We’re currently in Adelaide, but I’m still playing catch-up on my Melbourne posts! Amazing how we only spent two weeks there, but I’ve got so many things to write about what we did there. Either it’s a very interesting city, or I’m very long-winded. I prefer to think of it as me providing ‘bite-sized information’ rather than the latter. 😉
In Melbourne, Noah saw trams for the first time ever, and boy, was he fascinated by them. He pointed at ALL the trams we saw, and on many occasions, tried to push himself sideways out of the carrier, just so he could look past me (mummy, transport officer, and apparently, big obstacle) and watch the trams trundle along their tracks. I was too cheapskate to pay for tram tickets, so the only tram he got to ride was the free city circle tram. We took it a couple of times, to Queen Victoria Market, as well as Melbourne Central / QV Central, but he didn’t seem to be that excited about actually being on the tram. I think he probably didn’t get that we were ON the tram, and just liked looking at trams in general. I don’t know where he got this obsession with vehicles and traffic lights, because I definitely did not do the ‘boys like cars’ thing with him at all. Makes me think that perhaps, it’s really how their minds are wired. Hmmm.
The free city circle tram (number 35)
We lived near the Melbourne Arts Centre, and often walked along Yarra River. Noah was always very busy pointing at the river, boats, seagulls, ducks, and swans, and making me name each and every one of them. Every single time. There are a few rowing clubs situated along Yarra River, and we got to see a few teams having practice sessions.
Melbourne Arts Centre (aka the fake Eiffel Tower)
Row, row, row your boat
Up close and personal with a seagull
Part of the Melbourne city skyline
We also walked past the Flinders Street Station very frequently, and there’s just an old-school charm about it, don’t you think?
Flinders Street Station
It was also the Melbourne Festival while we were there, so Federation Square was a hive of activity. I liked that there were free deck chairs and mats available for people to pull out from racks, so that they could lounge comfortably all around the open area. There was also a huge, white bouncy castle of sorts, which many adults and children took turns to jump around on. Noah spotted a huge laptop, connected to a small smart car, and went to fiddle with it for a while, before the security guard told me that little kids weren’t allowed near the laptop. Oops.
What a big laptop!
We also saw numerous buskers and performers at Federation Square. This one in particular, looked quite interesting, and had roped in a young boy from the audience to be part of his act. We didn’t stay to see the entire act though, as we wanted to bring Noah to the playground.
The boy was supposed to hold on to one end of the rope, and run as fast as he could, when the performer gave him the cue
Noah also went on a swing for the very first time, and he absolutely loved the experience. He kept trying to get the swing to move faster and to go higher, but we were quite scared that he would fall out of the swing, because he kept leaning back to look at the person pushing him. The Birrarung Marr playground was filled with children playing, and it was really such a shame that Noah can’t walk on his own yet. He struggled to be put down on the ground, so that he could crawl around the playground, but I didn’t allow him to, as there were just too many kids running around, cycling, or on their skateboards.
On the swing for the first time
He also met what my godsis called ‘the ugliest smurfs she has ever seen’, and got a blue balloon from them, which C somehow managed to lose, and didn’t even realise it was gone.
I’d like to go there, please, away from these weird blue creatures
C played tennis indoors at Melbourne Park, though his ‘dream’ was to play at the Rod Laver Arena, which was closed for some event. Hopefully, we’ll get to come back in January for the Australian Open 2014!
Indoor tennis court (hot babe included)
The little boy got to touch farm animals for the first time at the Queen Victoria Market, spent a morning with more farm animals at the Collingwood Children’s Farm, and tasted orange juice for the first time at the South Melbourne Market. We had lots of good food, and thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks in Melbourne.
Goodbye, Melbourne. We miss you already.
Comments