The Tourist Bus

I have become more brave with each new day. I am getting used to living here and feeling more comfortable about going out on my own now. 


I ventured out for the first time on my own to the Greensborough Plaza last Wednesday. The Plaza is a shopping center that is about a 30 minute walk to (40 on the way home since it is ALL uphill.) While shopping centers aren't a key place to go and spend lots of time at, they do offer the chance to people watch. Unfortunately, I spent the majority of the day talking to phone salesmen (by choice).  By the day's end, I had ended up buying a pre-paid cell phone from Optus (I think that is the Aussie equivalent to Sprint, sorry Carrie.) I bought the cheapest phone I could and paid for just $30 of service. Rates are high on it, but for as little as I plan to use it, it will be good. It makes me feel more secure traveling around on my own and also opens up the ability to leave a number with tour groups, hostels, airlines, new mates, and potential employers.

Thursday I went back to the Plaza. I wanted to venture into the city but had forgotten to bring my wallet with me to the train station (which is just a minute's walk from the Plaza), so to the Plaza it was. I sat there people watching and wrote a little in my journal before going to the grocery store, Coles. I bought some crackers, cheese, and "mild twiggy" sticks (like pepperoni sticks, but not as good) and some bananas to have for lunch for the next few days and then headed home.

That night Kellie's mum (mom) and dad were visiting. When I arrived Kellie was working in the garden with her mum and her dad was mowing the lawn. However, they quickly quit working and declared it beer o'clock. I who had NOT been working at all was forced to partake and have some champagne. 

We ate dinner which included "hamburgers" that had onion and bacon mixed in it, rissoles, are what they called them. After dinner Kellie's dad and I talked a bit. He wanted to know all about Oregon, and had many questions. It was refreshing to have someone interested in where I lived, and so I was happy to tell him anything he wanted to know, granted I knew the answer. 

Friday I stepped farther out of my comfort zone and headed into the city alone. Kellie dropped me off at a tram on her way to work that allowed me to pay for a Zone 1 ticket instead of having to buy a more expensive Zone 1&2 ticket. I got off the tram near Flinder's Street Station and wandered through St. Peter's Cathedral. The outside is picturesque with it's tall spires and the inside has high arching ceilings and many beautiful stained glass windows.

St. Peters, the spires completed the building in 1933

The sun shined in through this amazing stained glass door.

After going to St. Peter's I decided to head to the art museum where the Tourist Bus departed from. The Tourist Bus is a bus that takes tourist around to 13 significant landmarks and places  in the city all for free. Its was a great way to see more of the city and to get around. The bus allowed you hop on/hop off where you liked and serviced each stop every half hour from 9:00am-4:00pm.

I went inside the National Gallery of Victoria and looked around briefly (I stuck to the free exhibits which included an Asian Art Exhibit and Renaissance European Art Collection.) & then loaded the bus. 

The Arts Center tower reminds me of the Eiffle Tour 

The first stop I got off at was stop #3, The Sports Complex. It dropped me off right at the front entrance to the MCG. There was no event on the grounds that day, making it nice to walk around; however in a day's time I knew it would be the busiest place in Melbourne, with the Footy Grand Final re-match taking place there. I walked around the perimeter and along the bridge near Rod Laver Arena again before rejoining the tour to stop #8. 

The view from the MCG facing Hisense Arena and Rod Laver Arena

This is Melbourne's newest sports facility. Can you guess what sport is played here?

Stop #8 - The Queen Victoria Market is a must see. It is open all days except Monday and Wednesday. It has been told to me that the best time to see it is early in the morning when the produce is fresh and abundant. I went in the afternoon however, and there seemed like plenty still to see, enjoy, and buy. 

The market is organized so that each area is labeled and like items are grouped together. Fresh produce in one area, (the organic produce section was fairly smaller, but had its own distinguished area too) Merchandise in another, and an enclosed area for delicatessens, meats, and a food court. I wandered around for a couple hours. The merchandise to buy was not to the high quality of items for sale at the Saturday Market in Portland however. Items for sale seemed like gift shop items geared towards the bargain seeking tourist. Aside from a  bite to eat, all I was enticed to buy was 4 postcards for $2 (which is a good price for such in Oz). 

The entrance to the main part of the Queen Victoria Market

One of the many fresh produce stands at the market

Getting back on the bus I rode it around the far end of the city to the Docklands and back around to Southgate. I had planned to get off at stop #13, the Shrine of Remembrance, dedicated to Australian vets, but with the day coming to an end, decided to make my way back to the train station to buy a ticket before it closed. 

I bought a Vline ticket to Geelong for Sunday. If I pre-bought my ticket, I'd receive FREE travel in Zone 1 & 2 in Melbourne, so it sounded best to buy it early. I planned on going to Geelong on Sunday for the Men's Elite UCI Road World Championship. The ticket to Geelong (which included my trip into Mel from Greensbrough and back as well) was a steal, with it costing me just $12. (Usually it costs $10 for a ticket just into Mel from Greensborough.)

Saturday I felt like being a bit lazy. I went for a walk down to the street to mail some postcards but when I got to the Post box decided to take my mail to the post office at the Plaza. It was nice and sunny out so I figured the extra walk would be good. I sat at a table outside the Plaza and wrote in my journal and read a little before heading home. The Footy Grand Final replay was on at 2:30pm so I had to get home. I walked in the door with only a few minutes to spare. The game was a blowout and thus quite boring compared to the previous week's. In the end the Collingwood Magpies won.