Melbourne Aug 2008

City Sights

ST KILDA

We decided we could not leave Melbourne without going to St Kilda so we looked up the appropriate tram to travel on.  Up until now we were using the free tram to get around so we did not quite know how to pay it was a little confusing, we were sitting in our seats expecting a ticket man to come around and that did not happen so we just sat trying to work out what to do, I think we should have got a ticket before we got on the tram – oh dear. 

This was not a good weather day very windy and with showers but we made the most of it.  St Kilda is located on a sandy stretch of Port Phillip Bay.  Originally a seaside resort in Melbourne’s early years due to its close proximity to the city centre, St Kilda has developed into a trendy and cosmopolitan suburb

We arrived at St Kilda and decided to get off as soon as we could, so we disembarked at the main shops then walked to the pier.





This is the most famous attraction on St Kilda’s beach.  This landmark was originally built in 1853 and the iconic kiosk built in 1904.  The kiosk was destroyed by fire in 2003 and rebuilt soon after and features a viewing deck which offers panoramic views over the bay.

Near the entrance to the pier are the St Kilda Sea Baths with the current complex being built in the 1990’s.  There are lovely eateries and coffee shops on the water front.

A network of pathways line St Kilda’s scenic foreshore, making it ideal for bicycle riding, walking, jogging and inline skating.  Also not to far is Luna Park near the St Kilda Botanical Gardens.

CRUSING ON THE YARRA

A cruise along the Yarra seemed a good idea as this would give us a different aspect of looking at the city this was only a short trip of 1 hour but very enjoyable.  We took a river gardens cruise leaving Melbourne’s cultural Arts precinct cruising through Melbourne’s picturesque gardens, parklands and some of the sporting arenas.

We cruised past the Royal Botanic Gardens in which houses the Governors Residence, the landscaped gardens are on 38 hectares and adjacent to a larger group of parklands directly south east between St Kilda Road and the Yarra River, these are known as the Domain Parklands.

  









We traveled past the entertainment and sporting complex buildings of Lexus Centre, Melbourne Olympic Park and Rod Laver Arena.  The Rod Laver Arena



is a tennis stadium which is part of Melbourne Park and the main venue for the Australian Open which replaced the ageing Kooyong Stadium.  The cruise went around a small island in the middle of the Yarra called Herring Island and is only accessible by boat, it is 3 hectares and has BBQ and picnic areas.

Just cruising down the Yarra you cannot help noticing walking and bicycle paths running along the bank and parklands with panoramic views of the city and riverfront we go under several bridges which all have their history.

OLD MELBOURNE GAOL

The Old Melbourne Gaol was built in the mid 1880’s and such a building was a symbol of authority in this time.  Inside the Gaol, dangerous criminals were held alongside petty offenders, the homeless and mentally ill.

 

The Gaol was closed in 1929 and today you can visit the Old Melbourne Gaol to find out what the life was like for the men and women who lived and died there all those years ago.  We decided to walk to visit this great place in Australian history and also did a tour of the City Watch House.  The “Watch House Experience” is a 40 min interactive experience it was a lot of fun as a tourist, but would not have been very much fund back in real time.  We had a Charge Sergeant as our guide, and visitors were “arrested” and you encounter what is like to be “locked up”.

After we did our role play with the lock up we were able to do a self guided tour through the watch house taking in sound points and multi-media imagery that was very educational and informative.  We saw the area where the famous outlaw Ned Kelly was hanged in 1880 it was an eerie feeling.  Until he was hanged the wounded Ned Kelly spent his days in the Gaol while his mother was serving a sentence in the women’s wing.

The National Trust of Victoria began management of the Gaol as a tourist attraction and its aim is to conserve Australia’s heritage for future generations.  We would do this again would highly recommend a visit to this Gaol.

FITZROY GARDENS

These gardens are just superb the trees, gardens, statures and buildings just make this beautiful park so good to walk around, sit on a seat and just look and want to take it all in.  The gardens have been going for around 150 years and so close to the city of Melbourne’s centre.  One of the buildings which caught our eye was Cooks Cottage
 

such a quaint piece of history.  The cottage was purchased by Russell Grimwade in 1933, dismantled and shipped to Melbourne in 253 packing cases complete with a ivy cutting from the original cottage and this ivy covers the cottage today.  The cottage was a centenary gift to the people and State of Victoria in 1934.

 

A site in the Fitzroy Gardens was selected to complement the cottage with its large European trees and the construction work was completed in six months.

The cottage has undergone two restorations the first in the 1950’s and again in 1978 when a thorough effort was made to investigate and restore the building with furniture and a garden of eighteenth century character.

SHRINE OF REMEMBERANCE

On researching various places to see in Melbourne we came across the Shrine of Rememberance.  Again using the wonderful tram system we caught a tram to St Kilda Road and disembarked at the Shrine of Remembrance Reserve

This is a spectacular monument that was created to meet the needs of a grieving community after the extensive loss of lives in the World War I.  They were buried in distant parts of the world and Australians did not travel abroad in those times.  The Shrine provides a place for Victorians to visit and commemorate not only those who served in the Wars but the courage of men, women and children who remained at home.

This is truly a beautiful and spectacular place of rememberance.

MYER MUSIC BOWL

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl, in the Kings Domain, is one of Melbourne’s cherished icons.  Victorians embraced the Bowl from the moment it opened in Februay, 1959 with a symphonic concert

The Bowl was the city’s first major purpose-built outdoor venue.  The design of the tent-like roof, suspended from two tapering masts, was an amazing feat of structural engineering, and aeronautical experts were engaged to fine-tune its acoustics.

The Bowl was refurbished in 1999 and finally reopened in 2002.

Sitting on the grass just looking at this magnificent shape it is so wonderful to see, it is understandable how the community can really enjoy outdoor concerts and live shows.  We walked around as close as we could and the size just dwarfs you it is so big.

ROWING ON THE YARRA

On our cruise up the Yarra we noticed a number of boathouses on the banks in Alexandra Gardens.  The boat sheds started appearing at the turn of the 19^th century and in 1904 Henly-on-Yarra regatta was held, becoming one of the most popular events in Melbourne.

From the South Bank we observed the rowers in the early morning rowing up and down the river you felt like we were in another era, it looked so graceful in the glassy water of the Yarra.