Four seasons in one day
Well, now I know why the Crowded House song “four seasons in one day” was written about Melbourne. Amazing weather, if a little annoying.
My second day in the city was spent mostly wandering around, avoiding rain storms and trying to find shade from the blazing sun in rotation. Avoiding the overcrowded circle tram, I decided to walk northward, to some gardens that looked quite nice, then on to Victoria Markets - a huge undercover market that covers about 2 blocks just outside the CBD. A real tat melee, it’s always fun to walk around these places, although this one was so big my appetite for complete crap ran out about half way around. Being Saturday morning, it was a touch crowded as well.
So, onward and upward - well, across really, as I tracked the course of the Circle tram just outside the main loop, to end up at the Old Melbourne Gaol. This is in fact just the second wing of the original jail, but is the last surviving remnant - and seems to have been kept purely for the sake of one Mr Ned Kelly. Held (and executed) here at the end of his reign of terror as “the last bushman”, the place is almost a shrine now. Definitely worth a visit, the only slightly disturbing bit is the multitude of death masks that bedeck the place, and the fact that they’ve reinstated the original gallows at the end of the cell block.
After having wandered around the “Gaol” for what seemed like hours (lots of stairs, as you can wander completely freely around the cellblock and along all the gantries), I decided to cut back down through the city to Flinders Street to get back down to the South Bank, as it warranted further investigation. So, I cut through the little lanes and alleys, taking in a couple of cafes on the way (I hate to say it, but they’ve still got to learn a thing or two about really good coffee - Mr Carluccio, your espressos would clean up down here). The city is full of these little lanes and, in some respects, is a little like Edinburgh in the fact that it’s these old side streets and cul-de-sacs that really give the city it’s cosmopolitan feel.
The South Bank, on the other hand, is thoroughly and unashamadly modern and spacious - and, as a cosequence, somewhat lacking in character. Much like London’s own southbank complex, Melbourne has built it’s big cultural institutions on the side of the river - mostly in layered walkways of concrete, as well. Unlike London, however, it’s actually quite nice. The Yarra is a much cleaner and inviting watercourse to sit by, and the mix of cafes, restaurants and shops make it a lovely place to wander along in the winter sun. The art gallery is still a giant concrete coffin, and the theatre and huge ampithetre bedecked with an incredibly weird roof - but, well, that’s the same the world over, I’ve come to find.
Wandering down the banks of the river, you eventually come to the old dock area, which has been decimated now by the 0.5km long exhibition centre, and a giant gambling complex. Even the lovely old maritime museum is overshadowed, and is now in a right mess - closed down for the moment, until they decide what to do with it. Still, you get a feel for the old dock-side community, even though you can see that the horizon holds the future for such docks - a huge container port nestles just downstream on a bend in the river.
So, to close the day, I thought I’d head up to the city’s observation deck to have an overall picture of the city. And, to tell you the truth, I’d actually advise anyone to do it first, before moving around the city. It centres you like nothing else, and gives a wonderful insight into the geography of the place. For one thing, it helped me plan out my last day in Melbourne - I could see exactly where I wanted to go, what I wanted to see, and how I could get there. And so I toddled off, to try to sleep under the din of the local nightclub next to the hotel.
Next day - Museums, parks, and the docklands. A broad sweep, but when you see where they are, and how they interlink, it makes sense I guess.
