Australia > Cycling through Melbourne

Before breakfast, I walk to the Victoria Café, a small restaurant next to the Victoria Market. I order coffee and a sandwich. At quarter to nine, we gather in the lobby for a bike tour through Melbourne. The tour starts by the river. We walk to the starting point, going down Elizabeth Street and turning right at Flinders Station. Just behind the Sea Aquarium, I meet Freddy, a cheerful and enthusiastic Australian. He will guide us during the bike tour through Melbourne. First, he explains how to properly adjust the bikes and emphasizes that wearing a bike helmet is mandatory in Australia. He also advises us to watch out carefully for pedestrians. Ringing the bell doesn’t really help much — people tend to just look at you surprised here. He also warns us to be careful at tram tracks because you can get stuck there. After the explanation, we set off. We follow the river, cycling along the walking promenade. In some sections, there are bike lanes; in other places, it’s normal to ride on the sidewalk. It all seems to work fine. We turn towards the botanical gardens and cycle through the beautifully landscaped park. From the park, we cross the Yarra River and arrive at the Olympic Park.

Australia - Exploring Melbourne by bike

Several sports stadiums are located here. According to Freddy, the most important one is the cricket stadium. The tennis arena is also here. Next month, the Australian Open will be held here. Preparations are ongoing everywhere. We visit the KIA stadium, one of the arenas where tennis is played. On the other side of the cricket stadium lie the Fitzroy Gardens. We take a short break in this park. I order a cola. Outside, it starts to drizzle. So far, it had been cloudy but dry. After the break, we arrive at the Parliament House. This building, dating from 1855, houses the parliament of the state of Victoria. When we cycle back into the city center, we ride through Chinatown — a street full of colorful lanterns and Chinese shops. Chinatown borders the main roads towards the river, which is where the bike tour ends. I thank Freddy for the nice tour. From the bike rental, everyone goes their own way. Some head back to the hotel. I walk into the city center and enter the Melbourne Central shopping mall. This huge shopping center spans six floors. Under the large glass dome stands the monumental Coop's Shot Tower. The mall was built around this historic building from 1889. I continue to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Today the church is open for visits. The cathedral was built in 1880 by order of the Anglican Church as a replacement for a much smaller church at this location.

Australia - Tram 35 runs around the center of Melbourne

In front of the church stops tram number 35 — a small tourist tram that circles exactly around the city center. Trams are free within Melbourne’s central area, and line 35 falls exactly within this zone. At the tram stop, I meet two fellow travelers. Together, we get on and take a round trip with the tram, seeing all sides of Melbourne along the way. About three quarters of an hour later, I get off again near Flinders Street Station. We’ve worked up a thirst. At a terrace by the water, we order beer under an umbrella. It’s drizzling lightly. After visiting the terrace, I go my own way again. I take the tram towards the hotel but get off one stop earlier to do some shopping at the supermarket. In the evening, we go out to eat on Elizabeth Street. We choose a Japanese restaurant. Based on the pictures, I order shrimp, egg, and rice. Outside, it starts raining lightly. I decide not to go back to the river. That’s enough for today.