Day 2: Tour guides, Tree climbing, and Telescopes

Started the day with a free walking tour of Melbourne.  It was me, a 60ish year old gentleman from Manchester, UK and our 60ish tour guide from Melbourne.  Best free 4 hours I ever spent in a major city. Saw the many "arcades" which are covered alleyways with small "off the beaten path" shops.  Ended at the River taking in much art and architecture. Here is some of the most beautiful graffiti art in the city (which BTW is legal here if you are a legit artist, but not if you "tag" aka write your name in gang letters with spray paint).

After a quick skype with my football watching folks at home, I headed down the 16 tram to St. Kilda - a kitchy and hip seaside town with a beautiful beach.  Yes, I'm wearing the goofy hat, but its hot as balls here and I'm a pasty white northern European living in the land of "no sun" aka Seattle. Behind me is the "Luna Park" - think Coney Island amusement park meets Australia.

From the St. Kilda Esplanade with all the merchants hawking there goods, I happened upon some crazy Dutch folks who were into tree climbing.  For a "donation" you get to stap in and walking up the rope.  My prize from 30m (90ft) a view of downtown Melbourne and the St. Kilda Beach. (Yes thats me upside down a few feet off the ground, a skill they make you do before you get to climb). 

Check out www.thetreeclimibingcompany.com on facebook - Melbourne addition.

I strolled along Carlisle street in St. Kilda and came upon these lovely houses, all with special names and even better gardens. Must be worth a fortune.  This was all in pursuit of.....





 

A tall tasty pint called "Nogne" Dunkelweis from Norway.  Some of the most delcious beer I've had in awhile at this local placed, called, ironically, 
"The Local Taphouse".  

...Brew-masters eat your heart out.

Sunset at St. Kilda's Beach - this time through the eyes of Luna Park's rollercoaster - the oldest wooden coaster in Australia.

The day culminated with a walk to St. Kilda's beach at sunset.  The water was surprisingly warm, but still to chicken to whip out the bathing suit yet.  I'm afraid I might scare away the Australian's with my fluorescent skin! (P.S. doesn't my manicure look fabulous!)

 




And the day ended with a fantastically beautiful sunset over St. Kilda Bay.  Notice the rather large tanker ships pulling into Melbourne Harbor. 

Looking a little windswept at St. Kilda Pier (salt air of course doing wonders for my hair!)

 And if the day weren't cool enough, a couple from the burbs of Melbourne are "telescope hobbiests".  For a small "busting" donation, they let you look at Jupiter and its 4 Galilean Moons - Ganymede, Io, Europa, and Callisto - so called because they were discovered by Galileo with a much smaller and less powerful telescope than the one I view them with...


Stay tuned for Day 3 - my first trip to Shepparton.