We drove about 2 hours from Phillip Island to Melbourne, a city I never want to drive in again. Not quite as bad as Turin, but not fun, particularly when they drive on the wrong side of the road to begin with! Bear in mind that Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, so traffic is bound to be bad.
We stayed at Treasury on Collins, and while the room was nice, the place is kind of a mixed bag. Great location, but good luck finding a parking spot to bring in your luggage. They have a great happy hour with free wine from 4:00 to 6:00, but don’t you DARE try to bring that glass of wine to your room! I did it anyway while they weren’t looking, but it was like I was trying to sneak a potato past Nazi guards! Ok, enough about that place.
After dropping off the car we took a walk around the city. This really cool building is a Public Bath that’s been here since 1860. The exterior was far more impressive than the interior.
We walked about two blocks south and hopped on the free tram that runs around the heart of the city. No need for a “Hop On Hop Off” business, this tram is perfect for that! It even has an audio track that talks about what you are cruising by.
We rode about 5 stops and got off at Fitzroy Gardens, which are huge and gorgeous.
We saw these really cool ducks with the green colors, which we haven’t seen before. According to Merlin ID (an app that tells you what bird you are looking at), this is a Pacific Black Duck. Not all that black, but whatever.
In the park is a Memorial Garden for fire fighters, police and other officials that lost their lives in the line of duty.
I took this shot of the panel for the fire fighters in honor of my friend Casey Potts, a retired Fire Chief and former neighbor of ours.
In amongst the memorials is one for JFK, placed here by Melbourne’s Mayor in 1965.
What drew me to Fitzroy Gardens was a house that Captain Cook’s parents lived in back in England in 1755. Melbourne officials wanted an attraction related to James Cook, and purchased the home, had it fully disassembled and shipped to Melbourne, where it was reconstructed and opened to great fanfare as “the oldest building in Australia” in 1934.
As a maritime guy, I love anything related to Captain Cook! Here is the home from the adjacent gardens.
There is a life-sized statue of James in the garden.
There is a short film inside the house explaining the entire move from England to Melbourne. They also have a model of Cook’s sailing vessel, The Endurance. I can’t imagine crossing the ocean on something so small!
Here is the kitchen of the house. I don’t believe anything inside the house was original.
In front of the house is this huge tree known as “A Great Australian Tree” (again, the Australians are incredibly literal) which is huge Ficus that is found mostly near Brisbane.
Not too far away from the Cook house is another tree, known as “The Fairies Tree”. It’s simply a carved trunk that dates back to 1934, and has obviously been refurbished a few times since then. The artist made this for the kiddies.
Adjacent to the Fairies Tree is the “Model Tudor Village”. My mother, a total Anglophile, would have loved this!
They even have a model of Shakespeare’s house from Stratford upon Avon, a spot my mother visited repeatedly.
Ok, enough park stuff. That night we had dinner in the highest restaurant in Melbourne, in this building. It looks like an ad for a razor company!
The restaurant is just one floor above the viewing platform. The food was good, but order your wine well before you order your food! It’s a long story, but trust me!
The sunset views are incredible!
Worthy of two photos! Damn reflections!
The view is just as good from the viewing platform. There is a spot where you can avoid the glass, but be prepared for the wind! This shot is of the Arts Center (with the red spire in the foreground) and the sports complex in the background. The “Australian Open” Tennis Tournament is held here every January.
On the walk back to our hotel these trees were all lit up. I’m not sure why, but it likely has something to do with the Aborigine culture, which seems to be a huge focus in Australia.
The night view along the Yarra River is gorgeous. Beautiful city!
Up next, more of Melbourne as we visit The National Gallery of Victoria, the Shrine of Remembrance and dine at perhaps the best restaurant in Australia, Attica, with our new friends Kylie and Simon. We definitely aren’t losing any weight on this trip!