At the start of December, I had to head to Melbourne for some contract work I do with Speech Pathology Australia. Rob and I decided to make the most of it and extend the trip a few days to explore what Melbourne is like with a bit of warmth and sunshine. So far, we seem to have only made it there in winter months.
Summer is Melbourne is lovely. One of the things I loved most was how late it stayed light. It was nearly 9pm before it started to get dark. This is a big deal to us now that we live in Central Queensland and the latest sunset we seem to get is around 7 or 7:30pm. This picture was taken after a late night dinner the night we arrived in Melbourne. It also shows one of the many alley ways Melbourne is known for, filled with restaurants, cafes, and shops.
Downtown Melbourne is always fantastic no matter the weather – everything is walkable, and there are amazing restaurants everywhere. We had a wonderful time catching up with my work colleague Susan and her family at this restaurant based in an old court house. Susan lives and works in Melbourne so it’s always special to be able to see her person.
While wandering the streets, we were treated with Christmas decorations everywhere. Melbourne Town Hall’s Christmas Square was especially pretty!
They even had singing reindeer – what fun!
We also made it to the Queen Victoria Market. It’s a massive place filled with vendors. And of course, no market is complete without a little live music. Rob found these guys particularly entertaining. I think it was more the costumes than the music though.
We came across this Dr. Seuss shop on the way home from the market. It was actually a gallery filled with original drawings and of course prints for purchase as well. I couldn’t resist a chance for a picture with the Cat in the Hat.
Another sight to see is Melbourne park which hosts the Australian Open every January. Rob has made it there on past trips while I was working. This year I was determined to see it for myself and lucky us, it happened to be the December Showdown, a tournament featuring the best juniors from across the country. What an unexpected surprise to be able to spend the afternoon watching live tennis.
We also spent our evenings making the most of all Melbourne has to offer. In addition to amazing food and wine, we made sure to fit in some live entertainment. While out to dinner with Susan and her family, her husband had suggested a little jazz club to Rob not far from our hotel. The Paris Cat Jazz Club was a cool little spot. It actually offers entertainment both upstairs and downstairs. Rob managed to get tickets for a gig at the downstairs club which seated maybe 25 people in total. We’ll definitely make an effort to get back there next time we’re in Melbourne.
On the way home (well, it might have required an extensive detour), we made a stop at the Gin Palace which a Pickleball friend had recommended to us. We would never have found it if she hadn’t described it. This is all you can see from the street so you definitely have to know what you’re looking for. But the hunt was worth it… such amazing cocktails!!
The highlight of the trip was Moulin Rouge. This is one of my favourite movies so I was excited to have the opportunity to see the theatre production while in the city. One of the famous lines from the movie is Spectacular! Spectacular! and the play was nothing short of that. The show was visually amazing and strung together many genres and generations of music. Rob and I both said we feel we need to see it again to be able to take it all in.
After getting home from Melbourne, I had only five days of work remaining for 2023. This was the end of Day 5. I was definitely feeling ready for a few weeks of fun and relaxation! Stay tuned for more!
