Saturday/Sunday 2 and 3 August

On Saturday morning we arrived in Melbourne. Our flight was a bit late but it took ages getting off the plane, and then we queued even longer at immigration. We took a taxi to Travelodge Southbank. It looks nice but service is not so good - nothing is free.

Luna Park at St Kilda with Matthew

We met Matthew and Sarah in Federation Square and had lunch in Optic. Back at our hotel we gave them small presents and mail. Later we met again for dinner at Ludlow Grill; I had fish and chips. We discussed plans for the graduation.

We had an early night at the hotel. Slept well.


Sunday. We tried the hotel breakfast - disappointing. We took a tram to St Kilda beach and met Matthew. There was a nice arts and craft market on, and we also visited Luna Park, a revived amusement park. Lunch at Beachcomber was quite nice. Then we explored the pier.

The pier at St Kilda beach

We returned to the city centre and rested at the hotel. WiFi is limited to 15 minutes per day. Later we met Matthew and Sarah for an early dinner on the Colonial Tramway. It was fun, and the food and drink were very nice. The host Joe made everyone feel welcome. Matthew told us his progress with his job search and permit application.

After dinner we all went for a drink in the Crown Casino atrium. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Dinner on board the Colonial Tramway