I was lucky to have stayed in a hotel that is very easy to find. As mentioned in my previous blog post, I stayed at the Seasons Botanical Gardens in St. Kilda Road. The hotel was opposite the tram station so it was very easy for me to go to anywhere I want to.

Tree at the Royal Botanic Gardens

Tree at the Royal Botanic Gardens

Sculpture at the Royal Botanic Gardens

At the Royal Botanic Gardens

My adventure started at the parks opposite my hotel. Since it’s spring time in Melbourne, it’s a good time to see colorful flowers and lots of green trees. I just needed to cross the street and voila, I am already at the Royal Botanic Gardens. This garden is really big (35.4 hectares). I can’t help but be amazed by the beautiful flowers. There were birds everywhere.

Flowers at the Shrine of Remembrance

Shrine of Remembrance

Then I visited the Shrine of Remembrance, which was just nearby. The shrine is actually a war memorial that was built from 1928-1934 to commemorate the thousands of great men and women who died during the Great War in 1914-1918. The structure itself was so enormous and can’t help be enamoured by its grandeur.

Stone of Remembrance

Trees at the Shrine of Remembrance

Opposite the Shrine of Remembrance is The Stone of Remembrance and the trees leading to Anzac Avenue.

Sculpture at the King’s Domain

Sculpture Near Sidney Myer Music Bowl at the King’s Domain

Sidney Myer Music Bowl

I continued to walk and eventually landed at the King’s Domain. I saw the Sidney Myer Music Bowl where concerts and big events are being held.

Fountain at the National Gallery of Victoria

The Arts Centre

After that, my feet eventualy led me to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Arts Centre which are part of the Arts Precinct. It was still very early then (around 9 am) and so I wasn’t able to go inside it. I just walked around it and then, the nearby structure of it is the Arts Centre. This is where theatrical plays and shows are held. One must pay the entrance fee depending on the kind of show that you’ll watch.

Melbourne City Free Tourist Shuttle

Now the reason I walked towards this area is because I wanted to see the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle. This is free for all tourists who would like to visit the key tourist spots around Melbourne. The Arts Centre is their first stop. Below is the list of  the Tourist Shuttle Stops:

1. The Arts Precinct – Performing Arts Museum, National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) , Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) , Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne Recital Centre
2. Federation Square - Melbourne Visitor Centre, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Australian Racing Museum and Hall of Fame and the National Design Centre.
3. Sports Precinct - National Sports Museum, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, Olympic Park, Fitzroy Gardens, Cooks’ Cottage, the Fairy Tree, model Tudor Vilage and Conservatory.
4. Chinatown Precinct & Theatres District – Her Majesty’s Princess and Comedy Theaters, Treasury Gardens, City Museum at Old Treasury, Chinatown
5. Melbourne Museum and Carlton Gardens – Melbourne Museum, IMAX Theatre, Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
6. Lygon Street Precinct (home of the Italian community)
7. University of Melbourne
8. Queen Victoria Market
9. Waterfront City, Docklands – Pearl River Road and Docklands Drive, Southern Star Observation Wheel, Harbour Twn, Waterfront City Marina
10. Docklands Stadium & Victoria Harbour- Harbour Esplanade, Victoria Harbour, Telstra Dome (Etihad), Docklands Park
11. William Street – Immigration Museum, Melbourne 360, Melbourne Aquarium, ANZ Gothic Bank
    
12. Southbank and Yarra River – Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Crown Entertainment Complex, Eureka Skydeck 88
13. The Shrine and Royal Botanic Gardens – Shrine of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Gardens, King’s Domain, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Government House and La Trobe’s Cottage.

I based my whole itinerary from the list of the shuttle stops even though I didn’t really ride the tourist shuttle all throughout weekend. I felt like it’s much enjoyable when I’m walking than riding the bus and waiting for the next stop.

Flinders Street Train Station

Australians Heading to the Horse Races in Flinders Street Train Station

Federation Square

Anyway, to continue with my journey, after riding the shuttle bus I arrived at the Federation Square. It’s probably one of the busiest intersections because this is also where Flinders Street Train Station is. Lots of people travel to and from this station. When I was there, it was the season of the Melbourne Cup (horse races). It has been a tradition of men and women to dress up for the said event. Women have to accessorize with unique hats along with their dresses.

St. Paul’s Cathedral in Flinders Street

Across the Flinders Street Train Station was the St. Paul’s Cathedral. It looks very gothic and it’s in the middle of a very busy intersection.

