27 September 2013 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

This morning we headed into the city in the sunshine; driving to Sunshine and then riding the rail through to Flagstaff where we disembarked and walked up the hill to the Victoria Markets. Again this was a return but in our absence there have been upgrades with more seating for tired customers and more container shed cafes installed for those seeking refreshment. We walked up and down the numerous aisles of wares, pausing at those stocking knitwear, shoes, wallets and belts, then avoided the temptation of purchase. We are supposed to be downsizing our possessions, not adding to them. After lunch we did buy one onion, three apples and a small head of broccoli, such meagre mean purchase I would not normally confess to, however it is of travel interest. We can take no fruit or vegetables as we cross State borders tomorrow so we are consuming everything we can. Alas, the one lettuce remaining in the bottom of our fridge  is destined for the bin; the rest we have carefully rationed to finish before we depart Victoria.

We wandered through the corridors of meat, poultry, dairy and delicatessen, marvelling at the amazing array of produce available. Chris succumbed to a punnet of hot chips, not something you would normally consider a gourmet purchase, however he, a chip connoisseur, said they were indeed excellent.

We wandered down Elizabeth Street past several shops selling motorbikes and scooters; Chris drooled covetously over many. He has visions of a scooter sitting on a bracketed bench on the rear of our motorhome in New Zealand, and I have a terror of riding on two wheels on the roads. I do nothing to encourage his dreaming, which to date has worked well.

As we descended toward the Yarra and the streets in between, the crowds swelled, so many dressed in purple, and those not, dressed in the yellow and brown of the Hawthorne Hawks. We had missed the midday Grand Finale parade in honour of the AFL Finals although I was surprised the cheers and general noise had not drifted up the hill to the Markets. Perhaps that was why the crowds were less in the markets than we had expected?

Down along Bourke Street the fans were enjoying the buskers as we did. We were particularly taken with the exuberance, the energy and talent of the Pierce twin brothers. Later googling them, I found they have their own website and are quite successful, albeit buskers. We thought they were great.

We threaded our way through numerous back alleys and lanes, past boutiques and restaurants, through halls of graffiti and past purple clad people doing the same, emerging onto Flinders Street. There we crossed over to Federation Square which was absolutely packed with fans, many still seeking their chance of winning an AFL ball, tickets to the Grand Final or a 50% discount voucher off a well-known eyewear outlet. Rowdy booze fuelled Dockers fans made their presence known from the upper window of pubs, the terraces of cafes and anywhere else they could find a welcome. Tens of thousands of fans were packing the public area, most Dockers fans, but then most of the Hawkes fans would have still been hard at work. There were some hopeful souls bearing notices on their backs or held high above their heads: “Wanted: AFL Final tickets”. Scalping is illegal but surely there will be someone who will give up their tickets to such dedicated fans. Surely a small profit could be forgiven for such sacrifice?

We sought refuge in the beautiful historic St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral diagonally across from the dens of drink, dance and celebration. Chris said we had visited this on our last visit, however I could not remember doing so; perhaps we had only poked our heads around the front door last time? This time we wandered right through the church, up and around the altar area and beneath the towering beautifully decorated organ pipes.

Construction of St Paul’s Cathedral was commenced in 1880 and completed in 1891, although erection of the spires did not commence until 1926. Restoration was undertaken in the 1960s and again in 2009, and of the organ in 1989. The Cathedral is unusual among Melbourne’s more notable 19^th century public buildings in that it is not made from bluestone, the city’s dominant building material. Instead it is made from sandstone from the Barrabool Hills and limestone embellishments of Waurn Ponds limestone, both from near Geelong. It really is quite a wonderful building and offered a huge contrast from what was going on outside.

We headed across the road to the Flinders Station, and as we were waiting on the platform were suddenly met by the warm embrace of our friend Janette of Sunbury. She was returning from her first scheduled grandmother-babysitting day from south east Melbourne, in the middle of changing trains and just happened to see us walk past. In a city of more than four million people, how remarkable to happen upon our friend in the commuter crowds! 

True Docker's fans

Our return to camp heralded yet another surprise. Parked up against the back fence beside our caravan was a massive old bus, converted to a football fan carrier, painted with purple banners, bearing large photo portraits of every team member of the Freemantle Dockers and two large flags off the back. On greeting, the occupants assured us they had promised to behave, but let’s be realistic here! These eleven guys have taken time off from work and have come all the way across the Nullarbor, across three states to see their beloved team win or lose tomorrow. Would they do that quietly? I don’t think so.

Since our return, they have departed, no doubt going on into town to join their fellow fans and pump up the hospitality industry here in Melbourne. I suspect we will be woken on their return. Just as well we will not be here tomorrow night! We have paid for a late checkout so will no doubt see the results of their over indulgence in the morning as they emerge from their bus.