Melbourne

The days between the bridge climb and leaving for Melbourne early on August 24 are starting to blur together so let's just assume we had a good time.

The four of us apparently thought it was smart to get on a 7am flight until that morning at 5am when we were just wishing we could stay in bed. Once we got our cranky butts up and to the airport, we noticed something that we weren't used to--no need for identification of any kind. We flew through security without ever even showing our boarding passes. It wasn't until we were about to step on the plane that we flashed those bad boys. I don't mean to be arrogant but after 9/11, wouldn't the rest of the world realize the importance of airport security?

Here's us just walking up to the plane...


Since we only had a few days in Melbourne, we tried to fit as much in as possible. Our first stop was the Queen Victoria Market. It was easy to get lost in this place because it was just never-ending rows of cheese, bread, candy, fruit, vegetables, clothes and every souvenir imaginable. It was a good thing we weren't there too long because I could have done some serious damage.

Next, we checked out the Titanic exhibit at the museum. As soon as we walked in, we were given a passport with information on it of an actual passenger. At the end of the tour I found out my person and her child both died so I was a bit bummed.

A friend of ours gave us a list of the hot local spots in Melbourne to check out so we did our best to hit them all. The weather was crappy while we were there so made sure we stayed in one place until the rain stopped long enough for us to walk outside. Basically, we were boozing for most of the trip.

Melbourne and Sydney are the UF and FSU of Australia. There is a constant rival of which city is better and of course, people favor which ever place they live in. I'm going to be unbiased for a second and compare the two.

Melbourne
Pros
-Great shopping
-Easy public transportation
-Unique bars and restaurants
-A huge outdoor market

Cons
-No beaches
-Cold weather
-Small city

Sydney
Pros
-Gorgeous beaches
-Big city
-Very scenic (i.e. Harbour Bridge and Opera House)

Cons
-An average public transportation system
-Too many dirty pubs
-Traffic

Let's just say I'm happy to be on the Sydney side.