In the era of global warming, an alternative coping
strategy is to remember that the earth is round. If the sun is getting a little unbearable on
your side of the world, there is always another part of the world where winter
is just setting in. This realization
dawned upon me several months before Kolkata summer of 2014, as a result of
which a summer vacation trip to Australia was planned months in advance. It helped that we had a close relative
staying in Melbourne, which therefore became the automatic choice as trip
base. Family traveled ahead of me as
they could afford a month-long stay; I managed to take little less than three
weeks of break from work and did my tickets accordingly.
Timorous Travelers plan trips meticulously. Predictably, I had a
detailed printed itinerary which contained date-wise arrival/departure/movement
schedule for our trip, all flight and hotel details including
ticket/reservation confirmation numbers, travel insurance policy numbers, tour
agent websites, possible package rates and a range of possible/impossible phone
numbers which may be required in an emergency (including Indian Embassy
contacts in Thailand and Australia, in case of lost passport). Copy of the schedule traveled via email to
our hosts before arrival, and in travel files of both parties which also
contained copies of several other documents such as passport, visa, insurance,
hotel booking confirmations, medicine prescriptions, foreign currency purchase
receipts, extra photos and such other.
At the start of the trip however, I realized again that surprise and
uncertainty are necessary ingredient of all good trips. After confidently putting forward my passport
and ticket at the Thai airways counter, I was told that my wonderful 20-hour
door-to-door connection has been ruined by the connecting flight from Bangkok
to Melbourne being canceled; and I have been automatically booked by the system
in the next day’s flight to Melbourne.
Instead of waiting 26 hours at the airport for the connection traveling
next day from Kolkata to avail of the same itinerary would have been the best
bet, but that flight was waitlisted already.
Among two other comparable frustrating options, I had to settle for a
18-hour layover in Bangkok. The cozy
accommodation and nice meals provided by Thai Airways at the Louis Tavern
inside the airport helped ease the pain, where I could rest, refresh and
connect to the net using the free wifi of Suvarnabhumi Airport. It is part of the vacation, I consoled
myself.
I arrived in Melbourne at 2 pm of a Friday, instead
of scheduled arrival on Thursday night.
We had plans of a drive along Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles
that weekend. The delayed arrival
unsettled the plan. After some internal
debate on whether to go or not to go, we (the men of the group) finally went
looking around for a 8-seater rental car on Saturday morning. The Elizabeth and Franklin Street area has a
number of car rental company offices.
Finally we found a 8-seater Kia Carnival that suited our need. We settled for the maximum insurance coverage
and took a GPS too; the resultant cost was approximately $125 per day. After taking the car out from garage and
while taking it towards home to pick up other members, I encountered another
unknown- the “hook turn” required at a busy traffic intersection. It is a maneuver required to give right of
way to trams- the right turning vehicles should enter the intersection from the
left and wait for traffic light. I had
already committed myself to the right lane in anticipation of the right turn
signal, and was caught in a bad situation which made me eligible for a few
sharp honks. Sensing trouble, I drove
straight and decided to take three left turns to get back on to our street
instead of encountering another hook right turn situation again. I later learnt that there are 19 of these
hook turns in the downtown Melbourne area.
Rest of the driving experience over the weekend was fortunately
incident-free.
Along Great Ocean Road to Lorne:
We started after noon and took the Princes Highway
(M1) from Melbourne to Geelong, then drove along the Great Ocean Road through
Torquay to the quiet coastal town of Lorne in South West Victoria. Total drive was about 150 km, but since we
drove in a relaxed manner and stopped a few times along the way, it took us
about three hours. One stop was when we
were driving along the Great Ocean Road and saw a group of surfers getting
ready to get in to the water. Upon reaching Lorne, we parked inside a Caravan Park and inquired about accommodation there. It was full. So was another hotel nearby. The nearby Mantra Resort was asking for an exorbitant amount for a two-bedroom apartment which we needed for our unit. After calling a few places, we finally found vacancy at Lorne Oceanview Apartment on Smith Street which suited our budget. We paid at the reception which is in a non-descript room behind Anchorage Motel just opposite Mantra Resort on Mountjoy Parade, took the keys and drove down to the two-storied apartment two blocks away when dusk was just descending on the city. The building has three apartments, and we were the only occupants. The apartment was very nice, with two neat bedrooms (one with attached bath) and one large bathroom on the ground floor. Both bedrooms open to a common balcony facing the street. The upper floor had drawing/dining with a large TV, DVD player; a fully equipped kitchen and a large balcony. The linen provided was fresh and the apartment clean.
