Melbourne, Rosie and The Operator love it! Its a city with many faces; quirky, fashionable, chilled and vibrant. The casual city work ethic is un nerving for ‘on time and never late’ Rosie, offices and shops don’t seem to open till 10am and everyone seems to be late to work with the chilled laid back excuse…..you know, the traffic was terrible….I had to get a coffee, oh, and have breakfast first…..we will get there when we get there. The city streets are packed with people from all walks of life, the multicultural hum adds to the diverse cultural atmosphere and vibe.
We stay in the CBD on Bourke Street in an apartment/hotel close to the action and public transport.
Citadines Aparthotel – Executive Studio
The rooms are large and have a fully equipped kitchen with cook top, microwave and dishwasher. I just love to have a place to sit other than the bed to watch telly or write a postcard. This room has a couch and coffee table as well as a desk. The bathroom has an enormous shower with plenty of hot water….after about 3 mins of warming up time…..
It is a new apart hotel and rooms are serviced daily they have great nightly rates that can be found on wotif.com Ask for a room on the higher floors as the views of the city are stunning!
The CBD is built on a Victorian grid of Streets and Roads where the ‘posh’ shops of the day fronted and sold their wares. Connecting these main thoroughfares are the infamous Melbourne lanes, a virtual labyrinth of skinny laneways that were the original delivery access ways to the ‘high’ street shops. The underclasses started setting up shop in the lanes and now, they have become a bustling network of cafes, fashion boutiques and tiny specialist stores. Grab a laneways walking tour map from the tourist caravan in the Bourke Street Mall, it is a good way to spend the morning. Join the throngs on Degraves Street for a coffee,the grimy, seedy lane is straight out of a post holocaust futuristic movie or straight from a scene of Blade Runner. It is a must do and an excellent people watching experience.
Rosie is a Middle Aged Kiwi who is about to embark on a twelve month adventure of a lifetime, travelling The World with her trusty, loyal sidekick The Operator. In search of adventure, culture, new taste experiences and world wide 'happy hours', Rosie's journals chronicle their travels and experiences.
Rosie had a lightbulb moment. Within that flash of clarity came the realisation that time was spinning out of control and passing her by. So, armed with the confidence, means, ability and a new found passion for life, Rosie and her trusty, loyal sidekick The Operator have devised THE PLAN.
ROSIE – Continually travels The World for the next 12 months.
THE OPERATOR – Works his 28 day roster and meets Rosie somewhere in The World to explore the area together for his 28 days off. Repeat x6.
ROSIE – Will then stay in one spot of the country they have been exploring for 28 days of local immersion whilst The Operator returns to work.
THE OPERATOR – Certainly has the shorter end of the stick xxx
Join me as I journal my middle aged musings on our day to day travels, culture, food and the quest for the ultimate world wide happy hour.
