Free Melbourne Walking Tour

I found out about the free walking tour here (they also do tours in Sydney).  They do the tours twice daily, one at 1030 and another at 230pm.  We initially planned to join to the 1030 am but we spent the morning walking on our own so we opted for the 230pm tour

There were already four people at the meeting area when we got there.  Daniel was the guide, wearing a bright green shirt which says "Im free".  Daniel was a great guide I think.  He talks to everyone, asking the typical introductory question and he seems to be perfect for his job.  One couple were from Germany.  The two guys were from Canada.  Another couple came and they were from the Philippines! Honeymooners. And then there were four Sydney girls and another couple from Germany plus a guy from Britain.  Most of them were tourists who have been on the road or will be on the road for months.


Daniel the guide

From the library, we headed to the Old Melbourne Gaol where Ned Kelly was imprisoned (I didn't knew who Ned Kelly was.  I just learned during the tour that he was a forest ranger with a robinhood kind of story).  Now, the Gaol is a museum and the courtyard serves as a football field, both under the management of RMIT.


Old Melbourne Gaol courtyard whose walls are made of bluestones which were stacked and glued by hand

Next stop was the Royal Exhibition Building, one of the iconic buildings reminiscent in Melbourne reminiscent of the gold rush, and of its rivalry with Sydney.  The lower trunk of the trees were covered with a metal wrap to keep them from possums.  It was interesting to hear that they choose to keep the trees covered instead of driving the possums away because they recognize possums as inhabitants of the area. Ang galing lang :)


Royal Exhibition Building

Trees with metal coverings around their trunks

Next was the Parliament House.  Australia was a former British colony and Daniel mentioned that while their parliament is an autonomous entity from the British monarchy, the Queen still has one power in the government - and that is the power to dissolve the government.  Interesting!


Parliament House

After the parliament was the inner city walks where we passed by laneways, arcades, cafes and restaurants that were quirky, tiny but warm and endearing.  And then it started raining but we still went on with the tour.  And that's when one would appreciate a water-repellant jacket.  It was a long walk under the drizzle but it's all worth it.


See the shoes hanging on the clothesline?

AC DC lane

I love the pavements

Yes, those are post-it notes

The Block Arcade

The Centreplace

Beautiful walls and beautiful guys :D

Flinders at night (view from Southbank)

The tour lasted for more than three hours ending at the Southbank area.  By that time, the rain was already pouring heavily.  Daniel thanked everyone for sticking out but it was him who really worked hard in that tour. Despite the heavy rains and the long walk, that tour was really worth it.

Walking around Melbourne CBD

Today, I was a real tourist in Melbourne :)

We left the house at around 930am.  Ate drove to Doncaster Park n Ride and left the car there.  It was 9C outside even if the sun was shining so bright.  Ang lamig!  I was chattering from the short walk from the car to the bus station.

The drive from Doncaster to the city was about 20 minutes.  The city center was not very crowded that time. We got off at Lonsdale and walked towards Flinders on our way to the Australian Center for Moving Images.

Flinders Train Station

While crossing the intersection at Flinders, there was a guy who was shouting.  I couldn't comprehend what he was saying but Ate said that this is the place where some individuals would usually air their grievances.  They would just stand at the corner of Swanston and Flinders and shout whatever they hate about their government or something of that sort. 

AMCI at the Fed Square

When we got to the Fed Square, we saw a long queue of people so early in the morning.  I mean it was not even 10.  Yun pala, there was a Disney star who was promoting her album and doing an autograph signing at the same time.  I found it a bit surprising to see an autograph signing so early in the morning.



That's half of the queue for the Bridgit Mendler meet-and-greet

We then went to Cafe Chinotto at the AMCI to have coffee.  There was a queue when we got to the coffee shop.  It is medium sized cafe which could sit probably 20-30 people at one time.  We joined the queue but we were directed to a table when we said that we were eating in.  Although, we already had breakfast at home, we still had croissant to go with the coffee.

Tomato and cheese croissant

One thing I noticed about the coffee is that they didn't serve it in cup or mug but in a short glass.  Sort of an old school, probinsya-style kind of serving where they use empty coffee jars.  (And I noticed that this is how they do it in most coffee shops.)

Warm latte
 

View from the coffee shop

We proceeded to AMCI after breakfast to see what's on.  There was a free exhibition of film paraphernalia since the Melbourne International Free Festival was ongoing that time.  Ate saw the Play School "watermelon lady" and she got so excited for her kids that she had her photo taken with her :)

Justine Clarke gamely posing for the camera

We were on our way out of the AMCI when we realized that we haven't paid for our breakfast yet!  We realized that because when we were ordering, the lady already directed us to a table instead of us paying at the cashier first which was how it was supposed to be.  Kaloka!  Buti na lang we were honest =D

After paying, we walked back to the city center to look for the State Library of Victoria where the meeting place for the tour is.  We walked along Swanston St and passed by St. Paul's Cathedral, a beautiful Anglican church beside AMCI.   We also passed by the Melbourne GPO (General Post Office).  The buildings are so pretty!  They brought out the old soul in me.



