Hosier Lane

Staying in the Key’s family home in Kew, it took 40 mins in total to get into the CBD. As with most modern cities, you require a “Myki” (Oyster) card to pay for public transport. We didn’t have one before we needed to get our first bus, but the driver kindly let us on and told us we could by one in the city. However, the council had put on free transport from 6pm on the 31st to 6am on the 1st, so we simply stayed in the city until we could travel back for free.
We walked to Queen Victoria Market, which is enormous – it claims to be the largest market in the southern hemisphere. Meandering through the various stalls selling all kinds of items, we progressed into the food area. Fruit and veg, meat and dairy, and anything else it was there. As it was only 1hr to closing time and the market was closing for 2.5 days, prices were tumbling all around and their owners contesting with each other who could shout the loudest. We purchased some fresh fruit and cheese to accompany our meagre packed lunch.
Leaving the market, we boarded a very packed tram, and sat on it until the end at central station. However, we didn’t know we’d reached the end, and only disembarked when it started to move back the way it had come! Melbourne struck me as a very busy and happening city, quite alternative in a similar way to Bristol, with lots of boutique shops and narrow alleyways, replicating old European cities. Hosier Lane would be an uninteresting narrow alley with nothing on, however it is lined on both sides with ever changing street art. The largest of which is about 5 stories high! It has developed quite a name for itself and hence was packed with tourists.