M e l b o u r n e

Our final leg of travel is to Melbourne. It is 16 years since I stepped foot on Melbourne. We last came here on our honeymoon, where we also visited Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast. Unlike our honeymoon, we did not travel out of the city. We visited a couple of familiar places that we have fond memories of, while chilling down at the same time.

 One of my memories of Melbourne is Queen Victoria Market.

 And that is where we headed first. Nothing much changed over the years, except the stalls are manned by mostly Asians now.

I remember we bought a dancing bear painting from this market previously, and it is still hanging in our bathroom. You can find almost anything here, from food produce to pet supplies, and toys of course. 

Even a classic Ford Falcon is for sale.

The State Library of Victoria is still looking good.

Shot Tower inside Melbourne Central Shopping Central is a popular meeting place.

The ever reliable iconic City Circle Tram. The visit to the city centre certainly brought back fond memories.

From something old to something new, we headed to Melbourne Docklands.

Docklands is a mere 5 minutes away by tram from Melbourne's CBD. Its convenient accessibility makes it a popular destination for a half-day visit.

Premium waterfront apartments lining along Victoria Harbour. I am not surprise Asians form a majority of the dwellers here.

We came to Harbour Town Shopping Centre for specialty shopping from it direct brand outlets. I am impressed with its spacious layout and the variety of shops here. The fact that it is not crowded has won me over.

Beside specialty shops and plush apartments, there are fine dining and entertainment outlets where one lives in the high life.

In one word, if you are not RICH, you don't fit in living here. Certainly not for any Tom, Dick or Harry. 

If you are thinking what I am thinking. Hmmm...cover your nose.

Ok, she's just this much fatter than you. I swear.

I am so happy that I could fly.

Luxury yachts docking in front of Etihad (Docklands) Stadium.

The vast land-human ratio makes this location an ideal property investment.

The efficient tram services come regularly to take you to the city.

Restoring work-in-progress on the Alma Doepel.

After Docklands, we made our way to Crown Casino, which is along the Yarra River.

On the opposite is the skyline of Melbourne's CBD.

Seafarers Bridge is a footbridge connecting the north and south banks. The steel arches design adds character to the surrounding modern buildings.

The City Baths of Melbourne was built in 1860 as public baths to discourage residents from bathing in the Yarra River. Now, it houses a swimming pool, sauna, and a gymnasium.

Of the cities that I have visited in Australia, I like Melbourne most. In fact, I like it even more now. I am not being sarcastic, but because there are so many Asians here, it feels like home. I could not believe the population demography has changed so much since. In Melbourne city, you could almost hit an Asian when you throw a rock blindfolded on the street. Where are the Australians, those locals we called Ang Moh? 

I am not sure how this is affecting the city. All I know is, in that short couple of days stay, we found so much Asian food that we have missed dearly throughout the trip. Needless to say, we enjoyed the 'local' food thoroughly. 

And another travel trip awaiting....

L a u n c e s t o n 2

There weren't many malls in Launceston where we could shop. Perhaps we were not familiar where they are. There is a shopping street in the town central though. But after driving around a few times, we decided to give it a miss.

 Instead, we ended at the harbour. 

 We came to this marina by chance after driving several rounds in the city central while looking for a parking. 

This is like the most modern structure in Launceston that I could find. It is actually a hotel by the harbour.

I do not mind living in one of the bigger houses on the hill that overlook the river.

 Our last destination before we depart Tasmania - Flea Market!

This flea market is held every Sunday at Evandale Market carpark. 

Locals bring out their wares and produce to sell. It is good to get rid of old but useful things while generating some income.

 These cutlery made of silver are exquisite and rare. 

 So are these care bears....haha!

Wife spotted some chinaware.

 Wow! Bear series plates from Royal Doulton. 

More chinaware inside the market. 

 This is a working slide projector which is probably an antique find. 

This stall is for men...large timber men to be precise.

 Let there be light, so I can browse the books.

Burger stand and flea market go hand-in-hand, a must!

 Yup! Great sale, weather and food.

 Wooden plaques of your favourite Australian Football Clubs.

Wife found her favourite indeed, a cat size heavy door stopper.

This marks the end of our 10 days holiday to Tasmania. Our previous holidays have been the bustling cities of Seoul and Tokyo. For a change, this get-away allowed us to slow down our pace and appreciate nature and its habitats. The beautiful country with unspoiled nature and beaches made the long drive worthwhile. Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the trip. We did what we plan out in our itinerary by visiting the must-see places. But I will not return, at least not so soon. Who knows, one of those houses up the hill could be my retirement home one day.

And another travel trip awaiting....

L a u n c e s t o n 1

We spent the last 2 nights of our stay in Tasmania at Launceston. From here, we would fly into Melbourne for a couple of days before we end our holidays in Australia. Being the tail end of our trip, I try not to do too much. I wanted it to end with us resting enough from the exhaustive travelling from earlier on. We would visit a couple of nature sites and spend the rest of the time shopping. I know the girls are itching to shop.  

 Before they could spend money, we have some places to visit. One of it is Tamar Island Wetlands, which is 10min from the city. 

 This wetlands presented us an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely Saturday morning walk. The cold fresh air accompanied with bright sunshine make the walk pleasant.

 The wetlands are paved with proper timber boardwalk of 4km long. The 2 hours return offered us time to explore and stroll in a relaxing mood.

We spotted many black swans, which are natives to this wetlands. 

They build their nest up daily on the reed to protect their eggs from rising water levels.

Catching my reflection.

  Other inhabitants of the wetlands. 

The purple Swanphen is another common bird here. 

Taking flight to a new ground to settle-in.

 A community lies beyond the field of reed. 

 The dense reed beds create pockets of moist, still air in which insects thrive. This provides food for fish, small mammals, reptiles and birds

 The reed can grow above 2m and completely block off the surrounding view.

The quiet environment is sometimes broken by calls from the birds.

The waterways are connected by the same boardwalk, which is very well maintained.

Tamar River and beyond.

Not surprisingly, there aren't many visitors here in winter.

A picnic bench that probably would be occupied in summer time.

Selfie is truly understated.

Catching a silhouette.

A good thing about travelling with others is, we get to have our photos taken together.

Our signature pose.

Our next stop is to Cataract Gorge. 

Alexandra Suspension Bridge, first built in 1904, was rebuilt in the First Basin after the original bridge was washed away during a flood. 

Anyone fearing of height might not want to cross the swinging bridge.

The river gorge is Launceston premier tourist attractions. Visitors with time to spare could take the King's Bridge-Cataract Walk that run along the gorge.

We gave it a miss as we have done enough walking in this trip. 

The swimming pool is popular with the locals, especially in summer. It is free to use and a relaxing swim to beat the heat.

Launceston's Basin Chairlift is the longest single chairlift span in the Southern hemisphere, with total length of 457m.

Sun setting behind the hill, and that signaled the end of our visit. Time for shopping!!

Considering that Launceston is a city, it appears less crowded than any other cities that I have been to. To compare it with Hobart, which has more eating places, historical sites and nightlife, Launceston offers the opposite of a quaint, peaceful & quiet but charming city. If you plan to retire in Australia, and Perth being too popular, Launceston is your next alternative.

And another travel trip awaiting....