Melbourne – Day 5

Nov 18, 2011 by Joel

This morning being the last day that my friend would be in Melbourne, I wanted to make sure it was a good day seeing some sights. We had planned what we were going to do today and I wanted to be sure that things started out well. So I was ready and waiting as soon as my friend arrived at the hotel and we headed from the hotel across to Swanson Street to get the tram.

We caught the number 16 tram heading south, with our destination being St Kilda. St Kilda is a suburb of Melbourne and is about 35 minutes away by tram. This tram follows St Kilda road south past the Botanical Gardens and down the main street of St Kilda so you do get to see some sights along the way. Once at St Kilda and off the tram down near the water front we walked along the beach towards the pier. This could be a really nice spot through summer, however today there was a cool breeze blowing and some clouds in the sky.

Walking down the Pier, at the end is a nice building that houses a cafe. This building was destroyed by fire in 2003, and as such is not an original part of the pier, however you do get the overall feel for the area still. From the pier we begun walking up the main street of St Kilda, Fitzroy St. Until we found a small cafe that looked interesting for lunch. There we enjoyed a pizza and a drink while deciding exactly what to do next.

Just across the road was the tram stop for the route 96 tram (also an alternative to get to St Kilda it is about 10 minutes quicker) which would take us back to Melbourne, past Albert Park.  Which is the location of the Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix each year around March. We caught this tram all the way along Bourke street, heading for Exhibition St. From this stop it is only a short few blocks walk to Carlton Gardens.

Carlton Gardens is home to two interesting buildings in Melbourne. The first is the Royal Exhibition Building which was completed in 1880 and is still standing today and used for different events throughout the year. The other building is the Melbourne Museum which was originally opened in 1854, however was moved to the current building in Carlton Gardens in 2000. This new building is very much an example of modern Architecture, and is in stark contrast to the Royal Exhibition Building.

After finishing our walk in the Gardens, and being so close by we decided to visit Lygon Street. Even though we had not decided on what to eat for dinner at this point, it was a nice place to walk along and see this area of the city. The street is lined by a range of stores and restaurants, most in some way serving Italian cuisine. While some very much are in your face trying to get you to come to their restaurant, others offer a much more inviting atmosphere.

After stopping at one small cafe for a drink, to fill in some time before dinner. We then continued our walk along the street and eventually settled upon a restaurant by the name of Zingarella. I chose to have Pasta, while my friend chose to have a steak. We both enjoyed our meals and were quite satisfied after dinner. Although we could not pass up the opportunity to enjoy some Gelato, even though it was a little bit chilly this evening.

It was a nice day but it was also a little sad to see this time come to an end. For me one more day and I fly home. While my friend in the morning would be on to the next part of his trip. I guess I just have to wait and be ready for the next trip I have planned next year.