St. Paul's Cathedral
 

View of GPO from the side street

Facade of GPO with flowers in bloom



Another pretty building

Flowers for sale



Saturday morning traffic

And guess what we saw.....tadaaa!!! DOT ads plastered on the trams! Ang tindi ng marketing ng DOT! Kahit saang sulok ng mundo :)

 

It's more fun in the Philippines ads

We also went to some of the laneways to see graffitis which Melbourne is famous for.  I remember when I was in Wellington two years ago, my friend and I also went to some of the graffiti-filled alleys and I felt a bit uncomfortable because they had that "subculture" feel in them in the sense that going in those streets felt like intruding in someone else's territory.  The laneways in Melbourne though felt different.  I don't know if it's because of the location or because the laneways are well-lit or because they were bigger that made them felt safer.  Looking at the street art felt like just looking at an outdoor gallery.



Image of a girl

I found this a bit curious because it says "Free the Press, Singapore"

Row of restaurants



Human statues along Collins Street

 

One of the buskers along Collins Street



Another shot at one of the laneways

After walking about 4 or more blocks, we found the State Library of Victoria.  It was a sunny Saturday morning and there were a lot of people outside the library doing their own stuff: skating, having coffee, some probably waiting for their friends, tourists waiting for their guides.  Seems like a good place to just sit, have coffee and sandwich, and watch the world go by :)



The State Library of Victoria

Close up



Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology which was a few steps away from the library

Since we still had some time to kill before lunch, we opted to ride the free City Circle Tram which has a stop at La Trobe street beside the library.  The tram goes around the city, with stops at major points of attraction.  The "tram guides" would speak in loud voice and alert the people on what the next stops would be and what tourist attractions would be found there.  It's a good way to "orient" one's self about the size of the CBD and how close the attractions are from each other. The guides though were not the friendliest.  Medyo grumpy ang matatanda haha

It took probably more than thirty minutes for the tram to complete its route.  We got off at the corner of Queen St and La Trobe and made our way to Queen Victoria Market for lunch.  It was midday but windy which made us very cold.  I didnt even bother to take out my hands from my pocket to take decent photos!


Queen Vic

The place was full since it was lunch time.  We had pumpkin soup and chicken shnitzel wrap.  And while we were eating, someone sat beside us eating a hot bowl of Asian noodles!  Inggit!  Bakit ba hindi namin nakita kung nasaan yung nagbebenta nun?



Lunch.  Pag eto nakita ng nanay ko, sasabihin nya, asan ang kanin?

After lunch, we walked around a bit.  Para pala itong Farmer's Market sa Cubao na 10x mas malinis.  It was a market for fresh produce.  Ate was gushing at the fresh meat and vegetables which were way cheaper than the ones she gets from the grocery near their place.  We also bought cheap gloves ($5 each).  Ang lamig kasi! We also wanted to try the bicho-bicho-like donuts sold at the cart with a very long queue but we were running late for the tour so we opted not to.

We then headed back to the State Library of Victoria where the meeting place for the tour was.  There were already 4 people there chatting with the guide.

After the tour (which deserves a separate entry), Ate and I walked back to Flinders trying to find a nice place were we could havea  warm bowl of noodles.  We couldnt find one so we just decided to go to Melbourn Vietnamese Noodle House along Swanston St where she and her friends usually eat.



Melbourne Vietnam Noodle House

We shared a large bowl of pho and fried spring rolls for $19. I found the soup MSG-rich but it was still good for a very cold and rainy weather like what we had that night. 

 

Large bowl of steaming pho

  

Night scene at Swanston

After that, it was going home time.  We dropped by Woolworths to buy shoes for Eric.  The bus ride from the city back to Doncaster was a breeze and we were in Doncaster in a short time.  When we got off the bus and walking towards the car, ang lamig ulit!!!  We were "puffing tiny clouds" (harhar) in the air with our breaths.  Yun pala, it was 8C.  Good stuff!

Welcome to Melbourne

After 7 long hours, we landed safely at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. We were assigned with a mobile gate, meaning, we had to take the stairs.  We were parked far from the main gates so we were ferried by buses from the "taxi" area to the main terminal.  The cold Melbourne air (temperature was 8C) greeted us as we walked from the stairs to the bus. Sarap!


Melbourne Tullamarine Airport

I knew I was in Melbourne when most immigration officials would ask "How're ya doin?" before checking peoples' passports.  Mine didn't ask me anything.  She just smiled. 

After immigration, I took my baggage from Carousel 3.  The very important item - the toy bike - was at the oversized baggages.  I declared food items in my customs form but upon learning that Im only bringing in left over siopao and airplane food, the customs officials immediately directed me to the exit without checking my bag.  Maybe he thought checking the siopao was just a waste of time :)

Ate and Andrew welcomed me to Melbourne with a cup of coffee. Sweet! 

A hot cup of latte to welcome me to Melbourne on a cold Friday morning

Doncaster was about 30 plus kilometers away from the airport so we drove for about 30 minutes or so.  Traffic was light.  Weather was nice.  It was sunny and cold. Ah..it was perfect. 

