Arrived at the hostel around 5pm. It's literally a mansion. Friendly Mattias sorted tours for me - Great Ocean Road sunset, and a trip to see Penguins on Philip Island. Down to Woolworths for supplies (including milk, yay!), then noodles for dinner. Join in with a killer darts competition, but am first out. Get chatting to some Germans instead, play Arschloch. Shower, watch 'The Other Guys' (second time this trip), and then bed.
Porridge and dry toast for breakfast, then head to the Melbourne Museum. $10, and time it perfectly for a free tour led by a lovely lady called Pam. Museum is quite extensive and includes an outdoor forestry gallery. Some dinosaur skeletons, which still have the power to excite the child within me! DINOSAURS! Big collection of stuffed animals, geological specimens, and a gallery devoted to human mind and body. There's also a Melbourne exhibition, showcasing a champion horse, Phar Lap.
Met Seb & Nicci then, last time? They've been here since 30th Dec, staying with family friends, getting well looked after. They fly to Sydney tonight, so give them some tips for there. We head back to their building via the Yarra river bank. I return to town, passing a giant theremin, and on one bridge there's a display about Australian immigration. Drop by the tourist info in Federation Square, and discover these little leaflets for self-guided walks around the city. Start with 'A Walk in the Park', highlights are St Paul's Cathedral, the street art of Hosier Lane, and the model Tudor Village in Fitzroy Gardens. Also pass the small 1853 Lutheran Church, now dominated by the 1858-1897 St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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| St Paul's Cathedral |
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| Flinders Street Station |
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| Brick art |
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| St Patrick's on the left, the small, earlier Lutheran church at right |
Divert into East Melbourne then, on the 'Elegant Enclave' walk. Lots of colonial architecture, its probably Melbourne's oldest distract - one house dates from 1856. Magnificence in the form of Queen Bess Row. Pass by a library, and take the opportunity to use their Internet. Coming out, realise I'm starving, but haven't spent a penny all day, so treat myself to an Indian and a couple of beers. Come home to find the four Germans doing tequilas before they head to the casino.
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| Tasteful treatment of a burnt out church, now apartments |
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| Even the library has striking architecture |
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