Melbourne Sunday 26th February

After the rough Tasman seas, the final run into Melbourne was relatively calm as we passed Tasmania and several smaller islands.  We were delighted to see thousands of sea birds feeding off large shoals of small fish – presumably those in turn had been forced up to the surface by large predators underneath.  We had been disappointed that the Pacific seemed rather empty up to now.  In the evening the second officer gave us stargazing seminar and it was wonderful to be able to see the southern sky with no light pollution.  I now know how to find due south if I ever get lost down here!

Melbourne is a super city – it is the capital of the State of Victoria and Australia’s second largest city with more than 3.5 million people.  It was founded 50 years after Sydney, in 1835 but boasts that its settlers were free men whereas the early Sydney settlers were from penal colonies!  We were delighted that my friend Heather flew over from Tasmania to spend the day with us   and we were joined for lunch by her daughter Holly who lives in Melbourne.

We started the day with a tram ride from the ship right into the centre of town then went up the Sky Deck tower to get a view of the city – it stretches over a large flat plain and has a lot of coastline with some super looking beaches.  After that we wandered along the Yarra river which has been developed with a lot of restaurants and bars, passed the big old Flinders Street Station and headed to Fitzroy Gardens, which, in addition to a superb Avenue of Elm trees (remember those?) houses Captain Cook’s Cottage.  We thought that was where he lived after he discovered Australia and before he got murdered in Hawaii, but actually it was brought over from England and is the cottage in which he was born – very sweet and very tiny.  They have made a creditable English country garden around it with lots of shady trees, just as well because it was a very hot day.

Bridge over Yarra River

Captain Cook and Friends

We headed to a local pub and had a roast dinner and quite a few beers before taking the tram back.  We still have lots of Melbourne to see but hope to come back another year on our way to Tasmania to see Heather!