Unexpected Holiday Highlights

This book was on a sale shelf in Geelong Library – $2 for a book I might never have read otherwise; a story about what happens when collecting and keeping things for sentimental value becomes obsessive. With the added bonus of being another book set in Australia, to read whilst in Australia.

Like the unexpected find of a good book, here are some unexpected moments of joy from our time in Melbourne and surrounds – things that were unplanned, but made us smile.

When we followed the map… after a Sunday morning visit to South Melbourne Market, we checked our pocket guide to Melbourne and Mr T found us a walking tour through an area built on the profits of the 19th century gold rush – South Melbourne Town Hall, St Vincent Gardens, Rochester Terrace, the coffee palace on Bridport Street (built to encourage temperance), Hotel Victoria and finishing at Kerferd Road pier. The guidebook suggested finishing with fish and chips, but we opted for ice cream then tea and cake!

When we went to a rooftop bar… On Australia, the temperature peaked at 41C in mid-afternoon. We’d enjoyed shade (and some air conditioning) for most of the afternoon – catching up on washing, reading and the NFL – Mr T sad as Buffalo missed out on the getting to the Superbowl (again). We waited until a little later than normal to venture in search of food – and storm clouds were already gathering. Not too far from our hotel was Bridge Road in Richmond – described as a food lover’s delight in the leaflet we’d picked up from the lobby earlier in the day. Sadly, at just after 8pm on a bank holiday Monday, our choices were limited. But then we found the Mount View Hotel – with its rooftop bar where we could watch the storm coming, interesting food choices and delicious cocktails, we had an evening out to remember!

When we found an exhibition of bark paintings… Federation Square in the centre of Melbourne is home to galleries, museums, cafes and very interesting design. Tucked away in one corner is the Ian Potter Centre, part of the National Gallery of Victoria and home to its Australian art collections. I definitely could have stayed all afternoon in the Bark Salon – which displayed over 150 bark paintings. The colours, patterns, shapes and designs all telling different stories.

When we watched cricket in St Kilda… going to the Women’s Ashes test match at the MCG was very much part of our planning for our trip to Melbourne. But we didn’t expect to find ourselves in Kilda on the first morning of the test to witness an extra cricket match and a little bit of history – a special match involving Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team, who had fled in 2021 with support from Australian cricketing legend Mel Jones and many others. It’s an incredible story – read and watch more here – and still without a conclusion. But on that sunny Thursday morning in St Kilda, it was incredibly emotional to see the team walk out on to the field and hear the shouts of delight with every boundary hit or wicket taken. They were able to play cricket together again and that was joyful to see. We bumped into England captain Heather Knight, supporting on from the boundary, and saw an exhibition about Shane Warne. On the way back to the MCG, we popped into Albert Park and found a little library.

When we took the train to Geelong… not quite knowing what we’d find to do when we got there. As it turned out – quite a lot, on a beautiful sunny day by the water. We walked down Little Mallop Street, finding street art and funky cafes; then down to the waterfront, for fancy coffees at the Wharf Shed. We followed the shoreline, finding as many of the displays on the “Bollard Trail” as we could before we got too hot – Geelong’s recent history conveyed in 48 different, extremely colourful displays. We walked as far as Limeburners Point – massing beaches, pools, a mineral spring and the sofa sculpture along the way. We found a food court for lunch, then went back to the water to Cunningham Pier – sadly now being used as a carpark. The cafes and attractions were closed. Back into the centre, we popped into the Geelong Art Gallery to escape the heat and explore the galleries – a special exhibition on the work of Melbourne artist Noel Counihan was one of the highlights. Our final stop was the Geelong Library – with its book sale and fabulous views from the rooftop terrace. A perfect day out.

When we chilled out in Williamstown… the last few days of our trip were spent in one of Melbourne’s quieter suburbs with great views across Phillip Bay. We ate ice cream, went to the beach, visited the Jawbone Marine Sanctuary, followed a heritage trail to the Timeball Tower, went shopping for books, drank cocktails, found a photography exhibition, completed a parkrun by the water, watched the sunset; we found a place we could call home, event if it was just for a few days.