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Published: February 8th 2013
Glorious Melbourne
Southbank by the Yarra RiverIn our next lives we want to live in Melbourne. What a great city - a sense of urbanity, verdant green spaces, walkable, fabulous restaurants, sports culture... I could go on and on. We thoroughly enjoyed our all too short time there.
I would rarely give a shout out to a credit card but... We switched to the United Mileage Plus Card before this trip, primarily to get no foreign exchange fees and the extra miles, but the card has truly shown its worth this trip through its premium hotel reservation services. We fall in love with the Park Hyatt Melbourne, with our upgraded spa suite looking out over the city, a gracious staff, and a lovely location close to the CBD but in a small, leafy nitch by itself, with breakfast and a nice meal credit thrown in. We've had other good luck with using this reservation service for Singapore and Sydney, with their competitive rates and nice benefits and amenities. Too bad it didn't have a property in Port Campbell...but you'll get the whole story on that one.
On the drive in from the airport, our voluble driver introduced us to the city
and his history with it. He was born in Iran, moved to Sweden at age 6, grew up multi-lingual, married an American who had been living in Sweden for 20 years, and 4 years ago, on vacation in Melbourne on his way to emigrating to the USA, fell in love with this country and has been here ever since. We checked in with him about driving in Melbourne and the notorious hook turns - more about them later - and he acknowledged they were just as challenging as everyone told us about...so now we're getting fairly freaked about driving here. We have a day in the city carless and then we will get to experience automotive combat Melbourne style.
In order to keep peace in the family we have to have Italian for dinner at least once a week so, on the recommendation of Camilo, the hotel's multi talented concierge, we enjoyed our first walk through the CBD, full of theaters, outdoor cafes, and people enjoying the warm evening. The CBD is made up of major thoroughfares behind which lurk delightful lanes, in which interesting shops and small restaurants reside. Dinner at Solarino, a small, off the
tourist track restaurant in an alley way off a lane, is perfect with a tasty seafood risotto with hints of basil, complemented by a nice Sauvignon Blanc. As with our trip to Tuscany, in which we had decided it was our job to see if we could find a bad Chianti, we are on a Sauvignon Blanc expedition this trip and so far have not been disappointed. The restaurant is filled with locals enjoying their Friday evening after a week of work - a young engaged couple, flirting with each other, a single woman enjoying her book and meal at a table, and the requisite long blond haired surfer type, albeit closer to our age than most of them.
Saturday morning we venture out to try the city's great free City Circular Tram, which circles the CBD and surrounding areas and allows you to hop on and off to visit whatever you like. Camilo has drawn us a map of the must see stops and sights so off we go. Melbourne's primary form of public transportation is electric trams and the city streets are noisy with their grating tracks. After a short ride down to the redeveloped
Southbank area, we wander along the Yarra River waterfront, enjoying the sight of the sculls on the water (Steve is jealous), over past the museums and symphony hall and out to the Shrine of Remembrance, which was built after WW I to honor all the men from Victoria who lost their lives in that conflict, and today honors all residents of Victoria who have lost their lives in foreign conflicts. Camilo had told us about the monument and we certainly wouldn't have found it on our own and it provides a quiet hour for us. Sadly in the display of military medals are ones honoring soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Back on the tram, through lots of interesting areas, and then, a hop off at the Queen Victoria Market, which almost defies explanation. Covering more than a city block under a covered roof is a combination flea market, household goods, fresh produce, meat and seafood, and gourmet goods. Time for lunch and what a perfect place - some Tasmanian blue cheese, a sharp cheddar as good as our favorite Maine rat cheese, some olives and crackers and we're happy. I wander through the meat
and seafood area, being reminded of Pikes Place Market in Seattle, with barking fishmongers hawking their wonderful seafood. The produce is mouthwatering - what a treat to have summer fruits in February. The cherries are plump and juicy and the pineapple almost too sweet. At all of our hotels the breakfast buffets have been groaning with the fruits of summer and we've liberally indulged.
