15 February 2012 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

Back in the city this morning, we caught the tram to St Kilda and alighted at the top of Fitzroy Street, rediscovering the hotel that Chris and his first wife had acted as concierges in their early months in Melbourne over thirty five years ago. It is little changed externally which was a surprise to Chris, but should not have been. St Kilda is as attractive as it was then, and I could only agree as we walked about exploring the waterfront, the Pier and the exterior of Luna Park. This latter attraction was closed and we peered through the gate at the garish fun railway, a duplicate of that in Sydney. In fact Melbourne’s Luna Park was the first in Australia, established in 1912, designed and set up by the crowd that set up that on Coney Island in New York in the first years of that same century. Sydney’s Park was not set up until the mid 1930’s. Personally I found this trivia far more interesting than taking any ride, had such been on offer.

The Pier has a large kiosk at the end, a building that has seen many changes over the years, more recently victim of arson in 2003. It was originally built in 1904, and the rebuild was completed in 2006. Beyond the kiosk, the breakwater stretches for some distance, protecting the marina area around the Royal Melbourne Yacht Club. Most of this seawall is fenced off to further protect the Little Penguins and Native Water Rats that have chosen to call this home.

St Kilda's Pier

Also along the sea shore, is a fine building housing the St Kilda Seabaths, offering boutique services to those who choose to go there rather than take a marathon walk in the sunshine and the grand (but in need of a paint) Palais Theatre. Flags and temporary stages mark the spot on the sandy beach where beach volley ball is held.


We found a shady bench back along the West Beach in the Catani Gardens to eat our lunch, and then headed off once more on foot up Beaconsfield Parade where there are many beautiful buildings, many undergoing renovation and an equal number for sale. I suspect the owners overstretched themselves; there is nothing new under the sun.

We reached the extent of the South Melbourne tramway in Victoria Avenue where the tram was parked, waiting for its timetabled departure and I was pleased to fall into the seat to wait as well. It wasn’t long before we were on our way up through Albert Park, joining lovely tree lined St Kilda Road and alighting at the Art Gallery opposite the Botanic Gardens.

Today the NGV International (National Gallery Victoria) was open for business and very busy. It was just before 2 pm and we were in time for a free guided tour. Naturally we took advantage of this and enjoyed an hour rushing about the extensive gallery with Fiona, who gave us a very general overview of the amazing collection of art held here. It seems that all Australian art is held in the new gallery in Federation Square, and the European art is here in St Kilda Road in this rather impressive building opened in 1968. The Art Gallery was established in 1861 but has been housed in various buildings across the centuries. With a collection numbering over 65,000 works of art, it is the country’s oldest and largest public gallery. Much of the collection has been largely financed by one benefactor, Alfred Felton, a successful business man, single and childless, who died back in 1904, whose will established a philanthropic trust, the income of which is distributed half to charities benefitting women and children and the other half to acquire and donate artworks to the Gallery. With such an advantage, it is no surprise that this gallery seems to surpass anything else we have visited to date.

At the end of the tour, we agreed that a day or more would be required to explore the gallery properly and so decided to call it a day, brave the commuters and head home. Today I have caught the sun yet again, so am quite glad that the forecast for tomorrow suggests showers in the afternoon.

14 February 2012 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

Happy Valentines Day! I remembered when I was standing on the railway station at Sunshine this morning, and wished my husband the same.

We had already been up to the Taylor Lakes Shopping Centre at Sydenham, to Big 4 Vision to have them repair Chris’s glasses. This turned out to be a far more simple exercise than we had expected; we were sure that one of the lens had been scratched when it fell on to the concrete floor. Cleaning and polish with fancy products and it was as good as new, and we were pleased the repair had not become a long drawn out business of having the lens remade.

On arriving in the city we headed at once for the free tourist bus which wends its way across to the sports precinct which includes the Rod Laver Arena and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, then up past Carlton Gardens and the Royal Exhibition Centre. There was an excellent recorded commentary that drew out attention to many of the interesting and / or beautiful attractions out the windows, and the bus driver interjected frequently, exhibiting his own sense of humour.