I was quite tired and still jetlagged. The cozy accommodation and the chilly weather (ranging around 10 degree Celsius) helped me feel relaxed, which was enhanced by bottles of the most refreshing non-alcoholic ginger beer produced locally named Bundaberg. There was a rather odd notice on the drawing room centre-table which read “don’t feed the cockatoos”. I was intrigued by it, but figured out the significance of it the next morning. The hot dinner prepared by the ladies of the group was delicious and the night’s sleep was invigorating. I woke up at 6 am and went up to the balcony hoping to see the sunrise. Unfortunately it was cloudy and the sun rose quietly without a great spectacle. We went to the sea shore by 7 am. There were a small band of joggers and dog walkers. One elderly gentleman came with two poodles which started coming close to me. The gentleman turned out to be a retired executive of Ford Motors who has spent several years in India. The sea was calm and safe enough for all to wade in the water. Our scheduled check-out was at 11 am, so we returned to the apartment by 9 am to finish breakfast and get ready to move. During breakfast, we had the amazing spectacle of flock of large cockatoos coming from the sea side and sitting in the balcony. They are obviously conditioned to preen and pose in return for food from the tourists. The birds in yellow-white feather made a great visual for our eyes and camera.
Lorne hosts a few special events to attract
tourists. The Lorne Pier to Pub is an
annual, 1.2-km open water swimming race held in January at Lorne, organized by
the Lorne Surf Life Saving Club.
Thousands of people take part in it.
The Falls Music and Arts Festival held in New Year Eve is also very
popular event here.
During our return journey, we stopped at Teddy’s
Lookout, which offers a great viewing deck to see the coastline and the Great
Ocean Road winding along it. It is also
the St. George River Estuary monitoring site.
From there, we went to the Erskine Falls, 10 km north-west of Lorne in
the hills. The 30 meter drop in to the
Erskine River is quite spectacular. The
Park offers two viewing decks- one a few steps down from the car park, and
another 240 steps down at the base of the Falls. From there, we started our return journey and
returned to Melbourne within two hours.
Melbourne
Upon return, we rushed immediately to the Victoria
Harbour to catch a free ferry tour to the Port of Melbourne in which we were
pre-booked. The Port authorities organize
this tour to educate local community about their work and the heritage. Tourists are also welcome. The tour runs three times a day at 1:45 pm,
3:00 pm and 4:15 pm. The boat takes 100
people. The tour is in demand, and
Sundays are usually booked online well in advance. The 1-hour tour along Yerra River took us to
the historic Victoria Dock and Appleton Dock.
The Victoria Dock was constructed between 1887 and 1892 and is the
oldest and largest surviving single dock in the world. The Swanson Dock is the hub of Australia’s
container trade. We rushed to take our
seat in the open deck, which was a trade-off between tolerating chilly winds in
return for good photos. We saw Panamax
size ocean vessels being loaded loading containers by giant cranes at the
Dock. During the return journey, I got
some good shots of the Melbourne cityscape and the sunset on the river.
Having made the best of the first weekend in
Melbourne, I was all set to explore the city during the weekdays before setting
off to Great Barrier Reef the next Friday.
I am in permanent love with Melbourne.
It is not without reason that the city won “world’s most livable city”
award. Founded in 1835, the city is home
to over four million people. First and
foremost, the city offers a tremendous network of transport, led from
the front by the eco-friendly tram system.
