Night in Melbourne!

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On our last day of orientation we piled back onto the buses and headed to Melbourne where we would be staying the night before flying to Brisbane in the morning. Everyone was really excited to be back in civilization after being on the coast and to finally experience Australian nightlife. Luckily, our hotel, The Oaks on Market (which is a 5 star hotel!! The rooms were massive and very modern with a great view overlooking the city) was in a great location downtown so we could easily wander in the city. In the afternoon we took a walking tour with one of our program directors so we could get our bearings to make stumbling around later that evening much more bearable. We stopped at the Yarra River and took pictures of the skyline and scenery along the river. There were multiple jellyfish in the water so no chance of swimming! We eventually broke from the group to grab lunch and do some shopping. After going back to the hotel and washing up we ventured back out into the city to grab dinner. On the walking tour a certain pub was pointed out to us, Young & Jackson, which is a very popular bar in Melbourne. It gained its notoriety for a particular large portrait of a nude woman, named "Chloe." Luckily, we were seated in a different area of the bar so Chloe did not grace us with her presence at dinner. Afterward, we met up with my friend Ellie who lives in Melbourne but did her study abroad at PSU last semester. She took us to a laid back outdoor bar along the Yarra River and underneath Federated Center, a large outdoor theater that is an architectual gem in the city. The bar was great, very scenic along the river with lights strung up and reflecting off the water, and it was nice to be able to just sit and chat with Ellie and her friends and get tips on what to see and do in Australia. It was unfortunate that we only had one night in Melbourne because it really is an awesome city and I'll probably try to make my way back there at some point. However, we were all too excited to finally be getting to the city that we would be calling home for the next five months.

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Photos

Melbourne Skyline
Yarra River

Federated Center
They host many events here, such as New Year's Eve celebrations, and also air sporting events, like the World Cup, so the whole city can enjoy!

Federated Center
Just another shot

Comments

[Greg Becker]

Good Luck
Hey Lisa-- Keep up the good work and keep up with the postings. I enjoy reading them and your writing style! gb