Tram Challenge #109. Collins Street to Port Melbourne

The 109 route runs from Port Melbourne to Box Hill, past the flat in East Melbourne and also past Victoria Gardens, where Ikea is located. Lindsey had suggested that we take it to Box Hill yesterday. I thought, given that the weather was rather nice, that it might be an idea to go the other way to Port Melbourne. So we did.

We picked it up at the tram stop outside Southern Cross Station, on the corner of Collins and Spencer Streets. I think it's about 3 or 4 km to Port Melbourne from there

Most of the route to Port Melbourne follows the old railway line. You can see remnants of it, especially where it becomes a light rail track rather than a more usual tram track. Some of the tram stops look like former stations. The final stop clearly is a former station. The ferry to Tasmania used to leave from Station Pier (it now leaves from Geelong) and cruise ships still stop there. I think naval ships might also use Station Pier - there was what looked very much like a naval vessel berthed alongside it. The container port is now on the other side of the river, in the Port of Melbourne.

You can see that the building was once a railway station

Waterside restaurants

Station Pier

Looking across to the container Port of Melbourne

Port Melbourne used to be a bit of a dive. It is not now! There are lots of green spaces and cute houses and expensive apartment blocks. I have only been there once in recent years, to visit Bunnings which is not by the ferry port. Many years ago I caught the ferry to Tasmania, which doesn't really count as visiting Port Melbourne. I will definitely go again. There is a large, sandy beach. There are restaurants and pubs and coffee shops. There are also shops, although we did not go and look at them. 

We randomly chose the Exchange Pub as somewhere to have lunch. And the food was lovely. The staff were friendly and cheerful - but also a bit pushed for time. There was a large lunch party in the main dining area and I think there were not really enough staff to cater for the rest of us. My food arrived well before Lindsey's, and the plate of seasonal greens we ordered didn't arrive until we were about to leave. They didn't charge us for them and apologised mightily. We brought them home and forgave the mismatch in the meal timings.  If I happen to be in Port Melbourne for lunch I would go there again

We need to do the Box Hill leg of the route now.