Melbourne
Yesterday proved a long day of travel. The party – after visiting two wineries – went to Blenheim airport, then a short flight to Wellington and from there a four hour flight to Melbourne with a two hour time difference.
Bob’s visa application was messed up and at the check-in a boarding pass initially refused then overridden.
Added to this he was then selected for a random body search – all this sent Bob into a difficult mood.
He was concerned that he might have further difficulties with Australian border control but the lady official could not have been more welcoming.
Bob was positively bouncing to the baggage carousel when he went ashen-faced. The somewhat supercilious steward threw his seersucker jacket over his lap and his mobile tumbled to the floor of the plane where it still lay. Fortunately it was soon retrieved and Bob was happy again, chatting away to our driver on what constituted a good chauffeur. Ours had driven Rod Stewart, Adele and Russell Crowe as well as Bob Tickler.
We arrived at the hotel at 9.00pm (11.00 our time). Our hotel the Grand Hyatt is one of those big business glitzy marble-halled hotels in the centre of town.
Though Australian coins still have the Queen on them, and they are both proud and competitive of the old country, I am more reminded here of the States.
Our street with its skyscrapers, high-end shops and grid system could be Fifth Avenue.
We were all impressed by the buffet breakfast today. It had 4 types of croissant and at the cooked meal station a freshly roasted ham. Next to us sat a young couple. They did not exchange a word, the girl perpetually on her mobile. Eventually the guy produced his and the two continued with no communication.
Melbourne is Australia’s sporting and gastronomic capitol: from my room on the 23rd floor I can see the Margaret Court and Rod Laver tennis arenas and the MCG known as the Gee. There are substantial Greek and Chinese communities so the city has strong ethnicity.
It’s not short of famous names. Shane Warne played for St Kilda’s down the road and there is Sir Robert Menzies, Cate Blanchett and for my mind the most famous Australian of all – Dame Edna Everage.