After a walk through the lovely Carlton Gardens, with the wonderful 19th century exhibition palace and the stunning modern Melbourne Museum, we finally collapse back at the hotel late afternoon. Camilo comes through with another great restaurant recommendation - Atlantic - on the Southbank Promenade and so we enjoy a leisurely stroll through the early evening holiday makers on our way to dinner. Apparently the thing to do for a batchelorette party is to gather your group of girlfriends and take one of the river craft for an evening of dinner, drinks and fun. We must have seen at least half a dozen groups intent on such foolery, with the bride to be with the requisite sash and rhinestone crown, trailed by clouds of friends in extremely short dresses and very high heels
Great Ocean Road
Challenging driving, gorgeous day - whee! The city is alive with people, music, motion, fun and we enjoy moving with the rush, watching and taking it all in. We discover a snug cavern of a bar, with a talented piano player tinkling our favorite music and settle in for a drink before dinner. Even with 9 p.m. reservations, the place is still packed but our meal is beautifully prepared - I experimented with a whole flathead fish grilled over an open fire - delicious! But we need to scurry home to get a good night's sleep since tomorrow we meet the dreaded HOOK TURNS!
Back on the tram Sunday morning to pick up our rental car, our loins girded for battle. So remember all those trams here - well, their tracks run down the center of all the streets, they make very wide turns around corners and they definitely have the right of way over mere cars. So, if you want to make a right turn over the tram tracks, you get in the far left hand lane, put on your right turn blinker (we still tend to turn on the windshield wipers instead of turn blinkers), creep out terrified into
the middle of the intersection when your light turns green...and then stop, with all the oncoming traffic pointed broadside, angrily staring at you. Once the stoplight for the oncoming traffic turns green, you whip through the intersection and brief a sigh of relief...and we thought roundabouts were tough. We're going out to the Yarra Valley for the day at the Healesville Sanctuary, a wildlife sanctuary, and to do a little wine tasting. The very friendly man at the rental car counter recognizes us as "crazy Americans driving on the wrong side of the road and terrified of hook turns" and kindly gives us printed directions to the valley without having to make any hook turns - guess they've seen a lot of our species. Steve and I have reached an entente cordiale regarding driving here. Given Steve's bad eyesight which means he is unable to read roadmaps or the road signs as they flash by, and his lack of trust in Google Maps, he has become the designated driver whenever we require any type of navigating and I'm the designated navigator. Being the belt and suspenders type, I use Google Maps, printed maps, and the grace of God to get
us anywhere. We negotiate the terms of settlement - how often we can yell at each other, appropriate tone and volume of responses - and off we go and without too much ado we get to Healesville, about an hour away, fairly easily.
The sanctuary serves a primary role as a wildlife rescue organization and is committed to ensuring that the ten most endangered species will not go extinct during their tenure. We take a behind the scenes tour to see the rescue and breeding programs and it is a revelation. Thanks, Michaela, for telling us we must see this place. We get to see a Mountain Pygmy Possum, so small it could fit easily in the palm of a child's hand (the ones that are being trained to be handled have signs on their cage doors proclaiming them to be a "Media Super Star")' to pet a cobra, and learn about the devastating disease that has reduced the Tasmanian Devil population 80% in the last decade, and for which a cure has not yet been discovered. The sanctuary has developed a breeding program to maintain the Devils in a disease free environment until a cure is found and the population can be released back into the wild. The sanctuary has developed wonderful natural landscapes for all the indigenous animals it has, so we finally get to come face to face with kangaroos, koalas, wombats and other assorted Aussie wonders. But now time for some good wine - the requirements for the winery to stop at is that it has Sauvignon Blanc and is a left turn off the road - remember where we're driving... We pick Rochford from the guide, turn left into a verdant countryside setting, and I get to settle in for some tasting - there are certain benefits to being the navigator. There's a cheery group of Aussies at the bar and we're served by a jovial gentleman who insists we have to drink our way through their wine canon...and who's to say no. Our Aussie friends give us lots of good advice on wineries, restaurants and adventures but I have to quit half way through, but not before trying their interesting Chardonnay dessert wine. Overall score - 7 on a scale to 10, good not great. The dynamic duo continues its own version of automotive combat on the way back into town and the driving gods are still smiling on us as still no hook turns.
