Part
11 – Melbourne
After
three weeks of quiet bliss in Tasmania, I found Melbourne’s noise and crowds to
be a little jarring when we first landed on Tuesday. Hobart may only be a
one-hour’s flight from Melbourne, but its calm is in sharp contrast to the
go-go vibe of central Melbourne.
I
have never lived in Melbourne, but I have visited many times. When I lived in
Sydney in the early 1970s and announced that I was travelling to Melbourne,
condolences were expressed. And, predictably, when I was in Melbourne and
announced that I was travelling back to Sydney, once again condolences were
expressed.
To
paint with a very large paintbrush, I’ve
experienced that Sydneysiders consider themselves brasher and more dynamic,
while Melburnians see themselves as being more sophisticated and worldly. I’ve
heard haughty Melburnians dismiss Sydneysiders as “convict trash.” And in
return, I’ve heard Sydneysiders dismiss Melburnians as “stuck up their own
arses.” Ah, the rivalries between Australia’s two largest cities!
Population-wise,
the two cities are almost identical. Greater Metropolitan Sydney has about 5
million people, whereas Greater Metropolitan Melbourne has about 4.8 million.
They are 877 km apart, a little more than the distance between Toronto and Québec
City. The Sydney-Melbourne flying corridor is one of the busiest in the world.
My
conclusion: Melbourne’s charms take time to appreciate; Sydney’s dynamism is a
tonic. Take your pick. Personally, I love both of them.
We
only had two full days in Melbourne, but we packed a lot in: a fine new
production of Priscilla, Queen of the
Desert; visits to the National Gallery of Victoria’s superb Triennial
Exhibition; a personalized tour of impressive street art in Melbourne’s Central
Business District by our friend Mesha; a
Lebanese lunch with friends in nearby Brunswick; shopping in fabric stores and
bookstores; and just general wanderings. My camera was kept very busy.
We
are now on our way to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, for three days before
we drop off our rental car in Sydney in preparation for the flight back to
Toronto on Wednesday. I anticipate making at least one more post before heading
home.
In
the meantime, here are ten photos from our visit to Melbourne. Enjoy!
Melbourne street art.
Sorry, I don't know the name of the artist.
Melbourne street art.
Sorry, I don't know the name of the artist.
Traffic outside our Airbnb digs
Escalator leading to Dymocks Bookstore,
Collins Street
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