Roadtrip – 0 km – Geelong><Melbourne
It was a good night. This room would be our home for three nights. After 10:00, we left the Motel. It would be 12 minutes to walk to the train station. There was a counter where we could buy the tickets. In Melbourne, you have to buy a card first. The Melbourne railway ticket card is called a myki card, a rechargeable card used for all trains, trams, and buses in Melbourne, including regional services. You must “touch on” at the start of your journey and “touch off” at the end to be charged the correct fare. In our case, we just booked Geelong><Melbourne for two days.
Melbourne has more than 5.000.000 inhabitants, a huge city. We reached Southern Cross, the Central Station of Melbourne. We passed the Restaurant where we would meet Colin and Rebecca in the evening, the Mail Exchange. Our first destination would be the Queen Victoria Market. Officially opened on 20 March 1878, the Queen Victoria Market has been serving the people of Melbourne for more than 140 years. Also known affectionately as ‘Vic Market’ or ‘Queen Vic’, the Queen Victoria Market is a historic landmark spread over two city blocks, a vibrant and bustling inner-city market where you can shop at over 600 small businesses for everything from Australian fruit and vegetables, local and imported gourmet foods, clothing, and souvenirs.
We had a coffee and a snack for lunch here before continuing to walk towards Federation Square. Federation Square (marketed and colloquially known as Fed Square) is a venue for arts, culture, and public events on the edge of the Melbourne central business district. It covers an area of 3.2 ha (7.9 acres) at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston Streets, built above busy railway lines and across the road from Flinders Street station. It incorporates major cultural institutions such as the Ian Potter Centre, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), and the Koorie Heritage Trust, as well as cafes and bars in a series of buildings centred around a large paved square and a glass-walled atrium.
Close to Federation Square would be Hosier Lane. Hosier Lane is famous for its street art. All the walls are completely covered in graffiti. The paint doesn’t even stop at the trash cans. The alley is a popular photo spot, not only for visitors to Melbourne, but also for wedding and fashion photo shoots.
Then we had a ride on the tram, line 35. This tram is very old and for free. It goes in a big circle around Melbourne Center.
Last but not least, we walked towards the Mail Exchange Hotel, where we would meet Colin and Rebecca in the Restaurant. They are living in Melbourne. We had a drink in the Lounge before they arrived. It was a nice reunion after the Camino Frances back in 2023. We had a delicious dinner. Later, Andrew and I got a train back to Geelong.
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