ESCAPE TO AUSTRALIA - MELBOURNE QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET

According to the Australian travel guide, the Queen Victoria Market is the largest and oldest market in the Southern Hemisphere. Opened since 1878, it is a historical landmark and a must-see in Melbourne. Seeing is believing..so we went there on the 2nd day to see it for ourselves.
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Walking around the market area, we found that it was indeed a large market covering a big area. There were so many stalls offering a variety of fruits, vegetables, all kinds of meat, seafood, as well as Australian delicacies. The place also has a large section selling a diverse range of goods, like clothing, shoes, jewellery, Australian art, crafts and souvenirs.

One of the Delicatessen stalls in the market.I couldn't believe to see so many stalls selling fresh meat in the fresh food area. Dining is not a problem here as they catered a wide selection of local fare and even Chinese.Breakfast time - enjoying the the usual " Big Breakfast". Good enough to last till dinner.

A street musician providing some good music just outside the food court.

The pride of Australia, Holden! These were the old 60s models. A friend owns one in Kota Kinabalu.

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The biggest section of the market is the high roofed area. I figured that there must be over 600 or more stalls. Belts selling for AUD10 per piece. I think the Australian who frequented this market have a better bargaining skills than any Malaysian. He walked away with 3 belts for AUD15 !

A place for belt buckles lovers. The plants were expensive but not the vegetables.Care for a new hair piece ?Australian goodies stalls.

Fake watches? I thought I was in the night market back home in Kota Kinabalu.

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It was a worthwhile experience to see this Queen Victoria market. As the saying goes " you have not been to Melbourne if you have been to the Queen Victoria market"

ESCAPE TO AUSTRALIA - MELBOURNE(1)

We had our first breakfast in Melbourne in one of the cafes at the popular Degraves street where many restaurants and cafes are located. It was just about 3 minutes walk from our hotel. The street was crowed, however we settled down at an Italian cafe " Cafe Andiamo". The staff were friendly and prompt in taking our order. The breakfast and the coffee were great. My wife had a special wholemeal toast with eggs and a cup of caffè latte.
I opted for the "big" breakfast - 2 eggs, 2 huge slices of bacon, tomato slices, green. baked beans and a flat white.
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After breakfast, we took a stroll in the city. I found that the city center has not changed much since my last visit 20 years ago. The City is still preserving the old and historical buildings though some new sky scrapers have been added. One of the landmarks of Melbourne City - the Flinders Street Railway Station which is the oldest station in Australia (1910) although the first station on this site opened in 1854!

Getting around is quite easy in Melbourne as the city has many tram services.The tram network in Melbourne is said to be the largest in the world covering a total distance of 245 km with over 1,800 tram stops.

The public trams are found at almost every corner of the street in the city - so convenient.

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For visitors to Melbourne, riding on the "City Cycle" tram is free. This City Circle tram service operates in a circular route passing major tourist attractions, as well as linking with other tram, train and bus routes in and around Melbourne. They run approximately every fifteen minutes between 10:00 and 18:00 daily with extended hours during the weekend. We took the opportunity to explore the city using this tram service.The free City cycle trams are either in Maroon or Green colour with No. 35 plate displayed on top of the tram.This is another City Cycle tram - "Restaurant tram". Believe it or not, refreshment and meals are served on board during the City cycle trip. This one is not free ! We took the City Cycle tram to the Melbourne Harbour Town shopping centre, Docklands. There are brand direct outlets and specialty stores with all the latest fashion, homewares and accessories. According to the brochure, there are about 200 over stores in this Melbourne Harbour Town shopping centre.Walking along the street, I noticed that the "Blue Brothers" were relaxing in one of fashion shops. On the opposite side of the Harbour Town Shopping centre is the newly developed Waterfront city. As It was a cold day, we did not stay long here.After a good day of "sight seeing", we returned to our hotel, the Rendezvous, just before dinner.