Where We Be
The Melbourne skyline is the tallest in Australia. This is
the panoramic view from the steps of the Anzac Memorial.
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Close at hand on our side of the river was the Southgate Shopping Centre with its extensive food court
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Our first stop was Federation Square, an important cultural venue
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Some of the buildings here were ultra-modern, others vintage 1880s
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Without a doubt Hosier Lane was one of the most memorable streets we visited
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It's known for its graffiti art, some of which is pretty sophisticated
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It's one of Melbourne's most popular sights so get here early to avoid the congestion
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Hosier Lane is only a short walk from Flinders Street Railway Station and Federation Square
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Artists use these walls as their temporary canvases -- so what's here today may be gone tomorrow
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These adjacent churches -- Scots' & St. Michael's -- were built during Melbourne's building boom in the late 1800s
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Even beyond Hosier Lane we came across curious urban art
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Princess Theatre -- an 1850s building -- marked the eastern end of our explorations
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Signs of Easter were everywhere. The Easter Bilby is an Australian alternative
to the Easter Bunny! (A bilby is an endangered Australian marsupial.)
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Eventually we reached Royal Arcade, a historic 1870 shopping arcade --
the oldest in Australia. The mythical giants Gog and Magog chime the hour.
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Nearby is Block Arcade, another historic shopping arcade with the popular Hopetoun Tea Rooms
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A short stroll along the Yarra River always offered fun things to see
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Later that afternoon we went on a second walk to the Royal Botanical Gardens
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The Anzac Memorial -- or Shrine of Remembrance -- occupies a privileged place within the gardens
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It honors all Australians who have served in war
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The extensive ornamental lake area offers an enjoyable place to relax or take a boat ride
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Just across the bridge is Flinders Street Railway Station -- Melbourne's
transit center. The art noveau landmark takes up two whole city blocks.
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Melbourne boasts the largest urban tram network not just in Australia but in the world
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North of Chinatown we detoured to the State Library of Victoria. It’s Australia’s
oldest public library and is best known for its octagonal LaTrobe Reading Room.
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The Yarra River runs through the heart of downtown Melbourne
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This artist's rendition of Melbourne really captures the
vibrancy of this city (displayed in the State Library of Victoria)
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We arrived in Melbourne just as a full moon
was rising. It was so pretty that, after we got
settled into our Travelodge Southbank hotel,
we headed back out for a nighttime stroll. From
a nearby pedestrian bridge we saw the moon-
light rippling on the Yarra River and the city all
lit up at night. Everyone was out having a good
time on Good Friday, which made for a fun intro
to Australia's second most populous city.
In the 1880s Melbourne was the second largest
city (after London) in the British Empire -- and,
for a brief time, the richest city in the world.
The 1850s gold rush brought boom times here.
It became known as "Marvellous Melbourne"
and is still pretty marvelous today, serving as
Australia's de facto cultural and sports capital.
It's also known as Australia's garden city so be
sure to check out the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The historic center is compact enough that we
explored it on foot -- but there's also a free City
Circle tram you can take to get around. We
enjoyed all the late 1800's architecture -- and
the post-modern Hosier Lane with its graffiti art.
We stayed at the Travelodge Southbank right near the river
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We had a small kitchenette in our room
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And were just steps away from the Evan Walker Bridge connecting to the north bank
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An artist at work on his creation
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Early one morning we went on a short walking tour through the Central Business District
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From there we headed west through Melbourne's Chinatown
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Melbourne's parks and gardens are considered some of the best in the country
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