Checking out of our wonderful abode on Monday morning, we head out to drive the Great Ocean Road, southwest of Melbourne. It's been billed as one of the world's great drives but one that you need to take a couple of days to enjoy. Everyone assures us we won't have a problem finding a place to stay in one of the charming seaside towns that dot the road. The road starts in Torquay, and as the designated navigator, I insist on a stop at the tourist information center (doing double duty as the surf museum also) to stock up on maps and assorted paraphernalia. We're helped by a charming German-Aussie senior citizen, a volunteer at the center, and she is so enthusiastic about her job, and making sure we know every last place we must stop at, that we begin to get concerned that we'll ever get back on the road.
After getting slightly lost trying to find Bell's Beach, known as one of the best surfing beaches in Australia, we finally make our way onto the highway. I know you're thinking that I was supposed to be the impeccable navigator but it turns out that Bell's Beach really doesn't have a road leading to it since its supposed to be secret and special and so LB (all GPSs have to have names, even when they are resident in your phone and ours is called Little Bitch) throws a fit and directs us into a sand dune strewn "road" somewhere in the vicinity. Soon we are deep into the Great Ocean Road and it is just as spectacular as we expected. It winds around towering cliffs on our right and heart pounding drops to our left...and remember we're driving on the left side of the road. The azure sea pounds in waves of rolling waves onto the empty beaches - this is riptide country and few people swim here. Up and down, around and out...not unlike the Big Sur coast in some ways. By now Steve has relinquished the wheel - how lost can you get on a two lane road - but I notice he is clutching the left side of the car occasionally and leaning to the right as if his body English can help insure the car stays on the road (truth be told, I do the same thing.) On the way through Apollo Bay, I remember the recommendation from the masseuse at Ayers Rock not to miss the Vegemite ice cream here but decide to pass on this culinary experience. It's Super Bowl Sunday and we're trying to catch an update on the game somehow so when we pull into Lorne for lunch - we chose it because there was parking on the left - we finally pick up the New York Times twitter feed only to find out that the stadium is in darkness - somehow it all seems so incongruous that we are sitting beachside on the Great Ocean Road in brilliant sunshine and they're all sitting in darkness. After lunch the road winds inland through heavy forests, breaking out into grazing pastures full of lazy Holsteins and farm gardens laden with agapanthus. By late afternoon we finally reach the famous Twelve Apostles, towering stone pylons hugging the shore, with waves breaking over nearby beaches. It is actually the best time of day to see them with the lowering sun catching the rocks and highlighting their stony striations - what a memorable place. But now its time to find one of those charming seaside villages and a place to stay.
