Melbourne by Tram and Boat

When Brian and I were in Melbourne in 2011, we remember taking many trams, not necessarily knowing where they were going, but just to see some of the city.  This morning  we decided to do the same, so found the stop for the Circle Tram – which makes a big loop through the city – and climbed aboard.   But.  For the month of April all transit in the city is free, a government response to high energy costs.  (Two states in Australia have announced free transit:  Victoria and Tasmania.)  It makes it easy for us tourists because we do not have to figure out the system.  But it also made the tram very, very crowded.  We had seats because Australians are polite and acknowledge our age, but many people were standing. We heard perhaps only ten words of the taped commentary not only because of the many people but also because of the clanging of the car on the rails. It was less successful than we hoped.  

We had lunch at a kind of odd little cafe called Magic Momo on Flinders Street which served a kind of mash up of Malaysian and Indian food.  After lunch, we decided a river tour on the Yarra might be a better way to see the city.  We left from the Southgate Arts & Leisure Precinct on what was referred to as the “opposite” side of the river.  I think this means not the CBD side of the river.  We went in one direction past Docklands and Victoria Harbour and in the other direction past the Botanic Gardens.   

The Yarra has many bridges.  This first one is Church Street Bridge built in 1923.  The second photo is of Morell Bridge, another arch bridge, completed in 1899.    

 

The architecture in this city is incredible.  Here are some photos of buildings, some taken from the street, some from the tour boat. 

And a skyline view.

If this is a city of architects, it is a city of not only present-day architects, but those from the past, as these photos show. 

We got off the boat near Federation Whard and wandered to the Square.   An Assyrian rally or celebration was taking place in the square.  

Heather and Mo had recommended some of their favourite restaurants in the city.  One, they said, was at the end of the alley of graffiti and murals.  Carol ZZ had been trying to find it on the map, but we actually just stumbled upon it on our way to get a closer view of the brown sandstone church.  

These photographs made a particularly moving tribute.  The words at the bottom say:  “201 Australian Women Killed Since Jan 1, 2024”. 

We had a nice dinner at the recommended MoVida.  The menu featured “little plates” and the food was inventive and tasty. 

Walking back to the hotel, we passed this short, narrow, dead-end alley that had a rather inventive mural. 

Considering that some of our touring was on tram and boat, it was still a day of much walking.  We were glad to reach the hotel and rest our feet.