More Melbourne

Hi there
I walked my feet off around Melbourne;  the malls encourage it.  I discovered Chadstone Mall which is a little out of Melbourne CBD but there is a free return shuttle bus that leaves many times a day from the side of Federation Square (just behind the Hop On Hop Off bus stop, look for a sign standing on the curb).  The driver points out sights along the way and he even drove us along the F1 track, lined by tiers of seats and road markings etc.  The race would be on after my Melbourne visit.  Chadstone Mall has over 550 shops from top end Tiffanys, Gucci, Prada etc to Target, KMart, and $2-type stores.  Tons of eating, fresh fruit .... and walking, walking, walking.

I went on an afternoon tour to Botanical Gardens, St Kilda's famous and yummy cake shops and beach, and Brighton Beach -

  above:  Brighton Beach, with beach huts reminiscent of those in England and put up by early British settlers to Australia.  These huts are classed as heritage.

above:  I guess I'm in the heritage class as well.

above.  I went on a punt in the lake at the Botanical Gardens.  I forgot to take my own picture, but here's the couple in front of me.  We were given parasols to use.

below Botanical Gardens,photo  taken from punt