Melbourne

Melbourne (pronounced MelBUrN by locals), is a city with a rich variety of architecture and people and experiences.  For the first two days we stayed in the CBD (Central Business District) which I liken to staying in Manhattan when visiting New York.  Although we were in the middle of the business district, we did find a free tram to take us all over and it stopped at the end of the block of where we were staying!  The only downside was that it only ran during business hours, which in Australia end at about 5 PM.  After that, we were on our own, either walking or on a taxi.  We did a lot of walking!

It’s impossible to put all of our Melbourne experiences into one blog post so I won’t even try.

One thing that is hard to miss in Melbourne is the way that the old is respected along with the new.  All over you will see old buildings from the founding of Melbourne (1835) to the present, all side by side.  It was refreshing to see that the old has not been abandoned to make way for the new.

Federation Square, Melbourne

One of my favorite  buildings is Flinders Station which is seen below and in the far back of the photo above.  It’s a bright yellow train station where one can catch a train to all parts of the city and beyond.  It is also the center for eating, socializing, and getting an internet connection.  At any given time it is abuzz with activity.

Flinders Station

Another thing that is hard to miss in Melbourne is the presence of public transportation.  From any given point in the CBD, one will see buses, trams, trains, raised trains, etc.  There is a flurry of activity all around and if not careful, you might get on the wrong bus or tram and not have the correct pass/ticket when required!  That’s one of the reasons we stuck with the free City Circle tram…we didn’t have to worry about having the correct change or the correct bus pass.

Tram stop with raised train in background.

 

In the picture above, notice the raised train tracks in the background and then the street with a tram stop in the middle of it.  That’s right, in most places tram and bus riders will have to wait for their transportation in the middle of the road and in many cases there is no island on which to wait as there is in the picture above.  We waited, in some instances, in the middle of the road in a spot where there was no more than about 18 inches between the cars on either side of us.  It was difficult not to be blown away onto oncoming traffic in one direction or another!  And in many cases there is no rail or divider of any kind whatsoever!

Melbourne Gaol

Above is a photo of the Old Melbourne Gaol where legendary Ned Kelly was imprisoned and hung for murder in 1880.  The city has been built up all around this area with old buildings like this one right next to modern skyscrapers.

More in upcoming posts.