I decided to head back to the city centre and explore the areas to the north. On the way, I noticed several residential buildings literally footsteps away from the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The sounds of games and crazed sports fans must make life for the people in these residences difficult. Also, none of the buildings are tall enough for people to watch a game for free.
To get back to the city centre I crossed the William Barak Bridge, a modern looking pedestrian bridge that was built in 2008 to improve the “pedestrian environment and encourage public transport use to and from events within the Sports Precinct.” Walking along the 525 metre bridge, you come across a public art piece that was commissioned to celebrate the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. Titled ‘Proximities: Local histories / Global entanglements,’ this soundscape work plays music recordings of artists who came from the 53 Commonwealth Nations but are now living in Australia. The recordings are played from speakers that line the sides of the bridge and only play when pedestrians walk by. Canada’s contribution is the ‘Ballad of the fishing outports’ sung by Deborah Merrifield.
Once I was off the bridge, I headed north along Batman Ave (yes, that’s what it’s called) which then turns into Exhibition Street before turning right on Bourke Street. The three main attractions at the end of Bourke are the Parliament of Victoria, the Princess Theatre, and the Parliament Gardens. After photographing parliament and the theatre, I continued my trek north, exploring the Carlton Gardens in the neighbourhood also known as Carlton.
The Carlton Gardens is a rectangular green space with walking paths, tall trees, and a large Victorian fountain. It’s also the place where the Royal Exhibition Building and Melbourne Museum are located. The Royal Exhibition was built in the late 19th century to host large international exhibition. It is still used for trade shows, fairs, and community & cultural gatherings. Tours are also available for people interested in the building’s history. The Melbourne Museum contains a large permanent collection of Australian artifacts spread across 8 galleries, hosts travelling exhibitions, and houses an IMAX theatre for moviegoers. Unfortunately, the only movie they were showing was Harry Potter 7.
By this time, I had only a vague impression of where I was and thought it was time to head back to the hostel. Wanting a challenge, I decided to find my way without the assistance of my tourist book. I explored more of the Carlton neighbourhood, Melbourne’s Little Italy, noting that all the ‘action’ is on Lygon Street, lined with restaurants, shops, and cafes. Since the University of Melbourne is nearby, you’ll notice a lot of students walking around.
Using the Eureka Tower as my point of reference, I headed south, passing the State Library of Victoria and suddenly ending up in Chinatown. The neighbourhood is located on Little Bourke Street between Swanson Street & Spring Street. The Chinese settled this area of the city back in the 19th century during the 1850s gold rush and has been a meeting place for the Chinese community ever since. Along Little Bourke Street, you’ll find: restaurants that serve a large variety of Asian dishes; a Chinese museum; and by my count, 5 Chinese decorated arches.
Walking further south on Russell Street and then Swanston Street, I found myself back in familiar territory, seeing Flinders Street Station and Federation Square in the distance. Rather than turn right onto Flinders Street, I walked down Flinders Lane instead, a small & narrow one way road that is packed with fashion stores, cafes, and several classy restaurants. I guess this street is ‘the place to be’ after work because there were a lot of people when I was walking through. City Hall should rename it to ‘Shoppers Alley.’
I finally made it back to the YHA in the late afternoon, walked into the room I was sharing with 5 other males and collapsed onto my bed. In just 7 hours, I had explored 5 neighbourhoods on foot, snapped 152 pictures with my digital camera, and had no blisters on my feet. But my legs ached. After feeling rested, I celebrated my accomplishment by visiting the bar next door called Bertha Brown. The place was surprisingly alive with people when I walked in; I think there a live band was getting ready to perform at the back. I sat at the bar and had two glasses of locally made beer, a small pizza and a salad. One of the bartenders asked me where I was from (Canada) because according to him, I had a very thick accent.
When I finished my dinner, I called it a night and went back to my room, wondering what to do the following day.
End of The Great Photo Walk of Melbourne series.
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