We arrived back from the Grampians for a week in Fitzroy – this time really central and close to the Melbourne Museum and CBD. We had an Airbnb hosted by Naz who we met on our first day. Naz is a bohemian type and very arty – an interior designer by trade. The studio was perfect for us in terms of location and even, curiously, had its own telescope. One slight drawback - Naz is a bit of a dirty bugger. Not a hoover or broom in sight. But hey, what’s a little dirt when you have your own trendy inner city pad? Our days were pretty chilled. Late getting up followed by meditation, yoga, breakfast and more chilling. About noon we emerged on the street for coffee. Such a hard life. A word about Melbourne street art . . . its everywhere you look, well in Fitzory anyway. There are supporters and detractors as you can imagine. Victorian Premier John Brumby called it a "blight on the city" – I am picturing an uptight fuddy-duddy here by the way. There is definite difference here between street art and tagging – the latter being the mindless spray-can mentality and which the Victorian Government has come down on hard – you can expect up to 2 years jail time if you are caught. The kosher street art is in some parts so-so and in others quite astonishing. Overall it just makes Fitzroy look and feel very cool and arty . . . Street art has even made its way in Melbourne’s galleries. Jo and I visited the National Gallery (which was hosting a Van Gogh exhibition), the Ian Potter Gallery in Federation Square (a focus on Australian/Aboriginal art) and the Heide Museum of Modern Art (a former privately owned estate and collection in the northern suburbs). I also went to the opening night of a photography exhibition put on by a friend of Danielle’s in a place called the “No Vacancy” Gallery. Being with Danielle has broadened my experience of eating vegan, which I have to say isn’t tooooo bad . . . I’m reminded of my upbringing – I wouldn’t touch a vegetable unless it was some form of potato and now look at me! The undoubted highlight of vegan eating in Melbourne was a chain called Lentil as Anything – we went to two, one in an old nuns convent in Abbotsford. It’s a not-for-profit organisation where you pay as you feel. There is a suggested list of payments ranging from $20 (where you effectively “pay it forward” to someone else) to zero (where you are encouraged to think about volunteering in the restaurant). The food was amazing and a great people watching experience – everyone from hippy types to yuppies, and some pretty mad ones.
We saw Danielle everyday after her work had finished. Shared a meal and a beer or three. Danielle is working for a car leasing company, which requires her to travel two hours there and back each day. It’s tiring for her, but in just 2.5 months time she is off on her next overseas adventure . . . I think she will use that time to think about the next stage of her life and what that might involve. She has some very cool business ideas.
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Fitzroy was apparently Melbourne’s first suburb and reminded me initially of Islington in London – long a working class area but now gentrified and full of younger professionals. If you want to live here be prepared to pay some of the highest rents in Melbourne. Our host Airbnb family were definitely original though – one of the many Italian families in Melbourne. Their TV was massive and had a footy game on when we arrived – now that is real Aussie . . . We stayed in their granny flat out the back. One of my first impressions of Melbourne was the amount of niche shops and restaurants. If you are a vegan you are simply spoilt for choice. I reflected on Wellington which has almost no specialist vegetarian, organic or vegan eating places. Now don’t get me wrong - Wellington has some of the best value/quality cafes and restaurants you will find anywhere in the world. And Wellington coffee drinkers are in seventh heaven. But I feel there is one massive gap in the Wellington market – hmmmmmm . . . Went to one of the Melbourne comedy festival productions in St Kilda on our second night. All about “table 17” at a wedding – the one where all the misfits and unpopular relatives are assigned. Just laugh out loud funny. On Saturday we headed off to the Grampians national park. 3.5 hours drive from Melbourne, which for Aussies is close as . . . To be honest, the majority of the trip scenery was fairly so so. The Australian roading system is really good with a two lane highway just about the whole way, but it does go through some pretty uninteresting countryside. But that all changes big time when you get into the vicinity of Halls Gap. Halls Gap is a very cute town set amidst towering rocky hills. All the houses are set into the bush – our place looking out to gum trees and the mountain backdrop. It reminded me of Sydney’s Blue Mountains. The air is clear and wildlife abounds. Couldn’t believe it when a couple of emus sauntered through the garden like they owned the place. Cockatoos perched on the veranda and admired our morning yoga – not sure what they thought of our downward dogs . . . On my run I passed two sets of kangaroos grazing on the side of the road. Its like one big free-range zoo. Went on two shorter tramps. Despite looking out for snakes – didn’t see any. One really interesting piece of engineering – Parks Victoria offer a specialised all terrain wheelchair which allows severely disabled people to experience the tracks. It looks like a dune buggy with a long grill out the front. Two operators are required – one at the front and one at the back – plus there is an electric motor to navigate steeper and trickier parts of the track. There is a volunteer system for people to act as operators. Very cool. Danielle loved it here. She got talked into morning yoga but drew the line at meditation.
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Richard and JolandaJo and I have decided to give up our work, our house and our lives in Wellington NZ to see the world. Our big adventure started on April 6th 2017 . . . Archives
January 2018
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