Melbourne
The coastal capital and most populous city of Victoria, Melbourne is a energising city. Its name refers to an urban agglomeration of 9,993 squared kilometres, comprising a metropolitan area with 31 municipalities. The city occupies much of the coastline of Port Phillip bay and spreads into the Hinterland towards the Dandenong and Macedonranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. Its inhabitants have been known as"Melburnians"since 1876. Main attractions in the city include Flinders Street Station, the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Royal Exhibition Building (a World heritage site). Melbourne is a global centre for street art, live music and theatre.
We spent several days in Melbourne. We stayed in two air bnbs during this time, both slightly out of the centre in Abbotsford and Richmond. Our first two nights in Southeast Australia were spent on Flockhart Street in Abbotsford - an inner-city suburb of Melbourne. For just under £70 a night we booked a stylist air bnb. Its kitchen cupboards were stocked with food, its bathroom cabinets full of toiletries and it offered a washing machine, pool and gym access. A pleasant note from our host invited us to help ourselves to all these amenities. From here a pleasant (if it wasn't for the unexpected rain) hour walk through Fitzroy and Treasury Gardens took us to Melbourne Centre. We ate out at Federation Square - a hub of bars, restaurants, arts and culture on the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets on the river bank of the Yarra River. Our final night in Victoria, after a nine day camper van trip west, we stayed in 'The Stables at Richmond' for £60. Here we were hosted by a delightful Melburnian couple who had turned their back garden shed into a quirky, artistically decorated outhouse with a double bed, bathroom, and homely interior to accommodate visitors in the city. From here a 35-minute walk through Yarra Park took us to the buzzing heart of Melbourne.
We discovered Melbourne a smorgasbord of speciality coffee shops, trendy and high-end shops, sports bars pulling refreshing pints, beautiful inner-city parks, and restaurants serving tasty wholesome meals and nibbles. Hoiser Lane, with its walls plastered in layers of graffiti, was one of our favourite features of the city. Not the inappropriate, rude and offensive graffiti found in so many European cities, but graffiti holding meaning. There were pieces supporting women's independence and veganism, aboriginal patterns, koalas and kangaroos showcasing the interwoven modern and historical culture that the city offers. We enjoyed brunch and an evening meal at Centreway Arcade, branching off Flinders Lane and Collins Street, a cosy compact street of open-front restaurants with a thread of tables and patio heaters crusading down the middle. All the eateries display their enticing menus out front, making it an almost impossible decision of where to eat.
St. Kilda
Six kilometres south of Melbourne CBD lays St. Kilda, a mismatched mosaic of gig venues, sticky carpeted pubs, seaside amusements, and, like any Melburian suburb, quirky coffee shops. St. Kilda is synonymous with live music; as we found out rocking up unintentionally on February Festival Sunday, the culmination of St. Kilda's annual week of music and comedy performances to retain the suburb's historic penchant for revelry. After eventually finding a parking spot for the camper in the crammed side streets, we spent some time chilling on an east bank of Catani Gardens, assuming the business was due to the Sunday Esplanade Market. After half hour or so we strolled down the esplanade lined by towering palm trees to browse the artsy market stalls selling an array of creative trinkets and memorabilia. At the end of the esplanade we reached Luna Park - an historic but stylish seaside amusement park, whose smiling face greets worldwide visitors all year round. The park was built in 1912 by American showmen. Prior to WWII, the park was a playground for the wealthy. It is home to largest carousel in the Southern Hemisphere and oldest operating rollercoaster in Australia. On this boiling Sunday, its neighbour O'Donnell Gardens hosted the city's annual festival. The grounds swarmed with revellers of the city. There were food trucks from all over the globe - Greek, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Cuban, Mexican - live music bands, and flamenco dancers emitting a bubbly festival vibe in true St. Kildian fashion.
Mornington Peninsula
After a lively day in St.Kilda, we drove one hour south to Mornington Peninsula, where we spent an idyllic Sunday evening at the Hot Springs. For $121 we were entitled us to "A social bathing experience like no other, relax and enjoy bathing in our Bath House. Featuring over 20 globally inspired bathing experiences including hilltop pool offering 360 degree views, cave pool, reflexology walk, Turkish steam bath and underground sauna" providing we pre-booked our arrival time. This refreshing evening spent in an amphitheatre of thermal tubs watching the sunset, daringly dipping in the ice-cold plunge pool, and relaxing in virtual caves was just what we needed after eight nights in a camper van where our only washes were in communal campsite toilet blocks, leisure centre changing rooms, and the ever-trustworthy ocean. Our visit to Mornington Peninsula Hot Springs heralded a dreamy final night in our camper van. We parked up at Dromana beachfront and opened up the tailgate to listen to the rolling waves through the blackness between us, under a blanket, and the shore. Morning washed the sky pink and we watched the sun rise over Port Philip Bay. By 7am we were bathing in the fresh sea before strolling down the beach to admire the picturesque beach huts.
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