Two weeks in Australia – Week 2

Now then, where were we….

Day 8. We went back to DOV on Victoria Street for breakfast and then it was time for our flight to Melbourne. After tea the boys headed off to St Kilda Bowls Club to watch the Melbourne Victory Game and drink beer (Tony never looked happier) while Ish and I pottered around and had some much needed downtime.

Day 9. A late start and then off to see the Ron Mueck exhibit with it’s incredibly lifelike people in all sorts of crazy shapes and sizes. Ish refused to have her picture taken next to the giant naked man (here with me and tony - all the giants)



so here she is with the little people...



After the exhibit we headed to Melbourne’s funky bar scene – old favourite Madame Brussels – a very sweet rooftop bar, all fine white metal garden furniture and fake grass. We drank some bubbles and beer in honour of Johanna’s birthday and then headed to Red Pepper Indian restaurant at the top of Bourke Street for a ten dollar curry. I accidentally ate Ish’s butter chicken, but she magnanimously said that my Chicken Tikka hit her spot. Nan breads awesome, spinach curry awesome, tasty curries all in very different sauces awesome.

Day 10. We headed off to Healesville Sanctuary to see some local wildlife, picking up takeaway coffee (scalding, burnt and bad) and sandwiches (cheese and egg frittata with salad and relish; spicy prosciutto and rocket and Meredith goats cheese all on homemade bread – all fab) at Fatto et Mano Italian bakery on Gertrude Street en route. We arrived at the Sanctuary in time for the platypus show (1pm), parrot show (130pm), birds of prey show (230 pm) and koala show (330pm). Non stop fun and in between times we checked out the Tasmanian devil trotting round and round and round in his pen (not sure if was busy or stressed), a huge wombat fast asleep on his back in the shade with legs outstretched, some nocturnal jumping mice, other big eyed night time creatures, a handful of kangaroos, emus, dingoes and an echidna. I think we got the complete set!



On the way back to the city we stopped off at the Healesville Hotel for a glass of local red, as we were too late for any of the wineries. Tea at home was followed by Craig and Tony heading off to the delights of the Balaclava Hotel, complete with it’s outdoor smoking area (cage) and local wildlife (punch up) and me introducing Ish to Sex and the City, Series 1, Episodes 1 – 4. She’d never seen it!

Day 11. A really nice brunch at MART, the old station house at Middle Park on the 96 route, with some very fine coffee and then we headed to South Melbourne Market (down the grand prix track for the missing jones sibling, ken)(here it is...)



for groceries, tat and a look around. Here's some fish at the mongers.



We popped in to Prahran Market on the way home for Japanese groceries at Fujimart too. It would have been wrong not to have a fritz gelato while we were there, you must agree. Then we lazed around awhile, Ish and I having a quick pedicure next door on Carlisle Street, then headed down to St Kilda Bowls Club for some beers in the sunshine. Some of us finished the night at Coneheads for some fries with salsa. I think that about captures our evening.

Day 12. The boys had a long lie and Ish and I wandered over to one of the parks on Inkerman to meet a friend and his wee one. ‘Discovered’ Little Captain café, which everyone else seems to know about already. Delightful café backing on to the park. All slimline old wood frame, glass front cabinets, beach umbrellas and tasty home made produce. Definitely have to go back there. On Saturday afternoon we had a good old Aussie barbeque and invited folk round for beer. I say good old Aussie barbeque – there was certainly a BBQ there – the food was distinctly more Japanese with sushi, teriyaki lamb and a plum wine cocktail. Ish had her second bit of sushi and it was EEL! Not sure I saw Tony touch it mind you. Here's the sushi we made on sunday, as it was so pretty...



Day 13. We took Ish and Tony along to Craig’s niece’s first birthday party – out on the lawns at Ripponlea Estate. Craig and I had a quick trip around the gardens while we were there and they are beautiful – swimming pool with changing rooms could have been straight off the set of High Society, charming rose and dahlia gardens and a huge rust red curved metal fernery. After the party we took it easy and recharged our batteries for karaoke at KBox in the city, where you have your own private room, mirror ball, huge telly and 2 microphones. Ish was a natural and sang with great gusto, Mark’s Sweet Caroline was perfect karaoke, Craig made our ears bleed and despite his earlier denials, even Tony joined in. Might have been the sake. Ish got shirty when the folk didn’t let on we could have stayed on till 1am having paid for 3 hours, so we got her a mcdonalds to calm her down and then home. Thanks for organising Shalini, and when are we going back?



Day 14. Ish and Tony’s last day and it was a lovely sunny one. We popped in to town for the last presents and had brunch at Desgraves Espresso. As good a coffee at the finish as at the start. Then we headed down to Black Rock and lazed in the sun (and Tony below a beach umbrella) for a couple of hours. What looked like a bit of wake on the water turned out to be dolphins – and plenty of them – rolling past on the calmest, glassiest water. The jelly fish didn’t put Ish off going in but a huge one had me turning quickly to shore. After heading home for a beer on the balcony we finished the week with pizza outside at the Stokehouse on St Kilda Beach as the sun went down.



Jolly tasty pizza it was and jolly tasty too my pork schnitzel with a fresh cabbage and apple coleslaw and a lemon aioli. Then showers, bags packed and off to the airport.

Highlights of the week were the absolute fun of everyone singing at karaoke, the dolphins at Black Rock and the fact that I got to do it all with Ish and Tony.
Good effort for coming all this way and for being up for everything I planned and suggested.