I have a special respect for cities which have preserved trams as an
integral part of city transport. New Orleans has done a decent job of
preserving them in a boutique route for tourists; Frankfurt has a great network
of high speed trams. But I am awestruck by Melbourne tram system. Melbourne's
first electric tram began operation in 1889- five years after horse-drawn trams
made a beginning and three years before electric trams started plying in the
then crown jewel of British Empire- Kolkata. One hundred and twenty five years
later, tram is still a major part of the city's public transport system- the
only city in Australia to run this mode of transport. The privately operated
Yarra Trams network consists of 250 kilometres of track, 497 trams, 29 routes,
and 1,763 tram stops. The fleet completes an amazing 3.5 million trips every
week and around 180 million trips in a year. At some traffic intersections,
motor vehicles are required to perform the “hook turn”- a maneuver designed to
give trams priority. The tram stops are nicely demarcated with most stops
displaying on an electronic board the arrival schedule of the next few trams at
that stop. Ticketing is based on prepaid
Myki card, which is available widely at various locations including 7-Eleven
stores. The Myki card needs to be
touched by passengers at one of the card reader posts located inside the
tram. Each ride is between $3-4, and
cost of multiple ride is capped at $7, after which subsequent rides are not
charged. There is no system of payment
inside the tram, neither there are conductors to check tickets. However, Ticket Inspectors do surprise check
at tram stops and penalty for violation is steep. Amazingly, the city still can afford to run a
free “City Circle” tram service with older coaches around the downtown area at
10-minute intervals with on-board commentary on major tourist attractions at
every stop. One free tram travels
clockwise, other anti-clockwise along the routes of La Trobe and Flinders
Street respectvely. They cover a fairly
big slice of downtown, and run between 10 am to 6 pm Sunday to Wednesday and 10
pm to 9 pm Thursday to Saturday. The
free tram has an old-British era look, in contrast to the paid trams which are
air-conditioned, sleek and high speed. The
tram is always full of excited tourists and local residents from all parts of
the world, and a great indicator of Melbourne’s inclusive culture. Combined with some walking, I covered most of
the Central Business District in City Circle Tram for free. The crisp pre-winter weather made it all the
more pleasant. There is also a less
popular Visitor Shuttle Bus which runs every 30 minutes and stops at 13 major
tourist attraction locations. A daily pass
on the bus costs $5, except for children under 10 who travel free. Taxis are also easily available everywhere.
The second aspect of Melbourne which strikes you is
its urban and civic amenities.
The city has large number of parks, gardens and vast open spaces located
at regular intervals even in the city center.
The manicured lawns with shady trees/benches/water fountains of Flagstaff
Gardens, Carlton Gardens beside Melbourne Museum and Fitzroy Gardens near
Melbourne Cricket Ground are fine examples of how a city should maintain public
parks for the health and recreation of its citizens. The Royal Botanical Gardens spans over a huge
39 hectare area with over 10,000 species of native and exotic vegetation and is
considered as one of the world’s finest gardens. It has thoughtful recreational and
refreshment facilities for visitors. Beyond
parks, the Federation Square provides a constructed open hangout zone for
citizens in the busiest part of the city.
Melbourne residents are a huge fan of cycling. Every day, hundreds of people are seen riding
cycles for recreation and also to and from work. It is quite a sight at busy locations such as
Flinders Street Station intersection. Everyone
wears proper cycling dress and gear, complete with flashing LED light. There are visibility rules guiding that. The city encourages biking by providing
dedicated lane on several roads and granting several rights to bikers. However, the rights are mixed in equal
proportion with responsibility, and there are 13 different offenses listed for
which the bike rider can be charged a spot fine ranging from $144 to $361. For visitors, there is a Bike Sharing program
too at affordable rates. Other urban
amenities include beautifully developed riverfront. It is a pleasure walking along the banks of
the Yarra River, either towards the Sporting Complex where Melbourne Cricket
Ground is located, or towards Docklands where another newly developed NewQuay
Promenade offers exciting options for visitors.
The sidewalks are wide; waste bins and cigarette stubbing bins are provided
at frequent intervals; street names and pedestrian instructions are prominently
displayed; public restrooms, currency exchange and free wifi are available at
several locations.
The third attraction of Melbourne is its evident
love affair with art, culture, music and heritage architecture. The city has fondly maintained and
highlighted its (Victorian) architecture.
Important classical architectural landmarks include Royal Exhibition
Building, St. Michael’s Church, Parliament House, Shrine of Remembrance,
Immigration Museum, Queen Victoria Market, Hotel Windsor, Flinders Street
Station, RMIT University Building (previously Magistrates’ Court) and Princess’
Theatre. Other structures I found
impressive are the old bridges on the Yarra River, Young & Jackson Hotel, Victorian
Artists’ Society, Trades Hall and Lygon Buildings. Almost all of these buildings were
constructed in the 19th century, and exude Victorian era charm. Public art and sculpture is in display
everywhere. Some are traditional- such
as the mural on the wall of Melbourne Fire Service office; some others are
abstract to outright whacky- such as Cow on the Tree in Docklands. All of it contributes to making the city
aesthetically pleasing- a factor often neglected in large cities. Several art and music festivals are organized
round the year. During the time I
visited, the National Gallery of Victoria was hosting the “Italian Masterpieces
from Spain’s Royal Court, Museo del Prado”- one of the largest collection of
Italian masterpieces of art by 70 Italian masters across three centuries. The Melbourne International Jazz Festival was
also on. In March, the city hosted the
popular Moomba Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Melbourne
International Flower & Garden Show.
