Monday, September 13, 2010

Australia's southeastern cities

Greg & I spent several days each in two of Australia’s great cities: Adelaide & Melbourne. Here are some of my notes from our time there:

Adelaide
  • fairly compact, easy to navigate grid layout
  • Rundle Mall shops closed at 5pm, even the grocery store
  • public transportation to the airport was a reasonable $4.70OW
  • active if compact Chinatown with great, cheap food court
  • fantastic market
Some free things we enjoyed in Adelaide (descriptions copied from http://www.australianairportguide.com/101-free-things-to-do-in-australia.php)
  • Adelaide Central Market - Adelaide's Central Market has been in operation for over 130 years. It features around 120 shops and stalls bursting with people and fresh food. The markets are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
  • Art Gallery of South Australia - Plenty of European art and Aboriginal art on display.
  • Botanic Gardens on North Terrace - Adelaide's beautiful botanic gardens date back to the mid 1800's. You'll find a varied mix of mature gardens for strolling through.
Melbourne
  • sprawling but with excellent public transportation (trams, buses, trains) except cheapest way to get to airport is Skybus $16OW + your connecting transport cost
  • disappointed by small Greek area and subdued Chinatown; maybe both are better later in the evening as we were walking around that area in the middle of the day
  • South Yarra was a great area to stay - cheap restaurants, shopping, accessibility, grocery stores open late
  • Aussie Rules Football at MCG
Some free things we enjoyed in Melbourne (descriptions again copied from same website as above):
  • Free tram around Melbourne - Any Melbourne visit isn't complete without a ride on a Melbourne icon, the tram. And the best way to get around the city is on the free City Circle Tram. The circuit takes about 30 minutes but you can get on and off as many times as you want. City Circle Trams are burgundy and gold in colour and the stops are specially marked.
  • Wander the Narrow Streets and Lanes - Take some time to wander through the quaint, very European narrow lanes of Melbourne's CDB, especially around Flinders Lane. Mind you, you'll be tempted to sit and sip lattes because these lanes are lined with delicious cafes and restaurants.
  • NGV International - Australia’s oldest public art museum and home to one of the country's most important art collections with everything from Egyptian and Roman antiquities and Asian art, through to Renaissance, Baroque and everything up to and including contemporary art. 180 St Kilda Road. Open daily except Tuesdays, 10am-5pm.
  • Queen Victoria Market - On the corner of Victoria and Elizabeth Streets, there's around 1000 traders selling everything from fruit and vegetables, fresh produce and delicatessen goods to clothing, plants and pets sold at this market. Market Days: Tue and Thur 6am-2pm, Fri 6am-6pm, Sat 6am-3pm, Sun 9am-4pm. Closed: Mondays, Wednesdays, and public holidays.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens - 35 hectares of landscaped gardens near the centre of the city on the South Bank of the Yarra. They are widely regarded as the finest botanical gardens in Australia, and among the best in the world. Free guided walks or self-guided audio walks are available. Open daily from 7.30am-6pm April to October and until 7.30pm November to March.
  • SLV - Take a free one-hour tour of the domed La Trobe Reading Room, the elegant Cowen Gallery and the new Dome Gallery at the State Library of Victoria. 328 Swanston St. Open daily, 10am-6pm, and until 9pm Monday to Thursday.

The link to my Picasa Web album of Adelaide is embedded in this post's title. Here's the link to the Melbourne album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ASmartt1/Melbourne?authkey=Gv1sRgCPPOw6Sah9-FigE&feat=directlink

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