The ship arrived in Melbourne at 8 am. We ordered room service for breakfast.
Once the ship docked, we disembarked and walked 5 minutes from the Station Pier Cruise Ship Terminal to Beacon Cove/Light Rail. The ticket machine was not working. We boarded the next tram but there was no conductor to ask about tickets. It was a free ride! We took the tram to Elizabeth Street then walked to the Flinders Street Station. Flinders Street Station is Melbourne's first railway station. It was built in 1910.
We followed the “Arcades and Laneways Walk” from Lonely Planet—a 2.5 hour walk. From Flinders Street Station. The tour took us through Degraves Lane with street art and into the Block Arcade. The arcade is modeled after Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II--the floors were beautiful mosaics with flower motifs. You can stop by the Hopetoun Tea Room in the arcade to have a sweet snack. Next was the Royal Arcade with Gog & Magog--mechanical figures hammering away under the dome. The Melbourne Town Hall was next--free tours are available at 11am & 1pm to see the Grand Organ. The Manchester Unity Building is across the street. Step inside to see the foyer. The Scot's Church is down the street. It was the first Presbyterian church in Victoria. Further along is St. Michael's Uniting Church. Head down Duckboard Place to find street art then down Hosier Lane and Rutledge Lane, the art mecca of the city.
We stopped by St. Paul's Cathedral before hitting Federation Square and the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) Australia. Admission is free so we stopped in to take a look at some of the indigenous art. We then crossed the Yarra River and stopped in at NGV International to see the water wall entrance. Inside, you'll find Jeff Koons' Venus. There was a press event on the morning of our visit so there was a lot going on. Be sure to see the outdoor sculptures in back.
From the NGV International, it was an 11-minute walk to the Shrine of Remembrance. It is a memorial to Victorians who served in war, especially those killed in WWI. You can climb to the upper floor to get a nice view of Melbourne's skyline.
We walked back to Flinders Station and boarded the CBD tram--there's a free zone in the center of town. You get a nice tour of the CBD, including the Cricket Ground, Old Treasury Building (under scaffolding), Parliament House, St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Royal Exhibition Building. There was a graduation ceremony at the time of our visit.
From the Royal Exhibition Building, we walked to the State Library of Victoria. We stepped inside to see the La Trobe Reading Room, with its 6-story octagonal dome.
We had lunch in Chinatown (next post) then stopped at the Queen Victoria Market. It's the largest market in Australia with over 600 shops.
From there, we walked back to the Flinders Street Station to board a tram back to our ship. The ship departed Melbourne at 6pm. Dinner was in the Terrace Cafe.
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