We started the day by going to the Southern Cross railway station which was next to the hotel. We were going to catch the train early next morning to Sydney so wanted to know where to check in our luggage. Having found out we had a quick coffee and raisin toast and then went to catch the free City Circle Tram to get us to Flinders Street. An Australian couple were waiting for the tram too, realised we were from the UK and started asking about the Goodwood Revival as they really, really want to go to it. Funny that they should bump into 2 people who have been to it.
We got off at Flinders Street. There is an impressive frontage to the train station and on the opposite corner is St Paul’s Cathedral. There is also an Information Centre.
St Paul’s Cathedral.
Flinders Street Station.
Lunch near the tourist information centre, with St Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Bircher muesli for lunch!
We were lucky with our timing – we had just finished lunch and walked over to the bus stop for the Melbourne Visitor Shuttle and one arrived. We could have been waiting for up to 30 mins! The shuttle costs $5 and takes tourists on a circular route with spoken information on what there is to look at. We got out near the Old Melbourne Gaol, which was where Ned Kelly was held and executed.
We then visited the City Watch House, in use until 1994, where the staff acted as though we were being arrested and locked up. There were a couple on the visit who we bumped into the next morning elsewhere and then bumped into again in Sydney!
Having made our escape we walked up Lygon Street with all its restaurants and waited for the next Visitor Shuttle. This took us along the rest of the route we’d missed, having got off for the Gaol visit. We got off just south of Flinders Street and walked to the City Circle Tram to get back to the hotel.
We had a brief half hour rest at the hotel before going out to go to the Victoria Night Market. The Victoria Market is apparently worth going to but it is closed on Mondays and Wednesdays so we couldn’t go to the daytime market.
Croc Burger anyone?
Riley and Myf had arranged to meet us and Jason and Michelle at the Chinese Gates. Our hotel had told us which end of the street it would be so we specified the end with the ANZ building on it. We walked from the market to the gate and Riley and Myf were waiting for us.
But no sign of Jason and Michelle. After a phone conversation it turned out they were waiting at the other end of the street by another Chinese Gate and another ANZ place! 🙂
Michelle, Riley, Myf, Jason and Noel.
We went to a local Chinese place which Riley and Myf knew. It was very good. Then we went on for a drink elsewhere. We walked up a quiet side road and went through a dark door off the street, up some steps then through another dark door and then we were in a small, dark area with a bar and lots of seats around. We took over a corner, Vincent joined us having been working and we decided upon some cocktails. I took a picture of this for my sister’s family (Martinez).
We then left to go to a rooftop bar but it was unavailable so we walked to the Southbank. There were some fireballs which lit up on the hour outside the Crown Casino.
On the way there we spotted a Possum.
After another drink Riley and Myf left as they were working next day. We had another drink before calling it a day.
Michelle, Jason, Noel, Vincent.