Day 4 - 2023 starts in Melbourne

The new year starts in Melbourne with temperatures above 35 degrees. In the hostel, we meet another traveler who is on the way to the beach. Until then, we haven't decided yet whether to continue exploring the city in the heat all day.

We walk across the Princes Bridge into the Queen Victoria Gardens and realize that the heat is really oppressive. Dennis looks for the nearest sprinkler and cools off. On the way to the Shrine of Remembrance, we take many breaks on shady benches and finally decide to postpone our plan and seek coolness in the air-conditioned malls of Melbourne. When we arrive at the Emporium Melbourne, we notice that only a few stores are open. Since Dennis has already realized that his NewBalance sneakers are not optimal for exploring the city on foot, he buys new shoes from a well-known German sports retailer.

We stroll through China Town in the shadow of the skyscrapers for a while.

In the evening, we once again realize that in Australia, not only some shops and restaurants close early but also due to New Year, they are not open. We find a Vapiano, which charges a 15% surcharge for public holidays. Later, we realize that a holiday and Sunday surcharge is common in Australia. Australia pays relatively high wages compared to the rest of the world (the minimum wage is equivalent to € 12.84 per hour) and passes on such surcharges (penalty rates) to the workforce. Dennis is not a big fan of Vapiano, but the concept is a bit different in Australia. It is ordered online at the table using a QR code and paid immediately. The staff brings the food and drinks to the table and also clears the table.