Federation Square

Film Watching at the Federation Square

The photo above is the Federation Square which is just across the Flinders Street Train Station. This area is a public area where people can just sit down and chill out. When I was there, Harry Potter 5 was being shown in the big screen. It’s totally free and no one will bother you.

Australian Racing Museum

As mentioned earlier, Australians are very fond of the horse races. It’s rooted in their history and culture so I decided to drop by the Australian Racing Museum at the Federation Square. The entrance fee is AUD $9.00. The exhibit area is just one floor, just to give you a glimpse of horse racing history. The most interesting part of their horse races is the evolution of women’s dresses throughout the years. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take a picture of the things inside the museum so to know the history of women’s fashion, you may refer to the article here.

History of Film, Television and Digital Culture at the Australian Center for the Moving Image

Old Film Projector in ACMI

Another interesting place to visit within the Federation Square is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). It is the home of independent cinemas in Melbourne. They hold international film festivals and they also have queer cinema festival (for the LGBTs) during March. At the second floor, they have an interactive exhibit of the history of film, television and digital culture. This was a fun place to visit because they have old projectors, televisions, family computers and many more. The best of it all is that you can actually use them, like the old Nintendo family computer .

Television During the 80′s at the ACMI

Star Wars Figures at the ACMI

So if you’re a someone who is a popular culture enthusiast, this is a place you should not miss. The entrance is free and you can take photos (for as long as you don’t use flash). They have a booth wherein you can be like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix. You can send it to yourself (which I did) and you can see the video here.

Street Performer at the Federation Square

After going around the museums, I saw this Aussie street performer near the Melbourne Tourist Information Centre. He did some tricks and even had people from the audience participate. There are lots of these in the city, all you have to do is just give a little amount to show your appreciation.

Deli Aisle in Queen Victoria Market

Cold Cuts at the Queen Victoria Market

Fruits in Queen Victoria Market

Fruits and Vegetables at the Queen Victoria Market

It’s already lunch time and I totally forgot to eat because I was still enjoying the city. I decided to go to Queen Victoria Market to have my lunch there. I wasn’t really hungry at all but I felt that I needed to eat something, so I just had a Borek.

The market is very popular not only to Australians but also to tourists because it’s a historic landmark, a tourist attraction and most of all, it’s the shopping mecca of Australians. You can find lots of things at the market from deli, fruits, vegetables, clothes, cafes, souvenirs and many more. The place is somewhat similar to our own Farmer’s Market in Cubao but this is much bigger and lots of choices to choose from. It’s about 7 hectare and was opened to the public on 20th March 1878. This is definitely a haven for foodies. They offer different kinds of tours such as:

1. Foodies Tour – schedules are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10:00 am
2. Group Tours - special tours and concessions for more than 10 people
3. Heritage Market Tour - explores the colourful 125 year plus history of the Market and includes morning tea
4. Combination Tour – combination of popular foodies and historical tours with coffee break half way through which is ideal for seniors
5. Multi-cultural Food Tour - emphasizes the wonderful ethnic variety of Market produce
6. Breakfast with the Vegies – breakfast tour
7. Healthy Eating for Diabetics Shop and Cook - this is in conjunction with their cooking school
8. Special Christmas Shopping Tours

If you want to book or ask about these tours, you may email them at qvmtours@melbourne.vic.gov.au. I was hoping to join the Foodies tour but I wasn’t able to because I was still wandering around Federation Square at that time. Oh well, it’s ok. Anyway, their market trading hours are:

• Tuesday & Thursday 6 am – 2 pm
• Friday 6 am – 6 pm (General merchandise to 4 pm)
  
• Saturday 6 am – 3 pm (General merchandise from 8 am – Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday)
  
• Sunday 9 am – 4 pm

To be able to go to Queen Victoria Market, I rode a tram from William Street that is heading north. Another way is to ride any north-heading tram from Elizabeth Street.

Melbourne 360 Sign

Sculptures at the Melbourne 360

After my quick lunch and shopping for my friends and relatives’ gifts, I went to the Melbourne 360 in Collins Street. From Queen Elizabeth Market, I rode a tram in Queen Street to Collins Street. Then I walked 2 blocks before I reached the Melbourne 360.

View at the Melbourne 360

The Melbourne 360 is located at the 55th floor of the Rialto. It only takes around 40 seconds to reach the deck. From there, you’ll see the full view of Melbourne. The photo above is West Melbourne. The nest-like shape thing you see there is the Etihad Stadium.

View at the Melbourne 360

This is East Melbourne. The tallest building in the photo is the Eureka Tower which is also has an observation deck.

