Shopping, touring, & eating
Yesterday Al, our guide for the Australian portion of our trip, gave us a walking tour of central Melbourne and a bit of a history lesson. The city enjoyed a period of opulence and expansion from 1860 to 1890 thanks to a shallow gold vein nearby. Much of the architectural heritage comes from this period. Banks that adopted some of the stylings of churches to attract and garner the trust of the newly wealthy are some of the most impressive.
Arcades and laneways make shopping feel like discovery. We found a Haigh’s chocolate shop in one fancy arcade.
Thanks to Liz, I knew I wanted to get some chocolate here.
After our walking tour and another visit to the street art of Hosier Lane, we arrived at the Koorie Heritage Trust where we learned about aboriginal populations in the area. Each mob (or clan) had its own language and territory. We had a delicious lunch there. Pumpkin and feta pizza is apparently a thing.
The Living Room is a private organization that provides youth experiencing homelessness a chance to shower, rest, and get back on their feet.
After lunch we wanted to do some shopping for supplies like sunscreen and bug repellent in anticipation of our time in the outback. We are staying in the CBD and there are tens of hiking supply and pharmacies/chemists nearby. It didn’t take long to find what we wanted and then head back down to the Yarra River for a boat ride. We shared the river with many rowing teams practicing after school. The banks on both sides had well used biking/walking paths. The wind kicked up and the temperature cooled while we enjoyed the skyline.
We finished the day with a welcome dinner at a Grill on Hardware Lane.
Hardware Laneway