Melbourne Aquarium

I had never been to the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne. I go past it very regularly but had never had any reason to go in. It's not that I don't like aquariums I just hadn't got around to going or, indeed, had anyone to go with.

Yesterday, I had willing companions and some spare time. So Tabitha, Cally, Flynn and I met mid-morning and ventured in.

My first surprise was the number of people who were there. I had been expecting it to be reasonably quiet, mid-morning on a Tuesday. My second surprise was the number of school parties that were there. I was not expecting schools. Or children. It was also expensive. It would have been a bit cheaper to have bought the tickets online but I didn't know that and I didn't have enough signal to do it in the foyer, which is what the woman on the desk suggested.

A selection of what we saw:

Flynn's jellyfish
Cally made one too but I didn't get
a proper photo of it

Flynn having a VR meet up with sharks

I enjoyed the visit. It wasn't the best aquarium I have ever been to (awarded to The Deep, in Hull, and the freshwater aquarium in Gifu). On the other hand, it absolutely was not the worst either (hands up the aquarium in Ise, Japan which was dismal). It just wasn't very exciting. It might have been more exciting, I suppose, if we had done the glass bottomed boat ride and Flynn very much enjoyed the VR meet up with sharks. Still, it was clean and bright and spacious. I might have enjoyed it more had it been less busy. I am increasingly unhappy in crowded spaces and I do not enjoy the company of lots of noisy children.

Then we went to meet Freyja for lunch at the Queen Victoria Shopping Complex

It wasn't raining so I got my photo
under the clocks

Freyja went back to work and the rest of us had frozen yoghurt in Yo-Chi for dessert. Then Tabitha, Cally and Flynn met Ross at the state library and I came home. 

A tale of two cities - and two weather systems

So everyone did enjoy the wildlife park. Friday was Sovereign Hill day. Unfortunately, one by one everyone except Cally was struck down with some form of gastro. Tabitha, not much; Freyja a bit more. Simon and Flynn were struck hard. 

Even so, they managed to achieve quite a lot of their plans. They caught up with Pat for coffee. They visited Buninyong, where Ross and Anne live. They saw the kangaroos in the paddocks at Mount Helen. Cally and Freyja had a good time at Sovereign Hill and then went to the movies.

Simon and Freyja drove back on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha, Cally and Flynn went to the lake with Ross and then came back on the train later in the day.

In the meantime I stayed in Melbourne. I went to my Japanese class on. Thursday evening. I went out to Northcote to play with Ghost on Friday. I went to the plant nursery to buy some tomato seedlings. I did useful things at home. I pottered around.

And the weather was warm and sunny and summery in both cities.

It was none of these things on Sunday, when Melbourne reminded us emphatically that spring weather is fickle. The temperature plummeted and the rain swept in with enthusiasm.

Tabitha, Cally and Flynn met an old friend of Tabitha's and her children at ACMI. Then I met them under the clocks at Flinders Street station - inside rather than the more traditional outside on the steps. It was raining!

We dropped into Daiso and then Kmart. Then we went back to the flat in East Melbourne, where they had stayed on Saturday night. Lindsey came back from Cairns. And we moved them to their new digs in Collingwood, a 10 minute walk from the flat. Although, we took them and their stuff round in Lindsey's car. It was raining! Also - they had quite a lot of bags to carry. 

The apartment that Freyja had found for them is absolutely gorgeous. It is spacious and light and quirky. I would almost be tempted to sell my place and buy it - if I could afford it (I almost certainly couldn't) and if I thought my knees and hips would cope with all of the stairs (unlikely!). Also, it isn't for sale.

Then we all hopped on a tram and came back into the city for dinner in The Quarterhouse

The weather wasn't quite as dreadful yesterday. Still rainy but showers rather than continuous, flooding rain. Freyja gathered them up and took them off to play in Northcote. Lindsey went to work. I went to the Library at the Dock to collect a book that was waiting for me. And we had a Family Gathering at The Fox in the evening. We haven't had a Fox Night for some time and most of the people who came aren't available for lunch on Sunday. Flynn finally got to meet some children, even if two of them are considerably younger than he is.

And the rain returned just as it was time to head home!

It is not raining this morning. The sun is shining in a clear blue sky. Here's hoping that continues!

Tabitha, Cally and Flynn ...

... arrived in Melbourne for a two week stay on Tuesday evening.

Freyja and I went to the airport to meet them. Their flight was due in at 21:45.

This would not matter, except that I am usually in bed by then, or at least getting ready for bed. 

I managed to stay awake anyway. Lindsey is in Cairns this week so I borrowed her car for the pickup. It's bigger than Ziggy and also was in East Melbourne and not Northcote. Much more convenient, especially since I would be taking the travellers to East Melbourne and not Northcote.

Waiting, waiting, waiting ...

Finally, they're here

Cally and Flynn have never been to Australia, although they have both British and Australian citizenship. Tabitha hasn't been since Stella's 70th birthday party, 23 or 24 years ago. It was an adventure for them all.

We got them settled into the flat in East Melbourne (it was available because Ian is in Canada and, as mentioned, Lindsey is in Cairns). Freyja and I went to our respective flats by taxi.