As we passed by China Town, we were informed that there was an excellent museum here, well worth visiting. It houses the largest parade dragon in the world! Well, really? I thought Bendigo had laid claim to that? I do believe that we will have to take all these claims for the largest, the oldest, the best…. all with a grain of salt.

Chris and I left the bus outside the Queen Victoria Market and walked around this wonderful landmark attraction which covers seven hectares making it the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been operating since the 1850s; however the wholesale activity was moved to Footscray after unrest which ended up with a few old fashioned murders in the 1960’s. In the 1990s piracy of brands was a real problem and that has apparently been cleaned up as well. Unlike the Paddy’s Market in Sydney, this is spacious and pleasurable to wander through even if one tends to be a little claustrophobic. We purchased a couple of shirts for Chris and one parsnip but nothing more because our cash had run out and EFTPOS machines were not immediately obvious.

We wandered down William Street and found a shady wall in Flagstaff Gardens, from where one could once upon a time enjoy great views over the harbour. That was long before the buildings obscured any such possibility, however it was a pleasant place to pause and rest from the heat of the day.

From here we walked on down to Docklands which is entirely different from when Chris was last here. In fact the development of this harbourside area is all quite recent. In 1996 construction of the Dockland’s Stadium was started, and completed four years later. Today it is known as the Etihad Stadium, after its current sponsors, and holds over 50,000 people. It is mainly used for Aussie Rules games but has hosted cricket, soccer and a variety of other sports.

Development of the surrounding areas now includes great apartment and office blocks, restaurants and the Harbour Town Shopping Centre. There were many other tourists such as ourselves, wandering about the precinct, admiring the artworks along the waterfront and evidence of so much commercial enterprise.

The Yarra River

We walked for some distance in the hot sun, and then caught another of the free tourist buses further along the set route. The bus took us south over the Yarra River and along through the art precinct of Southbank, before winding around the Botanic Gardens. We left the bus again outside the Art Gallery hoping to catch the current exhibition, however today is Tuesday, and Tuesday is the one day along with Christmas Day, the gallery is closed. We will return another day. It wasn’t too far from there back across the Yarra River to the Flinders Street Railway Station.

 
Before heading home we popped into McDonalds and enjoyed a cold ice-cream cone, enjoyed the Valentines activity in the street; a rather strange looking woman selling single red roses and couples taking romantic horse drawn carriage rides. We decided to visit the Information Centre and came away with another armful of brochures. Amongst these were some informative tracts about Federation Square. I was aware that my description of the architecture of the Square had been less than brilliant yesterday and thought I could remedy it here, with some help from the literature. From the waffle I did glean that the cladding is sandstone, zinc (perforated and solid) and glass. Apart from that the descriptions are so new-age and airy-fairy, I could not bear to repeat it here. We did decide today that on second viewing, the buildings about the Square are quite attractive after all.

We also did something more to express our confidence and appreciation of this beautiful city; we have booked and paid for a further two weeks here in this caravan park out here at Rockbank.

13 February 2012 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

Today we hit Melbourne by train and on foot, and have arrived home looking forward to more days doing the same. We caught the train at Sunshine, one of the less salubrious suburbs of Melbourne, a melting pot of people; Asians, Africans, Middle Eastern folk and fair skinned Europeans such as us. We travelled through rail corridors of graffiti and litter until we reached the city centre where the rail disappears underground.

