Melbourne, Australia

We have just been to see the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and he lives in Melbourne.

I have been to Australia a few times but as a family, we toured the east coast a couple of years ago – from the Sydney Harbour north to Darwin and the outback and back to Brisbane, Stradbroke Island and the Gold Coast; even the Hinterlands. Loved it. Capital L LOVED – especially North Stradbroke Island where we stayed with some of my very favorite people and were treated to the great Aussie adventure including beach drives and pippi races, kangaroos and koalas, snags and bugs, musk sticks and violet crumble. This is the Australia I love.

But Melbourne offered a big city fix with a giant swirl of culture and unreal food and stunning architecture and world class tennis (the Australian Open was part of our itinerary). It has earned its ‘Paris of the Southern Hemisphere’ whole-heartedly. Another love affair has begun.

Getting Our Culture and History on…

I always say the best measure of a gallery is its permanent collection. Well…I take that back. The National Gallery of Victoria’s permanent collection is a bit misguided and curated by someone who is trying really hard to be interesting. The exhibit we saw, on the other hand – the works of Jean Paul Gaultier – was so cleverly and comprehensively presented, it was well worth the hour it took us to get through.

And we are well familiar with the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) military history in NZ. It is something for which Kiwis are fiercely proud and deeply grateful. But the Shrine of Remembrance is such a stunning tribute to those fallen we couldn’t help but take pause and learn more, from a veteran, about Australia’s long military history. The building is stunning and its view to Melbourne is unlike any other – from a perch, looking down. And the botanical gardens that surround make for a gorgeous walk for when you are city-ed out.

Chapel Street

I love the Australian brands that are unique to this hemisphere like the Witchery and Country Road (sometimes) but I can get those in New Zealand albeit for a lot more money. Don’t even get me started. What I loved about Chapel Street is that it had the usual suspects but also had some smaller boutiques with really interesting wares. The fashion world was preparing for autumn despite the 35 degree temps and I just couldn’t wrap my head around sweaters and boots (and I don’t have the heart to tell anyone here that they don’t get fall but I love boots and sweaters so much I suffer through!).

St Kilda

If I told you the story about our accommodations in nearby St Kilda, a funky suburb about 15 minutes from downtown Melbourne, it may go something like this: we booked in September only to have the apartment complex sold to new owners and making it the only fully kosher executive apartment complex in Melbourne. We arrived on the Sabbath and were told the three bedroom apartment we had reserved months earlier was “out of circulation”. We were then moved to a two bedroom next door to said three bedroom now inhabited by a lovely Jewish family. That story may continue that there were possums having a party on the roof and that we may or may not have made bacon in the only kosher executive apartment in Melbourne.

All of this aside, we loved St Kilda and its cool vibe and eateries. You would be hard pressed to eat poorly in Melbourne – even the suburbs. Roccoco and Circa were among the favorites. Yum and yum some more.

The Great Ocean Road

Almost as an after thought, we added the Great Ocean Road to our week in Oz, spending two extra days making our way from Warrnambool to Apollo Bay. It is short listed as one of the top 10 drives in the world and I get why. The inland road or shortcut to the start of the drive is beyond a yawn – incredibly boring and flat save for the roo who jumped out in front of our rental car. But that drive back is worth every single turn off and there are about a dozen all the way along. Stop at each. Take your time.

Auckland is a little city that tries to fill really big boots. It is lovely and New Zealand offers some of the most beautiful landscapes mine eyes ever did see. Endless things to do really. But a big city it is not which made our 10 days in Melbourne such a departure from the everyday.