and Sites

A visit to Museum Victoria, was worthwhile to see the live giant spiders and Bower birds. Though disappointingly the tour of the World Heritage listed Exhibition Buildings was cancelled, the day we visited.

Chapel off Chapel presented a quick overview of Bertold Brecht's life as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival.

Walk along the bay at Brighton, with a snack and drinks at the Baths. A train ride, on the Sandringham line took us back to Flinders Station.

Other highlights included the RMIT buildings and grounds, particularly the renovated Heritage listed Francis Ormond Building and adjoining Old Melbourne Jail courtyard. A poster in the Student Union claimed energy efficient LED lighting was incorporated into the renovation - however, these were not apparent. An RMIT Alumni was a guest speaker at the State Library about his life and career, as an Advertising Creative, to students. Walks on both the North and South Banks of the Yarra were both worth doing.

We visited the Lego stores in Mooney Ponds and Docklands. The hike from the tram stop at Mooney Ponds to the Burley Griffin Incinerator was suitable rewarded.

"The Essendon Incinerator complex at Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds was built in 1929-1930 and operated until 1942."..more

The Koori Heritage Trust building houses a library and two galleries as well as a shop and training facilities. Len's tour and talk about the Aboriginal History of Victoria and the exhibitions was informative. The exhibitions were Indigenous people in Australian Armed forces from the Boer War and South East Australian Trade Routes. The demonstration of the possum cape and highlighting of the thermal features of possum skins was a bonus.

"Our motto, Gnokan Danna Murra Kor-ki means give me your hand my friend...www.koorieheritagetrust.com

The Anonymous Miki card worked - though it was unclear how much a fare would be. From Fitzroy to Spencer Street at 6.30pm, 18 July it appeared to be about $5.20. From Flinders street to Mooney Ponds, during the day on Tuesday, it was around $3.40, as it was on Sunday from Flinders street station to Albert Park. Seemed to also be about $3.40 on train from Brighton to the city about 10.30pm Monday evening. The free city loop tram is good value - particularly it you are lucky to get an enthusiastic conductor, who adlibs.

Still Smiling

Rail staff, head home, on Platform 1, after conducting Passengers to sydney on overnight train from Melbourne.
19 July 2012
Photograph Marghanita da Cruz

Page Created 20 July 2012. Page updated 7 May 2015.