Our final day in Melbourne gave us an opportunity to return to the south bank of the Yarra for a morning stroll. Earlier in the week we’d taken in the stunning views from the Skydeck as well as enjoying a leisurely cruise along the river.
The South Bank stretches between the convention centre to the west and Alexandra Gardens to the east. The waterfront was an industrial neighbourhood until the 1990’s when it was transformed into a vibrant leisure district with its many bars and restaurants all offering beautiful riverside views. As this side of the river faces north it benefits from the afternoon and evening sun making it popular for al fresco dining and pre-dinner drinks.
The promenade is also home to Crown Tower, the largest casino and entertainment complex in the southern hemisphere. The interior is very glitzy with its designer stores including the likes of Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton and Burberry. There’s also a theatre, cinema, luxury hotel and restaurants.
Melbourne has many bridges crossing the Yarra River from the West Gate Bridge at the mouth out into the suburbs. Our stroll took in three bridges all lying close together. The first being the Sandridge Bridge, a historic former railway bridge redeveloped in 2006 as a pedestrian and cycle path. A series of metal statue-like structures called “The Travellers” can be seen along this bridge.
As a contrast, the Southbank Footbridge, sitting between two historic bridges has a modern eye-catching design with its curved beam towering over the pedestrian crossing.
Last but not least, the Princes Bridge connects Swanston Street Walk to St. Kilda Road on the southern bank. This is arguably the most famous of Melbourne’s bridges as it sits on the site of the oldest river crossing, a wooden structure constructed in 1825. The current bridge is heritage listed and was named after the Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VII. All three bridges afford stunning views of the city skyline from the perspective of the water.
Also of note along the South Bank is the historic ship Polly Woodside. First launched in 1885, the Polly Woodside is an iron-hulled three masted cargo ship built in Belfast and launched in 1885. After carrying coal and playing a pivotal role in the Second World War, she is now maintained by the National Trust and open for viewings on the first and third Sunday of each month. Sadly these dates didn’t coincide with our visit as entrance is free to National Trust members including those from the U.K. General admission $16 AUD (£8.40).
After crossing back over the bridge to the north bank we headed to Federation Square which has become the city’s most popular meeting place and events space. Surrounding the square are numerous restaurants and two museums, both offering free admission. The first, ACMI, (the Museum of Film, TV and Video Games consists of five distinct sections documenting the history of the moving image in Australia through artefacts and interactive displays.
The second is the Ian Potter Centre which is dedicated exclusively to Australian Art. Ian Potter was an Australian businessman and philanthropist who set up an arts foundation in his name. The permanent galleries are free to visit displaying art through painting, sculpture, photography and fashion. With its cutting edge design and fascinating exhibits the gallery rounded off our tour of Melbourne’s museums and galleries perfectly.
Melbourne not only boasts art galleries but also has a vibrant street art scene. Several of the city centre alleys, known locally as ‘laneways’ have been given over to street art where individuals are welcome to be creative, putting their own talent on display. The city’s street art scene is centred around Hosier and AC/DC Lanes, the latter being named as a tribute to the Australian rock band.
Before heading back to the hotel to collect our bags we took a wander through Chinatown which extends along Little Bourke Street between Swanston and Spring Streets. This heritage district has been well preserved with its low rise buildings containing Chinese restaurants, Asian grocery stores and Chinese herbalists. Melbourne’s Chinatown was established in the 1830’s during the Victorian Gold Rush. It’s main entrance on Swanston Street is framed by a traditional arch and twin lions whereas the eastern end finishes in a garden with sculptures and more lions.
Re-united with our luggage we boarded a tram to Southern Cross Station. Melbourne boasts an excellent tram network with free travel within the city centre zone.
Whilst on board, passengers are reminded two stops in advance of the free zone ending so ensure you purchase a ticket if travelling further to avoid a fine.
From Southern Cross station we took the Melbourne SkyBus back to the airport (return adult fare $40 AUD (£21)). As with the outward journey, the SkyBus offered a fast, reliable service and is good value for money. We’d fallen in love with Melbourne and enjoyed a fabulous week exploring the city centre, Yarra Valley and last but not least the Great Ocean Road but the time had come to move on and within a few hours we’d be in sunny Perth.
For our journey across to Western Australia we’d chosen to fly Qantas on the first leg of their flagship route between Melbourne and London Heathrow. QF9 has become a popular route for passengers over to Perth as the benefit of this flight is that you get ‘international grade’ service on a domestic flight resulting in better dining and amenities for the same price.
Even though the QF9 flight from Melbourne to Perth is a domestic flight, it is treated as international, departing from Terminal 2, which is the international terminal. Passengers need to follow signs through immigration where a stamp is affixed to boarding passes indicating that you are travelling domestically.
Service on board the Qantas Dreamliner was exemplary throughout the three and a half hour flight which departed Melbourne at 16.50. A full trolley service of drinks was brought round with cheese and cracker nibbles before serving a choice of main course which we accompanied with glasses of good quality Australian wine.
A little later full size Magnum ice creams were brought round followed by coffee and our favourite Lindor chocolate balls. After our meal we relaxed in our comfortable seats watching some films and before we knew it, were landing in Perth (17.50 local time) to explore pastures new.
As we were domestic passengers we passed through the airport speedily taking the free inter-terminal bus to the railway station at Terminals 1 & 2. Once there, we bought single tickets from a machine to Perth Central, the journey taking 25 minutes. From outside the railway station we then made use of the Free CAT Bus Service to near our hotel, the Citadines on St. George’s Terrace. A new city and a new state, we couldn’t wait to start exploring all that Perth had to offer after a good night’s sleep.
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