With the family now as one, it was time to explore more of Melbourne . . . as a family. The city was more accessible because of our rented car; we wouldn’t have to walk great distances.
Our first destination as a family was the St. Kilda beach neighbourhood, just south of the city centre. According to my tourist book, St. Kilda has been Melbourne’s seaside playground since the 1860s. For tourists who have sweet tooths, the neighbourhood boasts many delicious cake shops, all conveniently located on Ackland Street. Retail stores are also located there, but judging from all the tourists we saw, it’s all about the cakes. Luckily, we were able to find a cake shop with available seating. We shared 4 different slices of cake while my parents drank cappuccinos. I’m glad I hadn’t eaten anything before because those slices were filling. Because of the popularity of the cake shops, St. Kilda is always bustling with activity, meaning finding a parking spot for your car is a challenge.
For parents with little kids, there’s Luna Park to keep them entertained. The theme park is quite small and could use a renovation or two. If the weather was a little better, I may have dared myself to go on one of the rides. Like any traditional theme park, there’s a merry-go-round, haunted ride, bumper cars, cotton candy, roller coasters, rides that swing from side to side, Ferris wheel, food stalls, washrooms, and rip-off booths. This Luna Park really is geared towards entertaining kids and giving parents a break.
Next to Luna Park is the Palais Theatre, a large art deco structure that opened in 1927. Throughout its history, the theatre has showcased some of the biggest international names in show business and continues to do so. When we were passing by, the theatre was going to be hosting a ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic concert. I bet it was awesome.
It was early afternoon when we headed back into town, wondering what to see next. After some discussion, we decided to visit the Old Melbourne Gaol, located on Russell Road, between Victoria Street and La Trobe Street. The Gaol (aka prison) was built in the 1800s and housed many criminals such as murderers, bushrangers, gangsters, and petty offenders. The Gaol was also the location where 135 people were hanged between 1842 & 1929. The prison briefly reopened as a detention barracks for the Australian Army. The most famous & controversial inmate to be housed and hanged (in 1880) at the gaol was bushranger Ned Kelly. His armour and death mask are on display. I find it somewhat amusing that the gaol is advertised as a venue to have functions & events. I suppose I could see a Halloween and/or ‘Who-dunnit? dinner but I’m not sure about a wedding reception.
The gaol is long, narrow, and three stories tall. The cells are small and without toilets leading me to guess that every prisoner had to use a chamber pot. Looking at the small cells and the cold stone floors made me think that life in the gaol was very tough for prisoners, especially those who were on death row. The gallows is located on the second floor at the far end of the building but blocked off to prevent tourists from accessing the rope. I can only imagine what prisoners were thinking when they were about to be dropped to their deaths.
Next to the gaol is the City Watch House where visitors can experience what it’s like to be arrested and locked up. The Watch House remained opened until the early 1990s. The 40 minute experience is humourous because your guide plays a no-nonsense police officer. Men & Women are separated into two lines and are given cards that explain who they are and what they did. I forget my name but I was arrested from DUI. We were placed into separate cells with the lights turned off for 2 minutes. It was pitch black & eerie. I broke the awkward silence by asking everyone, ‘So who’s going to be the first one to break?’ Once we were released, we were shown the cells for the mentally unstable, the open play area, the showers, and the eating area. To end it all, we could take our own mug shots for free. I couldn’t believe that I was almost 6 feet tall.
I was surprised when our tour guide said that nothing had been changed. For 1990s standards, the Watch House is unwelcoming but I guess that’s a requirement in order to prevent people from ending up in prison. There’s also the Old Magistrate’s Court where visitors can play the parts of judges, lawyers, jury, and even criminals. Unfortunately, the court was closed when we came by to visit. To remember my stay, I purchased a book from the gift shop titled, ‘Executions in the Colony and State of Victoria: 1842-1967’. The book is a detailed chronology of all the hangings that took place. It’s intriguing as well as shocking to read what kind of criminals were put on trial and executed. (Ned Kelly is included with great detail).
When the gaol closed for the day, we drove back to The Nunnery to rest for an hour. For dinner we decided to journey down to Chinatown and pick a restaurant at random. As mentioned in a previous post, Melbourne’s Chinatown is located on Little Bourke Street between Spring Street & Swanston Street. To ‘help you’ find the right restaurant, each establishment has people calling out to people to come in for a meal. After much searching, we settled on Da Hu Peking Duck Restaurant. We ordered soup, rice, sweet & sour chicken, lemon chicken, pork, and drinks. Overall, the food was good and worth the price. If you’re in the area, give this restaurant a try.
No comments:
Post a Comment