Melbourne City

Since we didn't drive from Adelaide to Melbourne ourselves, we arrived earlier than originally planned. So we spent 6 nights in Melbourne. The longest we stayed in any other place in Australia. But it was definitely worth it.

On the first day, we took the opportunity to take a free walking tour since we were already awake early (we arrived at 6:30 am by night bus). The good thing about it is that you get an approximate overview of the city right away and can ask the guide, usually young people, where things are. We found out that there is a constant debate between Melbourne and Sydney about which city is better. We will have to find out for ourselves first. Sydney is up next. We will definitely let you know.

Melbourne has seen a huge increase in population in recent years. In the last 6 years, there have been over a million new residents, most of them from overseas.

In general, we simply enjoyed the spirit of the city and didn't rush around. The highlights of our 7 days in Melbourne were definitely the day trip to the Great Ocean Road, the afternoon in St Kilda, and my birthday. But we will post separate reports about these.

We also strolled through the beautiful botanical garden and other parks in the city and relaxed under the shade of tall trees. We felt like celebrities once when we sipped cocktails in the second tallest bar in the city (http://www.luibar.com.au). For the view from the tallest building, you would have to pay 20 dollars admission, so we preferred to invest that money in a cocktail in the second tallest building. ;-) We also enjoyed a city tour in a vintage tram and visited the Queen Victoria Market.

Next, we're already flying to Sydney. This is our last stop in Australia before we leave for New Zealand on December 18.