Our friend at the Torquay information center had assured us that the information center in Port Campbell would easily be able to find us a room for the night - perhaps a clue of what was to come was that the info center was located at the trailer court. After inquiring about a B&B and getting a shake of the head, the woman provides us with a list of local accommodations and sends us on our way...but only after several minutes extolling the local highlights (I guess this is an occupational requirement of volunteer tour center folk.). Port Campbell being basically a one street town, we take a look at the two 3.5 star options in town (makes you question the star rating system somewhat) - the other choices being backpacker hostels - and settle on the Loch Ard Motor Inn, renamed by us as the No Tell Motel. Well, the hotel honeymoon had to come to an end sometime.... There's a jolly lady at reception who agrees she has room for us, happily takes our credit card (it's only half the price of our delicious room in Melbourne) and hands us over our key. We ask her about wifi - one of the reasons we had chosen this abode of domesticity was the large sign out front proclaiming Free Wifi - and she reaches over, plunges her plump finger on some type of connection and whips out a receipt for us and tells us it's good for 4 hours. When we ask her if we can connect more than one device, at first she screws up her face as if she never had to face this conundrum before but quickly smiles and breaks out with a cheery "No worries!" and proceeds to punch us out another receipt! We drive around back to the room - think 1940's Hollywood style movie motel - and begin our acquaintance with the No Tell Motel. Enough said, but we have a gorgeous view of the beach in Port Campbell, if you don't mind everyone walking right by your room, and settle in for the evening. When we asked for a recommendation for dinner, our front desk friend was delightfully honest, saying the bar across the street was about as good as it got. Her honesty also let us know that, contrary to the info place lady, we could just get the hell out of town the next morning as there wasn't anything all that interesting to see further down the coast. We wandered over to the bar for dinner and gave up on the inedible calamari and just called it a night.
We took her recommendation the next morning and got the hell out of Dodge and scurried back to Melbourne via the fast inland route. Australia takes its safe highway driving seriously and the road is plastered with signs about safe driving including my favorite "Dead People Don't Drive." They have rest areas designated for drowsy drivers with big signs recommending powernaps. They must also be used to confused right hand side of the road drivers as on the Great Ocean Road, every few kilometers, there was a road sign proclaiming "Australia drives on the left" and white arrows painted on the pavement for confused drivers. Driving through farmlands on the way back, I'm always interested in seeing how hay is bailed - here it's in big round bails, covered with green plastic.
One last trial to return the rental car and we'd be done. Steve commented that one way to insure he didn't have any low blood pressure was to drive into a city on the other side of the road. We navigate safely into downtown Melbourne and then get caught in the maze of one way streets and hook turns near the Queen Victoria Market and nearly lose it. At one point, in the midst of what appeared to be a six way intersection, I start screaming "Just go! Go! Go!" regardless of the stream of cars coming at us from all directions, Steve floors it, turns into some unknown street and then thankfully, there's the rental car garage. We were never so happy to say goodbye to a car as that one.
With the afternoon at leisure before taking the overnight ferry to Tasmania, we decide to visit the high temple of cricket, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is a huge stadium, set in a park like setting with other athletic facilities, including the Rod Laver tennis arena, home of the Australian Open. Seating 100,000, it was originally built for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and has been remodeled and enlarged several times since. The home of the Melbourne Cricket Club (120,000 members, 18 year waiting list to join, only allowed women members since 1984), it is a monument to cricket and Australian Rules Football. Rosie, our rotund tour guide, barrels along through the stadium, clearly in her element, nattily decked out in her blazer of MCC stripes. She lets us touch a toe on the hallowed turf, and tries to explain to us the circuitous rules of cricket. She bemoans the fact that cricket fans today just don't have any stamina as they are not interested in the 5-6 day international test matches and they can barely fill the stadium for a one day 60 wicket match. Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about with cricket - don't be fooled - it's still a vast mystery. However, we now know the difference between a bowler and a batsman, and are duly impressed with the batting average of the greatest Aussie batsman ever - 99.98 - take that, you overpayed baseball sluggers. The tour continues through an endless succession of bars throughout the stadium, although, strangely enough, you can't drink in the members stand, only in the hoi polloi stands. The locker room is strangely barren - again, our boys of summer would never put up with the rickety lockers and sagging leather couches. Rosie talks non-stop about the greatest matches and players and refers to England as the "mortal enemy." What a great tour and piece of sporting history. After a wander through the Australian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame, and watching some gut-wrenching video of Aussie rules football - you have to be truly mad to play that game - we wander back to a final farewell to the Park Hyatt and off to our Tasmanian adventure.
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Anne Moore
non-member comment
I love, love love your blogs
Hi Anne Marie and Steve, Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip. What a great writer you are, Anne Marie. I want to take the exact same trip some day. Happy travels! Anne