Arriving in Melbourne it was time to meet up with my aunt and uncle (Margaret and Neil) who were also travelling Australia, and who I would be spending the next three weeks with. After a catch up over breakfast we headed out to explore the city.

As none of us really had an idea where to go we wandered a little aimlessly, jumping on and off the free city tram. We were able to see the Docklands, the Victoria market, and stumbled across an intriguing Eastern European festival at the exhibition hall. However we ended the day feeling not wholly impressed with Melbourne, finding it an unappealing concrete maze, with nothing unusual to offer.

The following day we headed out of the centre to St Kilda beach, inadvertently choosing the day the suburb was hosting an annual festival. Managing an hour on the beach towards the end of the day, we spent most of our time wandering around the different stalls, which sold all kinds of clothes and trinkets, and the several music stages. Neil and I spent half of the day taking advantage of freebies, including ice tea, watermelon and koftas (Indian food with a similar size and shape to onion bhajis).

By evening we were back in the centre, the streets being so crowded when we left we had to keep ensuring we didn’t lose each other! The plan was to go up the Eureka Skydeck to enjoy views of Melbourne from it’s 88th floor. Our timing was perfect, we were able to see both day and night vistas with the sun setting while we waited.

A small part of the night view from Eureka Skydeck

I took Maggie and Neil on a walking tour (with the help of a written guide) the following day, of some of the many lanes and alleys hidden amongst the centre. This showed us a whole new side to the city, small parts of history ingrained into architecture, decor and statues.

That afternoon I met with an old friend from my hometown in England. He now lives in Melbourne so was able to take me to places often only found by locals. We had an amazing lunch in a bagel restaurant, hidden down an alley which looked nothing but a dead end, and afterwards went to a roof bar which had the strangest lift that talked away to itself (I’m sure this would be an even more interesting experience if you were drunk!)

Back with Maggie and Neil, our day ended with a birthday meal for Maggie on the famous Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. This was a great experience I would recommend to anyone passing through Melbourne. The novelty of being served a five course meal and a never ending glass of wine on a tram was magnified by the excellent service from our waiters and chef. One waiter and the chef in particular stood out, easily matching our jokes and banter, creating a fun filled night.

While Maggie and Neil headed to Bondi Beach for our final day, I decided to try another of the serif guided city walks, this one taking me through some of the nearby suburbs. Each house seemed to have it’s own individual character, there are few the same through the streets I passed, ranging from Victorian terraces to apartments newly renovated from church buildings.

The more we saw of Melbourne the more it grew on me as it’s diverse idiosyncrasies emerged. It definitely seems to be a place that takes time, and more local knowledge, to fully understand.