More of Melbourne

I am sorry, blog readers, for the delay in writing. I have been staying in other people's houses and also on a boat and it's a little harder to have Internet access long enough to sit and write up my blog. However, I will now write a couple to update you!
 
  Since last writing, I spent a little longer in Melbourne staying with Barb. Unforutnately this did not include further visits to schools, as I had expected, but it meant I got to see a but more of the city.  This included two more art galleries, the NGV International and Heide Gallery. The former goes alongside the gallery I had visited previously, but is all international art, very predominantly European. It is in a rather impressive building with a very striking great hall. It was also, being near the end of the year, filled with school children learning to draw the ceiling etc... Heide, however, is a little bit out of Melbourne and is a big expanse of land (watch out for snakes). I was lucky enough to be shown around by Barb, as she has done tours here, and the amount of space means that it has some great sculptures. Unlike other sculpture galleries I've been to, they are also really spaced out, so you can take your picnic and wander around, get lost and come across some unexpected sculptures. Which is what we did!

Ceiling of Great Hall in NGVI

Melbourne is renowned for its sport watching. The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) is absolutely huge and some Melburnians will have their name down to become members from birth (it'll take more than twenty years!) The Australian Open also happens in Melbourne, along with AFL. The sports museum was highly recommended here, so we went and had a look. If you have not just had a whole load of Olympic information rammed down your throat all summer, or if you are obsessed by cricket or AFL, I would recommend it, but Barb and I were a little disappointed... To cheer up, I went to see the new Bond film, which was also highly recommended but, again, I was disappointed! I had heard it was absolutely amazing and, while it wasn't bad, was not particularly impressed. As though we want Bond to have a childhood...

I also went with Barb to visit Somers, which is a beach further around the peninsular where Barb has a summer house. Unfortunately it was not very warm (apparently there are often dolphins there that you can swim with!) but it was rather beautiful, even in the rain! Finally, we went up the Eureka tower, which is 88 floors above Melbourne and got some lovely views over the city. I and one of Barb's friends also went 'over the edge', in this weird glass box that sticks out the side of the building. Rather daunting but recommended!

I very much enjoyed Melbourne, it is a good city to visit and I can see it being a really good place to live. It is certainly different to Tasmania where I headed next...