On the very top of Flynn's list of "I absolutely have to do this while I'm in Melbourne" were: visit the MCG, eat East Asian food. The flat is not far from the MCG so we dropped by on way from the airport so he could have a look at it. Yesterday morning, we all, including Freyja and Simon, walked back to the MCG for a proper look at it in daylight

Then we walked to the river and strolled along the riverside until we reached Flinders Street

We saw this sculpture from the river on Monday

Then we went to a dumpling bar in one of the laneways. I'm not sure that Cally enjoyed the dumplings much but we have now ticked off the top two wishes from Flynn's list. Top of Cally's list is to visit a bookshop. There are some specific books that she is looking for. There are lots of bookshops. Shouldn't be a problem - although finding the exact titles that she wants might be a bit more challenging.

They came to visit my flat and went back to East Melbourne on a tram. Another tick on the To Do list.

They've now gone to Ballarat for a few days. They're at the Wildlife Park today, playing with kangaroos and other fauna. The wildlife park is predominantly but not exclusively Australian animals. The weather is good. It should be a good. day. I remain in Melbourne. I have a Japanese class this evening, am down for Ghost visiting tomorrow and have various other things to do.  No trip to Ballarat for me

Boats

The Melbourne Boat Show may have ended yesterday at 4pm and the boats and the food trucks and the spruikers and the pavilions might all have gone away - but my adventure with boats was not quite over.

The Alma Doepel on her way home this morning. (The Enterprize left yesterday)

Some little while ago, when she was looking for eateries local to Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations, Lindsey came across a webpage called Seniors in Melbourne. I registered for their weekly e-newsletter.

October is Seniors' Month in Victoria. There is one week of free public transport around the state for holders of a seniors travel card. There are various events and activities. And the Seniors in Melbourne people had organised a boat trip up the Yarra at a reduced rate for subscribers to their newsletter.

I booked a ticket.

Today was the day - and it was a glorious day for a boat ride.

We were instructed to meet at Berth 2, Southbank at 9:45 for a 10:00 departure. I got there early. It's not all that far from here and didn't take as long as I expected to get there. I even got off the tram early and walked along the river.

I was a touch disconcerted when a group of older ladies began to form. They obviously knew each other. They were clearly going on the boat trip. More and more of them arrived. They were completely ignoring me. That didn't particularly worry me, they didn';t know me and didn't know I was going on the boat.  But I was beginning to wonder what I had signed up for. I was not keen to embark on another Probus-style misadventure.

Fortunately, other people also turned up. It turned out that one of the ladies had brought along pretty much her entire seniors' walking group. Probus disasters avoided.

So. We have loads of seniors. We have the organisers. What we don't have is - a boat!

No visible water craft

It did turn up, eventually,  and we did manage to board people, even not particularly agile people. And off up the river we went, past - well, let me show you:

The MCG

Boatsheds

Parks and gardens

Bridges

Melbourne landmarks

More bridges

I am glad I'm floating peacefully down the river
and not battling the traffic on the freeway

Bridge decorations

Heading back to the city

Sculpture in Birrarung Marr

Back at the starting point

It was such a lovely way to spend an hour on a sunny Monday morning. I am so glad I didn't follow my initial instinct, when I saw all those people who knew each other, to abandon the boat ride and go shopping instead. And I need to be more mindful that I LIVE BY THE RIVER!!!!!!! I have a river as my front and back yard. I also have a railway hub in my backyard. How much better could it possibly be?

The Melbourne Star

The Wheel originally opened in 2008 and almost immediately closed again, allegedly because parts of it melted in the Melbourne Heat, although I believe there were other structural issues as well as the heat. Mind you, if something made of steel melts in Melbourne's heat that would suggest some significant structural issues!

It re-opened I think in 2013 or perhaps 2014. It continued to have a chequered and troublesome history until Covid got it  in 2020 and it closed permanently in 2021. 

And closed it remained, although it did, in fact, remain  - if nothing else as a noticeable Melbourne landmark

Somebody brave bought it last year and they have spent a considerable amount of time, money and effort restoring it. You may remember that we went to watch its lights being turned on a while ago. And I have watched it slowly, slowly, slowly coming back to life from my front windows. I can see part of it from my flat:

It opened for passengers yesterday. So Lindsey and I went to have a ride. 

The industrial giraffes in the Port of Melbourne

The Docklands Film Studio

Towards the shipping container port

Looking across Victoria Harbour and the river
to the bay, with the Bolte Bridge
to the right

I live in the building in the centre
of the picture

The Banksia building and Marina Tower

The City of Melbourne

It takes 30 minutes to do a circuit and I enjoyed it a lot. It is tempting to go again in the evening to see the city lights.

After our ride we had lunch in the Urban Alley Brewery pub in The District and then went out to Johnston Street in Collingwood so Lindsey could show me how to access her post office parcel delivery facility.

As well as the excitement of the Star finally coming back to life after such a long siesta, the Melbourne Boat Show also opened yesterday There are boats and jet skis and fishing things and water related things all the way along Harbour Esplanade and down the Newquay Promenade, and people wandering around and it's all busy and bustly and boaty. The historic ships are back too, although The Wattle hasn't come this year

The filming is due to start on Bourke Street again today until mid next week. Plus there's an event in the stadium tomorrow evening. 

No room for tumbleweeds or dust bunnies in Docklands this weekend!