Today is my last day in Melbourne, and this afternoon I head to the airport to fly back to Brisbane. Although my flight is not until this evening, I still had it in the back of my mind the need to return to the hotel and get to the airport. Having this thought in mind did not help while I was trying to establish what to do with the day.
Before heading out this morning, I had to get my bag all packed and checked out of the hotel. The suitcase turned out to be a little heavier but not by much in the end. Once I was checked out, I decided to leave my bag at the hotel and collect it on the way to the airport later. Becuase, I had decided to make a visit to the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, and this involved plenty of walking.
Melbourne Botanical Gardens
The Melbourne Botanical Gardens are located to the south-east of the city on the opposite bank of the Yarra River. The one thing that I failed to do before heading out was to look at the map and find out just how big the gardens are. Taking a look back at the route I walked now on Google Maps I estimate I probably walked around 6 – 7 km at least. It does not seem like a lot, but the gardens are reasonably hilly so feels like more.
Above is a picture of the map of the gardens. I had not thought to get a picture earlier, and this was the last one I found. Even though I did have to use these maps a couple of times to figure out where I was and where to head next.
The gardens have quite a lot of rather nice areas, and I must say are beautifully maintained. The gardens look great even considering the city is currently in drought. However, they are employing numerous techniques to reduce the water usage and using recycled water. They have combined this with planting, plants that have a lower water requirement where possible.
Melbourne Floral Clock
While I had passed the Melbourne Floral Clock earlier in the week on a city tour, I wanted to stop by for a good photo. Although the clock is currently in need of replanting and is not looking it’s best.
Eureka Skydeck
I made my last visit to Eureka Skydeck on the way back towards the CBD. Even from 88 floors up you could still hear the noise of the F1 cars racing around the track at Albert Park. It also turned out to be a rather clear day, so there was some good visibility.
I had a sort of plan for the rest of the day from here. I would get a bite to eat for lunch, before making a visit to St Pauls Cathedral. Below is a photo of St Pauls from Eureka Skydeck. For lunch, I stopped at a restaurant named Il Divo in the Australia on Collins Shopping Centre.
St Pauls Cathedral
I had planned to visit St Pauls Cathedral earlier in the week. However, it seemed that every time I was in the area, there was a service underway. Today though I was able to take a walk through the church and it is rather beautiful.
There are many beautiful stained glass windows, along with some tiled and carved pieces that are exquisite. I wish I had more pictures, but with somewhat dim lighting and no flash photography allowed it was difficult.
All But Finished
It was still rather early in the afternoon, but I had very little left I wanted to do. There was one small souvenir I wanted to find, plus a present for someone at home. But soon enough I had found these and a book shop where I got a good book. Before grabbing a drink at Starbucks and spending an hour reading.
To The Airport
From here I headed back to the hotel to collect my luggage and onward to get the bus to the airport. I had some time to fill in at the airport where I got some more reading done and got this post mostly written.
The plane left Melbourne around 15 minutes late and except for a little turbulence was a rather good flight. The arrival into Brisbane still seemed to be pretty much on time. While I am glad to be back in Brisbane, I am going to miss the holiday atmosphere and the exploring somewhere new.
Thank You For Reading
While this might be the last post covering the day to day exploring of Melbourne, it won’t be my last post. I have some more information that I would like to share what I have learned along the way. I am looking to share a few different posts including what attractions to visit, eating on a budget, souvenir shopping and a little overall summary for the week. But I will get settled back in at home first and then share what come to mind. I would like to thank you for following the holiday and look forward to sharing my next holiday with you.