The old and the new: above Flinders Street Station in the background

We stepped off the train at the Flinders Street Station and found Federation Square immediately across the busy street. This did not exist when Chris lived here and he was keen to explore it all. The buildings about are clad in the strangest of exteriors, and there are great expanses of paving and steps and seats for the populace to enjoy the space in a relaxed fashion. We came across the Federation Story told along a balcony in one of these odd buildings; a series of interpretative panels. We had of course had our first lesson in Australia’s history of Federation at Tenterfield, in New South Wales early last year, where Henry Parkes gave his famous speech in 1889. We have learned as we have travelled about that the states of this country were all separate colonies until Federation occurred in 1901, but what I did not know was that New Zealand was, until 1840, part of the colony of New South Wales. How ignorant, you may well say, and rightly so. I had been only too aware that New Zealand was the one colony that chose not to become part of Australia. Today there were many school children in Federation Square; probably having their own history lesson.

Federation Square in contrast to grand old architecture

We happened upon an exhibition in another of these strange buildings, Screen Worlds; The Story of Film, Television and Digital Culture. What a fascinating exhibition this is, but with far too much information to absorb in one visit. Our appetite drew us away from the fascinating exhibits; we found a couple of canvas deck chairs in the sunshine and cool wind, not too far from the stage in the Square, and listened to a musician singing Stairway to Heaven and other like melodies, while we consumed our sandwiches and nectarines.

The State Library

Conveniently placed deckchairs

After lunch we decided that Screen World would have to wait for another time, we could go back and take in more another day. We walked up along Swanston Street, into Bourke Street, popping into the Post Office to ask unsuccessfully after mail that is yet to arrive, back to Swanston Street to the State Library. There we sought out the reading room where Chris had spent many weeks over forty years ago when he was temporarily disabled by an accident, and chose to utilise the opportunity to further his education in the great reading rooms of this wonderful library. There are two galleries on the second floor, one containing early paintings of Melbourne and the other, portraits of public figures of the city. The building itself is a fine example of the old architecture of the city, this opened in 1856. However the great old buildings of the city are dwarfed by the modern skyscrapers and so there is no particular style of architecture through the centre at all. Or at least that was the impression I had today, however we only explored the streets mentioned above, Elizabeth Street, Chinatown, and the lanes in-between, and I am probably a little premature to make such an observation.

I was delighted by the streets, wider than those in Sydney, full of trams and people; fellow tourists, students, office workers, buskers. It was truly alive and there was so much to see. We walked about, enjoying the city until we thought we should head toward home. We caught the train back to Sunshine, with hundreds of other commuters, the trip twenty five minutes long, then a further twenty minutes by car. We look forward to finding our way back in tomorrow to see more of this wonderful Victorian capital.

12 February 2012 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

Home Sweet Home! Back in our little home on wheels after a couple of days away. The weather is still cool, and dreary, showers passing from time to time, and according to our weekend hosts, evidence of the end of summer. I do hope not! I am looking forward to months of summer sun yet.

After lunch yesterday, we drove up to Sunbury to spend time with Chris’s old friends, Bob and Janet. They came to stay with us in our home in New Zealand about four years ago, so it was wonderful to discover them in good health and seemingly not a day older. While they did not convey a reciprocal opinion, they did think that travel and retirement suited us well, so I guess that was a roundabout way of saying the same.

We sat over cups of coffee and later, a great feast helped down by the fruit of the vine, except for a small trip out along to a new housing estate to view the latest in architecture and interior design; interesting for sure and the base of much conversation on site, both critical and positive.

This morning we woke to the sound of the birds outside the window above their garden, strange to be in a house for the first time since visiting family last September. We were spoilt with a cooked breakfast, a tour of the garden complete with history of climatic effect thereon, which is a whole separate problem which we as travellers had not really considered apart from agricultural crops and the establishment of botanic gardens.