Andrew got off at the train station so it was Ate's turn to be on the wheel.  It was my first time to try Ate's driving haha  She was very very cautious. 

Granny was at the door when we arrived.  After giving each other a hug, we headed to the living room where the kids were watching Play School.   They recognized me as the Tita from Skype and gave me a hug.  Eric was asking where Lola was.  He thought Lola was coming too.  Sweet kid.

When I see them in Skype, they seem to have grown so much already.  But seeing them in person, they're still these tiny young kids.  Gabby has changed a lot since December.  She doesn't cry that much and she even gave me a hug.

Eric talks a lot.  He toured me around the house and showed me my room.  He told me, "This is your room Tita.  You have a mirror in here."  Sigh.  Kids are really adorable even with their simple gestures.

Eric and Gabby playing with their toy wands straight from my bag

 

Gabby with her hair band and Eric with his spring toy

After unpacking, I had a nap because I was already feeling dizzy from lack of sleep. 

I woke up around 130pm, which was still 1130 in my body clock, and had pumpkin soup and sandwich for lunch.

Ate and I went to the grocery after.  I got an unfamiliar fruit - tamarillo, which I learned was sour.  I didn't even know how to eat it and had to google to know the proper way of eating it.  Maasim nga!

Tamarillos

We prepared beef casserole for dinner.

Eric was talking a lot during dinner.  He had his Woolworths magazine with him and was leafing through the pages.  He knows how to read numbers so when you ask him how much a load of bread for example is, he would say, "5 dollars, please".  He knows that peas are for cooking, Vegemite is for sandwich, you put celery in your meat, and stuff.  Such a clever boy.

After dinner and preparing the kids for bed, I had cuddle time with Gabby while watching Play School.  I love the feel of her tiny body on me.  So comforting.  She also knows how to smile for the camera now.

And that's how my day one in Melbourne went :)




Flying to Melbourne

My trip to Melbourne was about 24 hours long. 

I left my place at Singapore at past 7am of August 1.  I realized that finding an empty cab at that time on a working day is not easy.  After about 30 minutes of waiting, I decided to place an advance booking for a cab.  And after 7 minutes, voila!  A cab arrived.  I should have done that early on.

I flew from Singapore to Manila via PR 502.  The 3-hr flight was fine.  I was assigned a bulk seat which means wider legroom.  We landed at sunny Manila right on time: 215pm. 
 
My mom and aunt were already at the airport waiting for me when I got out of the terminal, ready with the stuff that my sister and I requested them to bring.  This actually is the primary reason why I opted to transit in Manila: padala and pasalubong. 

After repacking, which means taking out the Manila-bound pasalubong and taking in the Melbourne-bound stuff, we had an early dinner at the Terminal 2 canteen.   Afterwhich, I went back into the terminal to check-in for my second leg.  The 7-hour trip to Melbourne.

By that time, I was already exhausted.  Exhausted from carrying heavy luggages.  My check-in baggage was overweight by 3 kg so I took out all my books from the suitcase and transferred them to my backpack which means, me carrying a 3+kg worth of books and 7kg worth of handcarried luggage.  Ang sakit sa balikat!

While waiting at the boarding gate, an old lady sat beside me.  I was reading my book but opted to close it and chat with her instead.  She was from Cavite and is now going back to Melbourne after a three-month long holiday.  She had an Australian husband whom she met in 1974.  I was smiling and tearing up while listening to her very nice love story. 

Her husband met her brother first at a bar, when the latter was crying upon hearing of the news that their mother passed away.  The two were seamen.  Her husband consoled her brother and the two eventually became friends.  After some time, her husband asked her brother if he had anyone to recommend, because her husband wanted to meet a Filipina.  There were four people whom he recommended, and she was the fourth.  But it was her whom he noticed.  After a year of exchanged mails, the husband came to the Philippines to meet her in person, asking her to marry her.  She said she felt scared because that was the first time she met him in person, but she agreed after a few months.  And after a few years of being married, that decision to marry the guy was reaffirmed when she asked him one time why he married her and his response was "Because you are God's gift to me."  They were married for more than 30 years if I remembered it right, before the husband passed away in 2006.  

We were not seated together in the plane so we didnt have another chance to chat.  But that short moment made me realize more that the magic of love stories can be seen by how God orchestrates two individuals to meet each other but the decision to leap into the unknown and make things work largely depends on the free will that was given to us. 

==

We flew onboard an old A340 aircraft.  The flight itself was pleasant with no turbulence and an efficient team of cabin crew.  But again, I was assigned to an aisle seat near the lavatory so I couldnt sleep well with the constant queue of people beside me and the constant flushing.  I think I was lucky if I was able to sleep for 3 hours.

My audio system was also not working but I was not complaining because I was given an iPad instead.  So for the duration of the flight, HIMYM and Horrible Bosses kept me company.



Barney and Robin making me laugh amidst the constant flushes in the lavatory

Munching my brekfast while watching Jennifer Aniston sexually harras her assistant

One more day

Visa approved.  Flights confirmed.  Bags packed (well, semi-packed). Office task delegated.  Im all set. :)