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Published: October 11th 2008
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After a well deserved lie in, it was time to head to the heart of Melbourne and discover what hidden secrets it had to offer. The very efficient tram system quickly transported me to Flinders Street and Federation Square. Fed Square is a modern area of concrete and glass (a modern day version of Trafalgar Square) with the contrast opposite of Victorian grandeur of Flinders Street Station the main train and transit terminal for Melbourne.
Immediately Melbourne had more of a Euro-cosmopolitan feel to it - it was a centre that had life to it no matter what time it was. People came to shop, enjoy the café culture, go to the theatre and dine in the many restaurants the city had to offer.
First stop to change travellers cheques and get some money for the weekend, having done that Justine showed me through the alleyways of Melbourne - where the city came to life. This was a cross between the Lanes in Brighton and Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Here fantastic boutique and jewellery shops interwove each other and in the bigger lanes the café culture sprang to life. As it was very much brekky time (well ok Brunch)
- it was time for a fuel stop of a rather delicious toastie and coffee!
Time was not on our side and it was soon 12noon. Justine was off to see some friends for lunch so we bid our farewells to meet up again later. I decided to wind my way back to the Information Centre and pick up some walking maps of the city. I was not to be disappointed - six routes to choose from - so picked up a number including one around St. Kilda which I planned to do tomorrow.
First stop, the free tourist circle tram - a superb way to get your bearings around the city. One of the older trams this is a free service which circles the inner city - stopping off at all the main tourist attractions and a guided commentary as you go around (including a rather cheesy song about how its good to use the tram in Melbourne). It was here that you really saw the diversity and development of the city. The CBD being of Victorian architectural splendour and a very regal, Anglo feel to it, suddenly gave way to the modern and equally impressive architecture
of the Docklands and South Bank area. Here was home to the largest high rise tower in Melbourne - the Eureka tower from which you can get superb views of the city, as well as the Rod Laver Stadium - used for many sporting events throughout the year.
Back into the more regal city centre and skirting through Chinatown we passed into the government area - home now to museums of all types but before the building of Canberra the home of the country's government and parliament.
Gliding back the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) stadia came into sight and we skirted alongside the city's botanical garden. Ending back at Flinders I decided it was time to have a mooch around the city. As I did so marvelling at the architecture I walked through a living vineyard in the heart of the city - which had been put on show by McGuigan Wines. Having time to savour some samples, I continued to the botanical garden to see the splendour of the said gardens. And very peaceful and tranquil it was.
And then I discovered that my credit on the mobile was up! Racing back to the city to
find the nearest internet café I logged on to charge up my account and use my orange website to text hello back home and to Justine to arrange a rendezvous point!
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