The fourth charming aspect of Melbourne is its visitor
friendliness. The tourism
authorities and partners such as City of Melbourne, Melbourne Airport,
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Center and Australian Hotel Association do
everything to make someone’s trip to Melbourne memorable. The Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation
Square is a one-stop shop for all information needs. But Melbourne goes above and beyond- City
Ambassadors dressed in their distinctive red uniforms at important street
crossings provide information to tourists as well. Melbourne Greeter Service provides free two
to four hour walking orientation of the city, conducted by trained volunteers. Free Visitor Guides, city maps and calendar
of events are distributed freely at Visitor’s Center, inside trams and at
street corners. In addition, every major
institution such as Melbourne Museum distributes its own brochure. Then there are a mind-boggling number of
privately organized tours ranging from sedate to scintillating; the
announcements of which are distributed among all who care to collect one. From authorities to shop workers- everyone is
helpful and patient with tourists. There
is a website for everything and every place that you care to know in
detail.
My favorite haunt during my outings was the
Federation Square and its surroundings.
This is the busiest location of Melbourne and the pulse of the city lay
here. The mix of modern and Romanesque
architecture around the Square made the place even more interesting. I loved to
sit on the steps of the open Square and see the buzz of life all around me. I saw several others who refused to join the
rush. They would either be sitting in a
relaxed mood, or even be painting or writing.
A lot of fun activities are organized here during the weekends in which
everyone can participate. I did not
visit the ACMI and the National Gallery of Victoria which are located here, because
I preferred to spend my time outdoors. The
Swanston Street running north-south of Federation Square is a magnet for
tourist-oriented business establishments dominated by cafes, bars, ice cream
parlors and dining places. A number of
iconic landmarks also have their address on this street, such as St. Paul’s
Cathedral, Capitol Theatre, Melbourne Town Hall and State Library of
Victoria. The Flinders Street running
east-west across Federation Square is also equally interesting. Running parallel to the Yarra River, the
street is also home to a large number of business establishments and popular
attractions such as Flinders Street Station, Young & Jackson Hotel and
Melbourne Aquarium. I found a friendly
Tobacconist of Indian origin with a wonderful stock of in the arcade of the Flinders
Street Station. A number of horse drawn
carriages are stationed at the Swanston Street junction. The smart horses and the smartly dressed ladies
and gentlemen who own and drive the carriages are a visual delight. Each trip costs between $100-200, and lasts
between half an hour to one hour. Most
people find the carriages romantic and nostalgic, but I also saw a small group
of citizens protesting against the “inhuman” treatment meted out to the horses
and demanding a termination of the carriage license. I then chatted up with Alex- one of the buggy
owners and he turned out to be a delightful person. He first gave me his assessment about the
protest- tracing the genesis to ongoing dynamic between stable owners and real
estate developers in New York, and then blaming social media for spreading
fad. He also narrated his happy
experience of his Golden Triangle tour to India in 2007 and his wish to travel
to Kanpur to buy harness for his horses.
The discussion then meandered to religion and spirituality and I was
amazed at the depth of his thoughts and conviction. The conversation ended when he got a group of
tourists approached him for a ride.
I loved the long walk along the Yarra River to reach the Melbourne Sports & Entertainment Precinct. This area hosts series of sports stadiums, which are venues of some of the largest sporting events. We stopped at the Rod Laver Arena- venue for Australian Open Tennis tournament. We then crossed a footbridge to reach the hallowed precincts of Melbourne Cricket Ground. Built in 1853, the impressive stadium seats 100,024 people. Outside the stadium are placed life-like statues of famous Australian athletes in action- donated by Tattersalls and known as the Parade of Champions. There were four heroes of Australian football, four cricket legends and two star athletes. MCG conducts 75-minute tour of the stadium and the National Sports Museum for a fee of $30. A souvenir shop inside the stadium offers wide choice of mementos and memorabilia. Smiling staff comprising of mostly elderly people assist tourists.
On another evening, we enjoyed a long walk along the
Southbank on the south-side riverbank of Melbourne past the Arts Centre. The promenade is full of popular restaurants. The famous Crown Hotel & Spa is also
located here. The hotel arcade hosts several
restaurants/bars/nightclubs, nearly 30 luxury lifestyle brand stores, a very
large casino and a popular food court.
Melbourne Convention Centre is also located on the Southbank.
