Currently, all weekend public transport in Melbourne is free to celebrate the opening of the Metro Tunnel, the city’s new underground rail link. We made excellent use of it.
After crisscrossing the city to catch it all; the street art of Hosier Lane and Federation Square all tinselled up for Christmas,
the beautiful arcades and alleyways,
China Town,
the Greek Precinct where we had lunch at Stalactites, a Greek restaurant that’s been run by the same family since 1978,
and the ginormous Queen Victoria Market.
Then, with aching feet and tired legs we boarded the City Loop Tram for an entire circuit before retiring to our hotel, only emerging to amble round a loop of our own: up to the closest supermarket for supplies and back past Gelatissimo where we simply had to sample their wares.
This being on holiday is fun. It would be ridiculous to catch myself wondering about the menagerie…wouldn’t it?
Union Homestead 
A wonderful city. Big, varied, so much to do. You’ve picked a great place to be in.
We’re really enjoying discovering it
I love Melbourne – so much to see – great restaurants and museums.
Loving the food!
We loved Melbourne too…a decade ago! We did the Queen Victoria market which was a highlight for me, and also the tram loop. Also part of the huge botanical garden…we don’t have botanical gardens here…not public ones anyway, nor on such a scale. The menagerie is fine.
I love the arcades. They somehow managed to avoid the push to “modernise” that Christchurch gave in to…of course, an earthquake didn’t help 😊
When we saw Christchurch (same trip), most places were either demolished (by the quake or by public works) or waiting to be demolished. There was a shopping area made from shipping containers and a few new buildings, the cardboard cathedral and the botanical gardens (not the glass houses). The chair monument and the rock pillars near the ruined cathedral. I am not surprised the city has lost its old beauty in the process of being made new, but I’m sorry to have missed the old Christchurch.
To be fair, the powers that be weren’t great fans of old Chch even before the quake and the arcades and alleys I remember from when I was a kid were definitely going, going, gone
All public transport should be free all the time in my view. You made good use of your day (and of course the menagerie is fine. Why wouldn’t it be, after all that good preparation?)
I agree with you re public transport. The benefits ecologically, socially, medically and even, if you extend all those, economically too should make it a no brainer but maybe a little long sighted for most. And I know Cousin Lucas is a safe pair of hands 😊
The very rich owners of newspapers and social media sites are very anxious to avoid supporting anything that might lead to them personally being asked to pay even a penny more in tax, so that might explain why no brainers are so hard to put into effect.
I am glad you enjoyed exploring Melbourne by tram and on foot. What remains of historic Melbourne is very much the result of the determination of locals who campaigned vigorously years ago to stop the demolition of old buildings to make way for glass and steel towers.
The locals should be hugely congratulated for saving all that history