Bob, Janet & Chris in the climate challenged garden

We were then taken on a wonderful tikki tour of Melbourne; checking out a retirement village near Taylor Lakes where Bob has been recently working, calling briefly with birthday wishes for Janet’s elderly mother in Niddrie, down toward the city centre passing by Moonee Ponds where the famous Dame Edna Everidge lived, through the 3.4 kilometre Burnley tunnel which runs under city suburbs and the Yarra River and wandering about the Chadstone Shopping Centre which makes all previously visited centres pale into insignificance. This one is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, the oldest in Victoria having opened in 1960 and has 530 shops. We caught a coffee and snack lunch, having secured a table in a Foodhall which in itself was quite an accomplishment. Finding our way back to the car park was another adventure, with each of us having an opinion as to which direction it was. Success at last and we were off again, heading toward St Kilda, however this proved impossible. Our hosts had forgotten that the St Kilda Festival was on this weekend, and the throngs of young people flocking toward our own destination, the closed off streets and the heavy police presence made sure we took a wide detour, around past Albert Park where the annual Formula One car race is to be run next month. Even today, it was evident that much of the preparation is under way.

Emu Bottom

We then drove on north and west through the Port, across the West Gate Bridge, more recently in the news for the scene of infanticide, on to the Western Ring Road, and back to Sunbury via the Tullamarine Freeway past the Melbourne Airport.

On reaching Sunbury, we briefly visited Rupertswood, the home of the Ashes cricket trophy, and Emu Bottom, reputedly the oldest homestead still standing in Victoria. After coffee and cake, we gathered our bags, bade our hosts thanks and farewell until next weekend and drove back to our home here in Rockbank.

Not only had we had a wonderful time catching up with friends, we had also had a fantastic overview of Melbourne, further confirming to Chris that this is a very different city to that he knew twenty eight years ago. In fact, he wonders if he is even in the same place!

                                                                                                             

10 February 2012 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

Today we tiptoed around the western edge of Melbourne, dabbling our toes into the waters of remembrance, or at least Chris’. It was truly a journey of nostalgia and shock, for him to see his Melbourne so changed.

We packed up lunch and headed eastwards on the Western Highway bright and early this morning, stopping firstly at Deer Park to check out where he and his first wife set up their first home and started to raise their daughter. We found our way there without the aid of the Tomtom, however there were acres and acres of residential area where there had once been wide open paddocks. The western edge of the city now stretches to a place called Caroline Springs, no longer Deer Park. The shopping centre, now Brimbank Central, which was once their local service centre has grown beyond a few stores, now quite substantial. Here I purchased a long dress, something I have been longing to do for a year or so; this one does not look too bad on a mature woman such as me, in my opinion. A souvenir, you might say? Any excuse!

The railway station at Sunshine was next on the agenda, to carry out research on timetables and fares, all attended to with efficiency and pleasantly by a new Australian behind the grill. We left there with seven day Metcards and ready to take on Melbourne.

From here we headed to Footscray where Chris spent close to a year after his separation; a flat in a block up Empire Street. Even Chris who had some positive memories of the place had to agree that it really was now The Pits. Rubbish lining the street, upturned wheelie bins, graffiti, truant shopping trollies and unkempt gardens all suggested that those who choose these days to live in that part of Footscray have no sense of pride in the place. The block of flats in question had a big “For Sale” sign at the entrance, and just for a nanosecond, we considered an investment in Australia. No need to add that the idea was discarded immediately.

Flemington viewed from Footscray Park

Close by, just down the hill from Footscray is the suburb of Flemington, or rather the famous racecourse and area about that is Flemington. On the western side of the Maribyrnong River, is Footscray Park, where Chris married Wife No 2. I can see why they chose this venue, the upper slopes are an attractive parkland, and back then the grass on the flats was green and alive. Today where we sat to eat our lunch, the flats were arid and unattractive, and the lily pond behind us was full of coots and rubbish. There is a shared cycling and walking path along the river these days, and formal parking areas; none of which was there back in the very early 1980s. The view of the city skyline was tantalising close but not to be explored today.

