It was a fabulous long weekend in Melbourne; just what the doctor ordered.
After what felt like a bad start with queues in the airport, delays on take off and a long flight the weekend completely spun around and it was go go go all the way.
We had a lovely dinner at Spaghetti Tree the first night; a traditional old Italian restaurant on Bourke Street in the CBD.
As we were staying at the Hilton on the Park I had a couple of runs in the nearby Fitzroy Gardens a few mornings which provided a nice change from my usual hilly route at home. I did have to sprint around the paths a few times though to get my heart rate up.
The Melbourne Zoo is a must see attraction if you haven’t been before. The highlights for me were the Butterfly House, the Frog’s, the Wombat sleeping on its back with its paws up in the air, the baby Orang-utans and the Tree Monkeys. There were many more delights but these stood out to me as being a little different. You need a good four hours to walk the whole complex. It is a good idea to take in a picnic if you don’t mind dragging a trolley case behind you like most of the locals with children tended to do.
Then it was back to the Hilton for a quick rest before dinner and a show – Wicked! The prequel to The Wizard of Oz; how the wicked witch came to be. It was a brilliant stage show with a clever script and intricate costumes and stage sets. I particularly liked the Emerald City and the green skin of the wicked witch.
We also ventured to the Queen Victoria Markets for brunch and a nosey around the deli and bakery stalls.
The free City Circle Tram is a must if you need to get from one side of Melbourne central to another. There are numerous stops along the route.
One night found us sitting in the Treasury Gardens amongst other Japanese enthusiasts watching Japanese dances and martial artists perform whilst eating Japanese Cuisine. (or in our case, delights from the market deli’s)
It was a 4:30am rise on Monday morning to head out for a hot air balloon ride over Melbourne with the original hot air balloon company in Melbourne, Balloon Sunrise. It was magical! The head pilot let off a helium filled balloon with a red light attached so we could watch and follow the wind directions. For us it was to be a flight from north to south staying under 2000m to avoid a circling 747 400 that was waiting to land.
The view was stunning from far hills to the rising sun, the rowers in the river, the MCG, the dry parks, the old Victorian style homes and the water front boulevards to our landing spot in Albert Park where the F1 Grand Prix will be held. We did a loop of the track in the van before we departed – very funny.
Apparently there is no motion sickness with ballooning; but I couldn’t tell you if there was or not as I had taken a Piahia Bomb prior to be safe.
All through the Sydney to Hobart race the sailors were all going on about Krispy Kreme Doughnuts so we had to try one – yucky! Never again.
Chadstone shopping mall was quite a nice surprise as far as malls go with the high end fashion stores David Jones, Meyers etc all within it. It was a pleasant experience with lovely cafes and deli’s.
Other malls you might want to check out for bargins are the DFO’s throughout Melbourne (and Australia) suburbs; great for sports gear.
Ah… another brilliant weekend.
Posted by michellecolerocks 
Posted by michellecolerocks 