ANZ Gothic Bank and Westpac Building

Now this is North Melbourne. The buildings above are 2 of the biggest banks in Australia, ANZ Bank and Westpac. The photo shows the ANZ Gothic Bank, where my former colleagues in ANZ Careers work.

Entrance fee for an adult in Melbourne 360 is at AUD $ 15.50 (approximately Php 660 +).

Hours of operations are:

• Monday – Friday: 10am – 9pm (last entry 8:30pm)
• Saturday: 10am – 10pm (last entry 9:30pm)
• Sunday: 10am – 6:30pm (last entry 6pm)

Melbourne Aquarium Sign

It was already around 4 pm. I was so tired from walking and still carrying plastics of shopping bags from the Queen Victoria Market but that didn’t hinder me from going to the Melbourne Aquarium.

Penguins

Penguin Swimming

I love the Melbourne Aquarium because of the cute penguins and other sea creatures. It was actually my first time to see penguins in person and they are really very adorable! I suddenly remembered the movie Happy Feet when I saw them walking in queue.

Pinocchio Fish at the Melbourne Aquarium

Tortoise at the Melbourne Aquarium

Shark at the Melbourne Aquarium

Smiling Stingray at the Melbourne Aquarium

I was like a kid stuck in a museum because of the wonderful sea creatures I saw all around the aquarium. The place is like Ocean Park in Hong Kong but this one is much smaller.

My day ended by having dinner at the Swanston Walk Cafe Bar along Swanston Street then, I rode a tram going back to my hotel. As much as I wanted to sleep early, I can’t because I have to plan my itinerary for the next day. I’m glad that my day was planned just right.

Related Posts

This is one of the interactive and interesting things to do inside the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. You can try it for free and you can even email it to yourself so that you can share it to your friends.

Related Posts

No related posts.

Aside from my colleagues in the office, all the people here are generally very kind and friendly. I also see a lot of Asians and Indians here. It feels so good and makes me feel comfortable being alone with so many friendly people I deal with here.

At night, with the view of the Royal Botanical Garden and the city on my window, I don’t really see a lot cars and people either. It’s not like in Manila wherein you can go to a cafe during the wee hours of the morning.

After work, I walked passed at my hotel and decided to stroll for a while before coming home. I turned left to Walk St. and then ended up in Dorcas St. I’m actually looking for something to take away for dinner. I saw a small grocer and bought a frozen roasted lamb which I can heat in my oven at my hotel room. I thought of strolling some more and saw some more grocers and small restaurants. I decided to buy a zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodles) from a Japanese restaurant in Bank St. called DonDon.

I could live here for a long time. Probably I’ll decide to migrate here in the future.

Related Posts

Living Room at the Seaons Botanic Gardens

The Seasons Botanic Gardens is a 4-star hotel in South Melbourne that was chosen by my employer as my accommodation during my stay there for my training. So coming from my employer’s office in Stead Street, I took a cab going to 348 St. Kilda Road. It only took me 10 minutes going there and my taxi fare was around AUD $7.50 (Php 352 ). I had no choice but to take a cab because I still have my luggage with me. Their check in time is at 2:00 pm and since I arrived Melbourne at 7:30 am, I really couldn’t go straight to the hotel to check in.

I have seen their website and knew that they have apartment style hotel rooms but I did not expect it to be really big. I stayed in 2 rooms during my stay in South Melbourne. I transferred to my second room on my 6th day because the air-conditioner in my first room wasn’t working.

Kitchen and Dining Area

As mentioned, their rooms are apartment style. It has a kitchen which has almost everything that you need such as a dishwasher, oven, electric stove, refrigerator, electric water heater, coffee maker, silverware, plates, cups, cooking pans and pots, wooden spoon and many other. I can have something cooked while I was there, however, I really didn’t have the energy anymore to cook whenever I go home from work. This is what I liked in Seasons, it’s like you’re living in your own house except that it there is housekeeping everyday (except Sundays).

Bedroom

I had a king size bed in my room. It’s sad that I don’t have anyone to share it with, so it seems quite big for me. The bed was comfortable to sleep in and the pillows were soft. Inside the bedroom, there’s a big closet with full-sized mirrors. It has a television in the bedroom too. I love the big glass window beside my bed because of the view. I even got to see 2 hot air balloons for the first time ever before going to work on my 2nd day there.

Hot Air Balloon Spotted Through My Window at 6:00 am

The living room (as shown in the first photo above) is very comfortable. After work, I would eat dinner while watching television. Their cable television only has 7 English channels. Most of them are Australian channels. I think I was able to watch a Filipino news show, “Bandila”, while I was channel surfing. I think they subscribed to TFC for a short time. So all in all, I have 2 televisions in my hotel room.

