I arrived in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon and left on Monday morning.

This was quite a shock! Leaving Tassie’s bush-camping activities to the metropolis city during Chinese new year is just so much contrast. I was quite used to greet and talk to anyone I met in Tasmania, but here it is just not technically possible to say a quick “hi” to anyone you meet on your way. Honestly, it was not even possible to look at each person you meet.

Melbourne was really hot: 38 degrees Celsius (~100°F) in the shade but I didn’t find any shade on my way. Locals have been waiting for rain for months and I brought rain with in Melbourne too. Sometimes I am wondering if I could be a professional rainmaker?

I stayed in North Melbourne – close to the zoo and shared a place with an student from Canberra.

I bought on Sunday a transport pass for trams, trains and busses, for $2.50 – valid in three zones so I spent a few hours at St Kilda and the only stop announcement from the driver was “next stop: the beeeeeeeeeeach!”, so I went to the marina; it was one of those where you will only find boats from fortuned people who believe a boat is a another great sign of wealth to show; there was not even a single sailing boat there.

On Monday, I was quite happy to leave this place; big cities are definitely not for me. It’s time for me to take off to Cairns, gateway to the tropics and I feel insanely good about going to this area during the humid season and certainly won’t regret it! Crocodiles, jellyfishes, stingers, cyclones and other adventures are waiting for me.

Now for the lazy, here are the pictures!

This car parked on a cycling lane is normal, it’s only a cycling lane during commuting hours, followed by chinese new year:

A few buildings by night:

and during the day:

To finish, a flower in the botanic gardens and what it needs to survive, the rain which was coming: