Melbourne

Foggy this morning on Sovereign Hill in Ballarat, but soon, the sun burned the fog and it warmed up! Decided to drive to the Europcar station in Ballarat first, to get the tire checked. Guys there pumped up air and said it looks o.k. Well, it low pressure stayed the same, but drive to Melbourne was easy, a bit over one hour. Even stopped at an Blundstone Australia outlet store - work shoes originally, very "fashionable" nowadays, and, Peter had to have a pair. More traffic towards the airport - so glad, when we got rid of our "Chinese AI-Drama car"!

At the Melbourne Airport, around noon, we took the city bus into town
(about 25 min) and arrived to modern Southern Cross Station (photos below), in downtown Melbourne, too early for check-in in our AirBnB. So, we had some "real" coffee and an almond croissants and strolled through the Spencer Outlet Center, adjacent to the station building before we began our search for the right entrance into our skyscraper - took us some time! 

 

 

But we found it, the modern skyscraper in the center of the photo, fiddled around with the mailbox where the key was stored in a keybox and took the elevator up to the 41st floor of a modern highrise with apartments, mostly apparently inhabitated/rented by young Asian people. 

 

Unpacked and went out again to explore the city, first by using the free historic streetcar, which goes around town in a circle. Stopped at the very well equipped Visitor Center at Federal Plaza at Flinders Street Station, with the Koori Heritage Trust and NGV (National Gallery - Contemporary Art). It's closeby the Yarra River with a nice promenade. We watched the rowers there.

 

Passed by Town Hall along Swanston Street passing Chinatown and Greek Town and through the Arcades - a shoppers' paradise! - including the Emporium, Melbourne Walk, Collins Arcade and Center Place.

Town Hall above, Flinders Street Station below, Chinatown further below

Degraves Street above, where the best coffee is supposed to be served!

Docklands next - also called the "District", the entertainment center of town, with a big Ferris Wheel, a marina and "Urban Alley Brewery". First impression: great modern architecture, compact city center, ocean is missing, but there is a river,,,

We prepared dinner at the apartment (though in regard to kitchen utensils it wasn't well equipped): lamb steaks, potato salad, corn dip, tomatoes and avocado. Though, we improvised quite a bit it was good!