Trials, trains and trams

 I won't bore you with how bad the hire car company was and why my cousin and husband who live an hour's drive from Melbourne had to drive over to pick us up, and why they had to take us back this morning to pick the car up and why we have been fleeced, paying $400 extra for insurance. Again. 

The point is, the four of us had a great time going to Melbourne. On the train. Which didn't ask for insurance and ran on time. 

Melbourne is an amazing city. We, well I, wasn't expecting to be wowed. But I said wow several times. Every building, from old to new, has been designed with real thought, creating a striking city centre bordering on to a port and marina. 

So what about kangaroos, you ask. On the way to the station we saw a dead one on the side of the road. In the market we saw a kangaroo skin and on the way home, we eventually saw masses of live ones. They were just standing in the nearby fields. All facing the same way and all motionless. Rather like meerkats. Apparently, we shall see plenty more. 

The city has a massive eastern presence. Chinese and Japanese. This was particularly evident in the markets and the street food. We ate Nasi Goreng, taking us back to travels in Indonesia (although in Indonesia, it cost about 10p) then wandered through extraordinary displays of vegetables which seemed to go on for miles. I stopped by a very odd looking fruit and while I was inspecting it, a Japanese man came over and explained that it was a Jackfruit. It was very noisy in the market and in my haste to understand him, I thought I had heard him and replied "Ah, Jap fruit". Either he didn't hear me or he showed impeccable manners as his friendly demeanor didn't alter. I fled the scene with appropriate speed.

We made our way to a London eye type ferris wheel. As we approached, it was evident that it was not rotating. Julie went into a nearby shop and was informed that it hadn't been running for months. Pity the website claims the opposite. We took a tram back to the centre.

We passed the Marvel Stadium on the way and ventured in.  It announced that there was golf inside! I imagined a sort of crazy golf on steroids. We were struck by how friendly the staff were. Although when we said we were from England, they said 'great' and when Julie said she was from Bacchus Marsh (their town) they said 'even better'!😆 We went up to a viewing platform and behind a sheet of glass, people were firing golf balls into the stadium, which was complete with bunkers and posters of people's faces. (Not sure who they were or if the idea was to hit them...)

It was a lovely day for walking round in the cold, crisp sunny day. Yes. Cold! We only packed our coats for a laugh, but there were times when they were zipped up with hoods up. Well, when you look at a map, Antarctica looks awfully close...





Julie, Tony. Kate
Proof that Australia is upside down 






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