Our next destination was Highpoint City, today a huge shopping centre with four hundred shops, apparently the fifth largest shopping centre in Victoria and the tenth largest in all of Australia. That actually surprised me; I thought it might be the largest, but then I guess we haven’t been everywhere yet.  Cranes and associated construction are proof that expansion is well under way, and in another year there will be another one hundred shops. We walked up and down the centre, all three levels and past the largest Target department store we have ever seen. It was here that Chris and his first wife purchased all the items for their brand new home in Lara Court all those years ago, when Target was several hundred metres up the road from Myers, now connected through the corridors of shops. Here at Highpoint City, Chris purchased a new suit for a song, for less than it costs to hire one, so the talented salesman told us; another souvenir. Now we have to find somewhere to wear these brand new outfits.

When I consider how many tourists might approach Melbourne, through the airport, a taxi ride to a swank hotel near the centre and then spend their week lingering over brunches and lattes, and well-oiled dinners in the many restaurants I believe Melbourne has to offer, I have to smile at the contrast of my own introduction to this great city. We have come in through the back door, as it were, and are seeing the places where all those who would provide the services to those tourists, would live and shop and spend time with their families; the real Melbourne perhaps, more so than the short term tourist might see.

                                                                                                             

9 February 2012 - Sundowner Rockbank Caravan Park, Rockbank, Victoria

The cold temperatures kept us in bed later this morning but we were still away from the camp by 10 am, and heading south, away from Bendigo. We set the Tomtom for Kyneton, a name plucked off the map in the general direction we were intending to travel, and to assist with finding our way efficiently across the city.

Not too far south of Bendigo, the highway turned into a freeway, with a surface much appreciated after having been subjected to Victoria’s hideous roads for weeks. Sixty six kilometres south of Bendigo, we arrived at Kyneton and called into the Visitors Centre to find out if we should pause longer than a comfort stop decreed.

The centre was manned today by an ancient couple of volunteers, she particularly shrunken and lame, but full of character and full of enthusiasm for her community. Later Chris and I imagined ourselves in time, when we finally settle down, doing the same, a day a fortnight or similar in the local Information Centre. The only drawback of a job like this, even though voluntary, one is not allowed to recommend one camping ground over another, or one bakery more than another. I would be like some of the characters who say, “I am not supposed to say this, but…..”

The outcome of this consultation was a long walk into the town centre, up and down the three main streets of this old but vibrant town, which started its life during the gold rush days, offering a rest stop to those trudging to the fields, and later offering provisions to those who stayed working on the fields. Initially grain crops were the order of the day, giving way later to sheep and cattle farming, and since the beginning of this century, the inevitable vineyards. It really is astounding to see, as we travel about the country, the number of vineyards that have sprung up in the last ten years. We wonder if when there is finally a glut of wine, the government will have to bale the viticulturists out, as the New Zealand government did the kiwifruit growers.

Aside from this practical aspect of the town’s contribution to the state, like Daylesford we visited less than a week ago, Kyneton has a spa, mineral springs, which are no doubt enjoyed by the punters from Melbourne.  I wonder if they are as disgusting as those tested last week? The town is also upstream on the Campaspe River which feeds Lake Eppalock and a walk along the river was suggested but we decided not to.

Piper Street in Kyneton is particularly noteworthy, the oldest streetscape of the town, with many of the original buildings now host to upmarket cafes, interior design outlets and the like. Despite the fact that many of the stores obviously cater for the more affluent folk who drive up from Melbourne, the town still feels welcoming and worth taking the time to more than rush through. We patronised one of the many bakeries and consumed our purchases over lunch, then made several telephone calls to caravan parks in the Melbourne area. Some did not cater for caravans, and others charged $42 per night with no discount for a week booking and one was tardy in responding to our inquiry. Finally with a booking sorted, we resumed our journey south, to Rockbank. This little settlement is just thirty kilometres west of Melbourne, has a clean and convenient caravan park and charges just $24 per day with the seventh free; a far cry from any others about.