On a cloudy and chilly Sunday morning, I took a tram
and visited the adjoining City of Port Phillip in Victoria. This was mainly in quest of my secret love of
old buildings and the ornamental iron castings therein. I was told that this area has a lot of old
houses, and I wanted to check them out.
As soon as the tram entered the suburbs, a lot of graffiti could be seen
on the walls. The last stop of the tram
was Port Melbourne, where I walked across to the Station Pier and could see the
Spirit of Tasmania cruise liner anchored.
The beach on the Port Phillip Bay was pristine, and a popular
destination for the citizens from the neighborhood. Luna Park (rides and entertainment), St.
Kilda Beach and St. Kilda Sea Bath are other attractions in the area. The Port Melbourne Yacht Club is located
here, and the members were seen sailing merrily in the Bay. After enjoying the view of the Port and the Bay,
I walked inland along Station Street parallel to the tram track. There I saw several delightful 19th
century buildings and some most intricate iron castings in the balconies of
those houses. This was an important
collection of photographs for my research on the designs and origins of iron
castings in different cities of the world, including Kolkata. The owner of one of the houses was in the
balcony. She and her daughter were
intrigued by my photographic interest, and we talked about the house and their
travel interest to India. I learnt later
that there are three houses on Coventry Street in South Melbourne which are
among the few 19th century prefabricated iron buildings remaining in the world.
Among other things I enjoyed, Queen Victoria Market was one. This bustling market is divided in to several different precincts. The Deli Hall sells wide range of local and imported cheese; dressed poultry; exotic meat such as rabbit/crocodile/kangaroo; and food items including coffee/pastry/sandwich/sausages. The General Merchandise Section in format of street shops sell wide array of craft, gift, clothing and electronic goods. The Fruits and Vegetables alley is a riot of color with tempting display of fresh produce. My favorite section was the Meat Hall, which houses a number of stalls selling mind-boggling variety of cut and style of meat. There are about a dozen large stalls specializing in fish. The visual of fresh fish and seafood on ice under blue light displayed in glass shelves was memorable.
A travelogue on Melbourne cannot be complete without
a note on food. The love for food and
wine is evident in the huge number of cafes, bakeries, ice cream parlors, dine-ins,
bars, fast food joints, food and wine tasting tours. The love climaxes during the internationally
acclaimed Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in March, during which more than 200
events are organized for more than 300,000 people from all over the world visiting
specifically for the Festival. Cuisines
from all across the globe are easily available.
One is spoilt for choice. For
example, one end of the Lygon Street is Melbourne’s little Italy. A number of authentic Pizzeria are located
here, alongside restaurants offering Greek, Malaysian and European
cuisines. Restaurants are available at
different price points. In fast food
category, in addition to global chains such as McDonalds and Burger King, locally
popular brands such as Lord of the Fries and Pie Face are immensely
popular. Nando’s run a chain of dine-in
restaurants all over Australia- it’s Flame Grilled PERi PERi chicken has been a
steady favorite for us during our stay.
Cotsco sells a wide variety of easy-to-cook or ready-to-eat food items
too, which are delicious. Our best food
experience was at Rumi- a famous restaurant on Lygon Street specializing on Mediterranean
cuisine. It is impossible to get a table
here in the evenings without prior reservation.
The ambience was authentic, service was no-nonsense and food was
heavenly. All the items that we tried-
Sigara Boregi (cigar shaped pastry), Fried Cauliflower, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Roast
Field Mushrooms and Rice Pilaf- are highly recommended. I am sure other items in the menu are equally
deliciously different from everywhere else I ate. The choice of Wine and Lebanese Arak is
intoxicating too.
Overall, the trip to Melbourne was memorable. Ten days spent in the city was still inadequate to soak up the full rhythm and vibe of the place. The city is unconditionally welcoming to visitors, and spoils them for choice of everything. My other legs of the Australia trip to Cairns and Great Barrier Reef (subject of next blog) was fascinating too, but Melbourne will remain etched in my heart as the best city I ever visited anywhere in the world. I left a piece of my heart there; and would love to go back again, and again, if I have the opportunity.
Overall, the trip to Melbourne was memorable. Ten days spent in the city was still inadequate to soak up the full rhythm and vibe of the place. The city is unconditionally welcoming to visitors, and spoils them for choice of everything. My other legs of the Australia trip to Cairns and Great Barrier Reef (subject of next blog) was fascinating too, but Melbourne will remain etched in my heart as the best city I ever visited anywhere in the world. I left a piece of my heart there; and would love to go back again, and again, if I have the opportunity.
