3 AM wake-up call this morning. Our flight from Cairns departed promptly at 5:25 AM, depositing us two and a half hours later in Brisbane, where we caught a subsequent flight to Melbourne, and arrived here after yet another two hours.
Personally, I loved Queensland, in spite of the torrid weather, and wished I could have stayed a little longer. That feeling intensified when, upon arrival, we were greeted with cold drizzle and temperatures in the low to mid 60s. That's how crazy Australia can be.
Melbourne is the country's second largest city, and the largest in the state of Victoria. We basically left the northernmost sizable town in Australia and arrived in its southernmost, once again on the shores of the Southern Ocean. Hobart, Tasmania, is further south yet, however it is on an island and not on the mainland. The weather really took us for a loop. Even when the rain stopped, it felt awfully chilly, and on the ocean shore, where the wind is quite strong, it was downright cold. We are told such is the weather here, where seasons change daily rather than quarterly.
We took possession of our new home rental in the suburb of Doncaster, and are quite pleased with it. Doncaster is an affluent district with many gorgeous homes. The place has three bedrooms, a dining room, two living rooms and a good sized kitchen. The back yard looks onto a lovely green park, and has a table and chairs were I envision we'll be having our breakfasts.
In late afternoon we traveled to the district of St. Kilda, one of many vibrant, bohemian areas of the city. Eric wanted to dine at a place called The Lady of St. Kilda, another place named for a ship that wrecked along the coast, so we complied. The middle-eastern food was excellent and so was the atmosphere.
Good vibes were all around this locality, replete with theaters, eclectic shops, pubs and dining spots. This group of people were joyfully walking through the streets singing and dancing to the tunes of great songs for nothing more but the sheer enjoyment of it, elating a few hearts along the way.
Adding to the atmosphere were the many pleasant murals on seemingly any wall. Melbourne is known for its murals. Tomorrow I intend to visit an area that supposedly is teeming with street art.
The real reason why we picked St, Kilda to spend the late afternoon/evening was because here exists one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, called simply Luna Park. Unfortunately (for Eric), the place closed three hours earlier today on account of the cool weather. He didn't get what he was wishing, but I was happy simply taking a photo of what I thought was a fascinating old-style gateway to the park.
We did get to walk along the shore. The beach here we are told is Melburnians' favorite. It certainly is pretty, but we were just getting accustomed to 100 degree weather. It will take a bit to get used to the change, so we cut our promenade short. Besides, we also are a bit drained, to tell the truth.
Until tomorrow...
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