Bathroom

The bathroom is just right. It has a tub, shower, toilet and the best of it all is that it has a hair dryer attached to the wall near the mirror! It makes hair drying much easier!

Now for my second room, I was surprised that they gave me a much bigger room than mine. It’s bigger than my own house. The kitchen is much bigger because there are more counters than the first room I had.

These photos were the views from my window (first room). Top photo is the view of the city and the photo below is the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Transportation isn’t a problem in this area because right across the street are the trams which can take you to different parts of Melbourne. There are also buses that pass by the area. It only took me 10 minutes to go to the city. Also, the hotel is just the opposite of the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance so you can have a stroll around the beautiful parks.

My accommodation includes free breakfast everyday (continental breakfasts during weekdays and full breakfasts on weekends). If it’s a weekday and you are craving for full breakfast, you can avail of the upgrade for only AUD $6.00 (Php 258) The only thing I didn’t like here is that the dishes that they serve for breakfast buffet do not change. It’s always grilled tomatoes, grilled sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs. They taste okay but nothing really spectacular.

It was only during my last day in the hotel when I was able to eat a different meal. They removed the buffet table for some reason and I was craving for full breakfast. I had an upgrade and chose Eggs Benedict for my breakfast. That’s the only time I had a different meal for breakfast.

Everything in the hotel is okay except that their internet broadband connection is really expensive. It costs AUD $24.95, (Php 1,072.75, valid for 24 hours) and you can also use their wireless internet in their restaurant for AUD $ 5.95 (Php 255.85) but only for 30 minutes (with free cup of coffee). This is the reason why I can’t blog while I was there.

Since this is a business trip, my employer paid for my accommodation which costs AUD $1,008 (Php 43,344). I believe they have a booking fee for first time customers which costs around AUD $ 4.50 and also a surcharge depending on your credit card.

Seasons Botanic Gardens
348 St. Kilda Road
Melbourne 3004
phone: +61 03 9685 3000
fax: +61 03 9685 2999
email: reservations.sbg@sahg.com.au
website: http://www.seasonsbotanicgardensmelbourne.com.au/
(has online booking)

* Exchange rate during my travel was AUD $ 1.00 = Php 43.00

SPONSOR
After the best availability for official boys jackets and yellow studded military style jacket, you can shop the latest skin tight girls blazer and draped brown bike riding gear by our handpicked global community of discount bike gear.

Related Posts

When a rare opportunity comes, grab it.

Here I am in Melbourne, Australia being trained for my new role in my current company. I’ll only be here for a week and I’ll still be based in Manila. It’s my first time in Melbourne and it’s my first time to travel alone.

Butterfly Garden in Changi Airport

My flight going to Melbourne was long because I have connecting flights. I left Manila at 2:20 pm and arrived in Singapore around 6 pm. I hanged around Terminal 3 of the Changi Airport for around 3 hours. I haven’t been there for a long time. I think it’s the best airport I’ve been to, lots of places to dine, shop and of course I love their free wi-fi! I roamed around the airport and found the Butterfly Garden. It’s a good way to see a glimpse of nature in a busy airport.  Then at 8:10 pm, I was already boarding the plane going to Melbourne. By the way, I flew to Melbourne via Singapore Airlines which was the cheapest so far compared to Cathay Pacific and Philippine Airlines. The flight was worth $750 (back and forth) while the others were more than $900 +.

Still at the Butterfly Garden in Changi Airport

Good thing I got the window seat because the lady beside me (on my left) is having a hard time with the lady on her left side. She kept on standing up the whole flight and even poured wine on the kind lady beside me. Poor thing. I also can’t help but be awakened whenever she makes a commotion. Travelling by airplanes are not really for everybody, especially that old lady who can’t sit still. Oh well.

I arrived in Melbourne at around 7:30 am and first thing I saw in my airplane window before landing was a beautiful rainbow. What a beautiful sight to see in a land that I’ve never been on.

The moment I went out of the airport to ride a cab, I felt the very cold breeze. It’s like Baguio but it’s much more colder. Temperature is about 19 degrees.

I took a cab and headed straight to our office in Stead Street South Melbourne. I can’t check in to my hotel because check-in time is 2 pm. I immediately started training then my boss allowed me to go home at 4 pm to check in to my hotel nearby.

By the way, I am currently staying at the Seasons Botanic Gardens in St. Kilda Road.

Related Posts