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<\/a><\/p>\nWe walked about two blocks south and hopped on the free tram that runs around the heart of the city.\u00a0 No need for a “Hop On Hop Off” business, this tram is perfect for that!\u00a0 It even has an audio track that talks about what you are cruising by.<\/p>\n
We rode about 5 stops and got off at Fitzroy Gardens, which are huge and gorgeous.<\/p>\n We saw these really cool ducks with the green colors, which we haven’t seen before.\u00a0 According to Merlin ID (an app that tells you what bird you are looking at), this is a Pacific Black Duck.\u00a0 Not all that black, but whatever.<\/p>\n In the park is a Memorial Garden for fire fighters, police and other officials that lost their lives in the line of duty.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In amongst the memorials is one for JFK, placed here by Melbourne’s Mayor in 1965.<\/p>\n What drew me to Fitzroy Gardens was a house that Captain Cook’s parents lived in back in England in 1755.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n As a maritime guy, I love anything related to Captain Cook!\u00a0 Here is the home from the adjacent gardens.<\/p>\n There is a life-sized statue of James in the garden.<\/p>\n There is a short film inside the house explaining the entire move from England to Melbourne.\u00a0 They also have a model of Cook’s sailing vessel, The Endurance.\u00a0 I can’t imagine crossing the ocean on something so small!<\/p>\n Here is the kitchen of the house.\u00a0 I don’t believe anything inside the house was original.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Not too far away from the Cook house is another tree, known as “The Fairies Tree”.\u00a0 It’s simply a carved trunk that dates back to 1934, and has obviously been refurbished a few times since then.\u00a0 The artist made this for the kiddies.<\/p>\n Adjacent to the Fairies Tree is the “Model Tudor Village”.\u00a0 My mother, a total Anglophile,\u00a0 would have loved this!<\/p>\n They even have a model of Shakespeare’s house from Stratford upon Avon, a spot my mother visited repeatedly.<\/p>\n Ok, enough park stuff.\u00a0 That night we had dinner in the highest restaurant in Melbourne, in this building.\u00a0 It looks like an ad for a razor company!<\/p>\n The restaurant is just one floor above the viewing platform.\u00a0 The food was good, but order your wine well before you order your food!\u00a0 It’s a long story, but trust me!<\/p>\n The sunset views are incredible!<\/p>\n Worthy of two photos!\u00a0 Damn reflections!<\/p>\n The view is just as good from the viewing platform.\u00a0 There is a spot where you can avoid the glass, but be prepared for the wind!\u00a0 This shot is of the Arts Center (with the red spire in the foreground) and the sports complex in the background.\u00a0 The “Australian Open” Tennis Tournament is held here every January.<\/p>\n On the walk back to our hotel these trees were all lit up.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n The night view along the Yarra River is gorgeous.\u00a0 Beautiful city!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n