Blending in in Melbourne

We arrived in Melbourne around 3 a.m., so it wasn't until the next morning that we had a chance to see the city. Walking from Richmond to the heart of the Central Business District, we felt immensely relaxed and not just because our trajectory took us through several of the many lush gardens sprinkled liberally throughout the city. Coming from South Africa, where razor wire, 10-foot high walls and Uzi-wielding bank guards are regrettably commonplace, we were relieved by the absence of all of the above in the eminently liveable Melbourne.

It also helps to be in capable hands, as we were. Cindy's cousin Jen has been studying and living in Melbourne for two years. She is just a few months away from flying back to the states with her new Kiwi husband, so if we failed to go Down Under now, we would miss out on a free pull-out sofa and the chance to be escorted by experts. Not only have they acted as fabulous guides, historians and translators (So what does "like chalk and cheese" mean?), but we can cheerfully report to anxious family that the new hubbie is a keeper.

For over a week we easily slipped back and forth from honorary Melbournians to camera-toting tourists, many times within a single day. In the mornings we'd follow the locals shuffling into one of the coffee shops that occupy every third storefront. Once inside we would do our best to order from the unfamiliar list of caffeinated beverages served up by Australian baristas. I am still not sure how a "flat white" differs from a latte, but I like it very much nonetheless. If the day was hot, Cindy would attempt to order iced coffee, but after twice receiving a milkshake, she began asking for black coffee with a cup of ice on the side. (This happened in South Africa too. How is it that two tropical countries have yet to hit upon the innovation of icing their tea and coffee?)

After fully waking up in as Melbournian fashion as we could manage (no hot drinks when the thermostat is above 30 Celsius -- what that is in Fahrenheit terms we couldn't tell you but it must be somewhere around 120 [Editor's Note: 30 Celsius=86 Fahrenheit]), we'd whip out our tourist fanny packs (carefully hidden up to this point so as to blend in) and head for one of the city's outstanding museums. Without fail, these repositories of knowledge are housed in either venerable old Victorian buildings or fantastical modern structures. In fact, the entire downtown seems to jump from one architectural extreme to the other, but in a very pleasing way, the juxtaposed, dissimilar styles creating a strikingly fluid skyline.

After a few hours of expending mental energy learning about gold rushes and Phar Lap, hunger would kick in and we'd pop into a laneway for lunch. The transformation of these once-derelict alleyways into bustling pedestrian centers is a proud accomplishment for the city. We regularly wiggled our ways through office workers and students to catch a stylish, quick and cheap bite to eat before donning our dorky tourist hats again and hitting the next museum on our list.

Throughout the day we were inevitably at the mercy of the temperamental Melbourne climate. We were told to brace ourselves for "four seasons in a day" weather and we quickly learned to bring an umbrella and a long sleeve shirt no matter how sunny the day started out. At night we'd do our best to morph back into temporary locals, twice taking advantage of free classical music concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, once watching a double feature at the art deco Astor Theatre, and even sitting around a TV surrounded by a dozen screaming rugby fans and copious amounts of meat while trying to decipher the rules. Many nights we just sat and talked over take-away food, often staying up late enough that a morning flat white would be required before checking off the next attraction on our list.

(Various bugs in jars from the Melbourne Museum's natural history section.)

(Objects in the Melbourne Museum detailing the history of the city.)

(Exhibit from the Melburne Museum's natural history section on insects.)

(Even the benches inside the Ian Potter Center look slick.)

(An upward view inside the modern Ian Potter Center: National Gallery of Victoria Australia.)

By Meredith Bragg |  February 23, 2006; 7:12 AM ET  | Category:  Australia
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