We had left the freeway close to Sunbury, where our friends Bob and Janet live, those whom we will be spending some time with during the weeks ahead, and travelled across rural roads to the Western Highway. I was surprised to see that Sunbury is a town or city totally separate from Melbourne, and Chris was amazed to discover that the hazy silhouette of Melbourne was visible from this far away. I was also surprised to see that Melbourne appears to be spread out on a flat plain. Given its horseshoe shape on the map, surrounding Port Philip Bay, I had assumed it would be situated on hills that sloped down to the sea. It would seem I was incorrect. However all these first impressions are rather premature, because we are still out in the country and will catch the train into the city sometime in the next few days. In the meantime, we have noticed that we are sandwiched between the highway and the railway, a position that we have become so familiar with in our travels over the past year.

8 February 2012 - Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Bendigo, Victoria

We are still here despite my negative comments about the place yesterday. In fairness to the Showgrounds camp, I must say that the facilities are quite adequate, the washing machine is free and the tariff at $20 per night is very fair. So despite it not being a “nice” camp, it should be considered if one is travelling on a shoestring as yours truly attempts to do.

Beside Lake Eppalock

This morning dawned clear and cold; a chilly 12 degrees. We headed out for our last day’s exploration of Bendigo and surrounds, calling in to Office Works on the way, forever reliable and fair, to have some printing done, and then headed south east toward Lake Eppalock, the irrigation reservoir between Bendigo and Heathcote, covering over three thousand hectares. Completed in 1964, it still sports the skeletons of trees cut off in their prime by too much water. Perhaps these trees sprouted and grew when the lake was dry or near dry as it has been during the drought years of its life. It is now full, and promises all sorts of recreational activities. We drove to various points on the lake, more particularly down the western side and at nearly every turn, access was blocked by “Private” signs. There are scores of private camps belonging to various social, ski or fishing clubs, full of old caravans supporting fibro annexes and obviously well used during holiday weekends and the like. We saw few people about today, but then most of these club members were probably busy working. The lake is surrounded with low hills and so we believed the lake to be quite shallow, although further investigation advised that the average depth is between twenty and thirty metres, a fact that surprised us. We could not become as excited about the lake as the volunteer in the Information Centre had been when he told us about it on Saturday.

The barren Pink Cliffs Reserve

Since we had “done” the lake in record time, and the day was still young, we drove on to Heathcote, which fills several pages in the Bendigo promotional booklet. This too was begun during Gold Rush years and today with a population of just under 3,000, promotes itself as the home of amazing wines. The small country town is spread along a couple of kilometres, quite a pretty place but many of the buildings well overdue for a paint or facelift. There are many B&Bs, cafes, cellar doors, an IGA superette, and at least half a dozen real estate offices which seem hugely disproportionate to the size of the place. We walked up and down the streets in the sunshine, before driving the kilometre or so to the Pink Cliffs Reserve. Here we sat under the gums to enjoy our lunch and then walked the half hour trail about this pink moonscape; land eroded by sluicing for gold mining. There is also a wonderful walking track up to the Devil’s Cave and Viewing Rock; we took the promoters’ words for it.

From Heathcote it is a straight forward forty seven kilometres up the McIvor Highway back to Bendigo, through small settlements, some so small they have disappeared except for the plaque that announces their past existence. The open bush gives way to cleared pale gold gentle rolling country, grazing modest numbers of cattle and sheep.

We were back at camp early in the afternoon to deal with dreary matters conveyed to us on line, and to consider our route to the State’s capital tomorrow morning. We will not be sorry to leave Bendigo as it did not inspire us as did Ballarat and so many other places we have passed through.

Bendigo has many tourist attractions which we have not visited, most importantly the Golden Dragon Museum, which holds two imperial Chinese dragons, one the oldest in the world and the other the longest in the world. This museum is reputed to be the very best of all museums celebrating the Chinese contribution to Australian history, with them having made up 20% of the Bendigo population at the height of the gold rush, however for us, we all Chinese museumed and gold rushed out. Perhaps if we had started our gold rush discovery here, we may have formed a different impression of Bendigo.  But like all travel, each destination is a unique experience for those who pass; none can possibly agree and rate places exactly in the same way.