Melbourne 2016

I’ve written so much about Melbourne, you all should know the drill by now!

It’s my favourite place to holiday in Australia and if I do not get there at least once a year I get very antsy.

I have a month off in November and had planned a week down there but I realised there were a few things I really wanted to see and they would be finished by Nov.

So I just had to do a little long weekend run down.

For the past decade or even longer I have always stayed somewhere around Collins Street near to Flinders Station and Degreaves, and in private apartments. This year I got a deal on a newish boutique hotel at the top of Little Bourke Street right on Chinatown and around the corner from Parliament and The Princess Theatre.

How could I resist!?!

And what a great spot it was, in the midst of way too many eateries, and that was before Chinatown!!! Right near my fave bookstores, and I could even see Madam Brussells from my view.

I flew in on the Saturday late afternoon, and was still very sick with a chest infection. I had a wander and got my bearings, and then grabbed some amazing Chinese takeaway for dinner and had a big night in.

Sunday I walked to Fed Square, not far at all, to meet my lovely friend M, who was my ‘date’ for Scorsese. You can read about our experience here. We caught up properly over lunch at Taxi Kitchen and then I headed back to my hotel for a rest before the evening’s proceedings.

It took me one whole minute to make my way to The Princess Theatre from my hotel. I was seeing Matilda and just loved it. It was a great adaptation of a favourite childhood book, I believe that Dahl would have been thrilled with it. The acting (mostly kids...urgh!) was superb and Minchin’s soundtrack was perfection. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, you must. Very funny like the book and not just for kids!

I had a lovely sleep in on the Monday and then grabbed a tram to NGV to see the Degas exhibit. I don’t know much about Degas, except his lovely Ballerina paintings. Well I found out he is so much more than that, he etched, drew, painted over a long time and therefore many varying styles, and ended up a photographer late. He even sculpted, and they were spectacular. It was a very large exhibition and I was totally in my element.

Also a cool, drizzly, typical Melbourne day, which meant I spent a fair amount of time in the gallery. Firstly daydreaming, meditating under the cathedral window ceiling. Then I quick dash upstairs to see my fave gal, The Weeping Woman.

Afterwards it had cleared a little so I made a dash for Degreaves for a late lunch and zigzagged through the laneways to the mall having a lovely browse at the shops.

That night I had some more Chinese, when you are that close to so much amazing Chinese, how can you not!?

My final day was a bit of a washout, raining heavy and I was still unwell. BIg sleep in and just enjoying my lovely room before heading across the park – or rather around the park by tram – to the Melbourne Museum. This time I was seeing the Jurassic World Exhibit, mostly for kids, it was fun though. Animatronic Dinosaurs that were almost realistic. It was all over fairly quick, but still worth seeing. 

I spent some time wandering the museum before heading back to the city for a late lunch at The Elephant and Wheelbarrow pub. I had a little shop but ended up back at the hotel for a nap. I was exhausted after a hectic couple of days fighting this chest infection. That night I ‘discovered’ a great Italian cafe, that did the best pizzas, and everything else from what I could see.

I slept well, had a great breakfast in the hotel, and then made my way to the airport to fly home.