Manic Melbourne....

Arrived in Melbourne on Friday 18th tired and a little overwhelmed but I set about the familiar task of orientation and wandered the main streets. I wanted to see a few sights on my first day but I also wanted to sleep so I decided to plunge in to Melbourne with a trip to the Old Melbourne Gaol (which closed in the 1920s). At this popular tourist spot you can tour the old Men's wing, where Ned Kelly was imprisoned and finally executed, and learn about past inhabitants and life in the prison which includes the stories of POW and other military prisoners. Afterwards I had the opportunity to see both the former Magistrates Courts and the old City Watch House (former police station and remand centre) both of which only closed in 1994. An interesting experience particularly since it was such recent history.

Saturday 19th - Took a guided tour of the city including the outer suburbs on a special BioBus (environmentally friendly) and I was the only one on it for the morning! I saw the Racecourse where the Melbourne Cup is held, the Botanic Gardens, Williamstown (the original state capital), the MCG, Formula 1 Racetrack in Alfred Park, the seaside St Kilda, the shops and bars of Chapel St and Brunswick St, to name a few and my friendly guide and driver even helped me transport my bags to move hostels! The only downside to the day was the rain that had decided to set in, but I continued to explore the city by the getting the free bus down to the unique Federation Square and walked down to Melbourne Park but unfortunately the rain had stopped play on the outer courts till late in the evening! So I walked back through the wet city to my hostel..



Sunday 20th - An early start to catch my tour bus to North Victoria and first stop the former Gold mining town of Bendigo where we visited the Central Deborah Goldmine and took a 'talking tram' through the city to the old storage yard where the house and restore lots of old trams - some in better condition than others! We then headed further north to the NSW/Victoria border at the Murray River and the historical Port of Echuca, after a spot of lunch we took a Paddle steamer along the river to see the former wharf and a small part of the mighty Murray. The small portion of the wharf that remains now carries the official mark of the state border (the river is in NSW) in order to settle any possible jurisdiction issues. A lot of the old buildings still remain including a pub that is complete with a underground bar that was used illegally in the 19th century when the pub's license was revoked!



Monday 21st - I got a lie in finally, before the day that I'd been looking forward to for the whole trip (slight exaggeration but I was excited), I was off to Ramsay Street! The official Neighbours bus picked us up and on the way out to the suburbs we watched some classic episodes to get us prepared! We go into the studio lot and as we drive round to the back our guide points out parts of the outside used for some iconic scenes (Neighbours is made on the cheap so they use everything around them - the studio entrance doubles as the airport and hospital entrances!). When we reach Grease Monkeys and Carpenters Garage we spot Dr Karl waiting at the bus stop and we all get very excited (sad!) before saying hello and getting some photos and autographs, and for a bonus Lou drives past! From the studio we move on to check out Ramsay St (smaller in real life) and Erinsborough High ( not all that recognisable). Later that evening I head down to the Elephant & Wheelbarrow pub in St Kilda where they hold a weekly Neighbours night, where I got to meet more stars whilst taking part in the pub quiz (sadly I didn't win the $500!) and then the evening is rounded off by Dr Karl and his band 'The Waiting Room' and they were actually very good playing a mixture of covers and their own songs. I finish off my Neighbours day by purchasing their live album and getting in signed!!



Tuesday 22nd

Go on a tour down to the South of Victoria and Phillip Island - on the way down we stop at a local Wildlife Park and I get to see a Tasmanian Devil and Wombat as well as more Koalas, Wallabies, Kangaroos and Emus! On the island we visit Woolamai Beach, home of many surf competitions, and the Nobbies which is full of wildlife, from the Seal rock 1km out to sea to the thousands of Little Penguin's burrows where we try to spot a penguin or two. We have a spot of dinner in Cowes (I thought that was the Isle of Wight?!) before going to the famous Penguin Parade where we sit in the cold Antarctic Wind for an hour before the Little Penguins start to come ashore after a days fishing. The stand up in groups and look around before one will jump back in followed by the rest of the group, but eventually the make a run for it and head up the beach to their burrows, many in the nearby dunes but some up to 1km away from the beach. As we walk back to the bus we can see the penguins much closer as the pass close to the boardwalk, a really memorable experience.



Wednesday 23rd

Today is time for my finally tour in Melbourne, the Wineries of the Yarra Valley. We start at the huge De Borteli Winery where we learn the best technique for tasting the wine before practising on quite a few different reds, whites and sparklings, some nice some not to my liking. Then we go to the smaller and newer winery of Train Traks where after some more wine tasting (starting to have a bit of a fuzzy head) we have a gourmet Italian meal at their restaurant Zonzos. A platter of antipasto to begin followed by three different pizzas, foccacia, salads and coffee, with wine of course. After lunch we go to the oldest winery in the region Yering Station, which has an award winning restaurant and space for helicopter landings for their wealthy patrons. We have a quick look at their winery and some of their vast wine cellar before trying some more wines. Last stop of the day at the Domaine Chandon winery set in the lushest part of the valley where they have so much money to spend that they can afford to buy in the best grapes from other producers and have helicopters hover above the vines in the coldest times to prevent frost from settling!! Here with see more of the production side, including learning about the 2nd fermentation that produces the real bubbles - not the carbonated stuff! We end our tour with a full glass of our choice, which for me is a very nice Cuvee (I think I've remembered that right) before we return back to the city in good spirits! That evening I visit the famous Queen Victoria Markets where they hold a weekly night market with music, entertainment and plenty of food..a good way to end my stay in Melbourne as it sums up the vibe of the city well.