Today got off to a slow start for sightseeing around Melbourne for my friend and I. There were a couple of things that he needed to get sorted out, so we made a visit to a few stores. The next stop was across to Federation Square to visit the Tourist Information Centre.
Organising Tours
The visit to the Tourist Information Centre was to arrange a tour that we wanted to take. We were looking to visit Phillip Island, especially to see the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. With some information in hand, we found a nearby coffee shop to review the options and make a booking.
In the end, we decided on a tour with a company named “A Tour With A Difference.” The tour was Phillip Island Penguins & More including the Penguins Plus Seating at the Penguin Parade. I will include the update and review of the tour in a couple of days once we have completed the tour.
Docklands
After booking the tour, it was time to get down to seeing some sights. We boarded the free tourist tram with a plan to do the complete loop. However, we did not get far before I remembered a few good spots to have a look and we left the tram near to Docklands. There were a couple of funny pieces of public art that I knew my friend would appreciate like “Cow In A Tree.”
It was just as interesting for me to see this area as it was for my friend. Since my visit to Melbourne last year, there has been a lot of new development in the area. One of the biggest changes is the ferris wheel here. It was on the ground in pieces as of my last visit, and it is now partially reconstructed. It is good to see as it is at least two years since it was taken out of operation due to technical difficulties.
Yarra River Cruise
One of the things my friend wanted to do was take a cruise on the Yarra River. So we headed back to Southbank where many of the river cruises depart. Unfortunately, at this time of year, they all seem to finish early in the afternoon. However, we did manage to get on a shorter version of one cruise travelling with the guy taking his boat back to the dock for the evening. It turned out this took us back to Docklands where we had just come from.
Eureka Skydeck
One place I recommend visiting when in Melbourne is Eureka Skydeck at the top of the Eureka Building. It is by far the best place to get a view over Melbourne City. It started out great with some excellent views over the city as the sun was setting. However, as it was approaching dark, there were some school groups arrived, which resulted in far too many children. With so much noise and kids, we did not end up staying as long as we might.
Riverside
We visited the northern bank of the Yarra River both before and after visiting the Eureka Skydeck. Beforehand there was some very nice light from the sun coming through some clouds.
After visiting the Eureka Skydeck, we returned to almost the same spot we were in earlier. We stopped here to see the show that is in front of the Crown Casino along the river in the evening.
Overall an enjoyable day in Melbourne with some good things to come later in the week. I even got to see some new area’s today that I had not visited before.
