Decade

New Years Eve dawned, bright blue and already 25 degrees. As the temperature rose, we headed out into the city on a hunt for breakfast. We caught the free city circle tram, smartly outfitted in marroon and gold, and listened to the helpful commentary as we traversed the city. We got off by the Ian Potter Gallery and discovered an amazing iron conservatory type atrium, surrounmded by the funky architecture of the galleries and Federation Square. In here, we found giant umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, 'Summer-time' themed art installations and a cafe selling tasty paninis, which we sampled for breakfast. While we ate, tiny sparrows came and sat on the table next to our plates, hungrily looking on and chirping at us for scraps.
After our breakfast, we took a walk round Fed Square, admiring the view of the Yarra River and gardens, the crazy buildings and all the art. There is, suffice to say, a lot of art in Melbourne. Pretty much every ten feet you will find some sort of art installation, popping out of the pavement or hanging from the ceiling or peeping around a tree trunk, or surging out of the ground. They are not precious about it though, the natives continue their daily life around the art with no issue. It is integral to the city. Like the trams.
Now, Melbourne is considered the shopping capital of Oz, and with good reason. Everywhere you look, there is another shop. Melbourne is a very large city and there are so many malls, outlets and boutiques that we didn't know where to go. In the end, we walked along the main street, exploring the Lanes and Alleyways that branch off of it. We found a shop dedicated to F1 which Alex admired, and I bought some board shorts for the beach in Brisbane. (advisable due to jellyfish!)
We looked in on the Houses of Parliment, striking touristy poses on the many steps in the front. We relaxed for a while in Parliment Gardens, next to a friendly and dozy pigeon. We found a huge gothic-looking cathedral, pointed spires soaring up into the sky, edged with sharp stonework and gargoyles.
We returned to the hotel, via tram, in order to freshen up and change for the night ahead. We left and caught the tram again, heading for Southbank which was purported to be an excellent viewing place for both sets of fireworks, as well as a lovely place to eat. The reports were not wrong. Southbank lined the river, with an extraordinary view of the skyline, crazy bridges arching over the water, cruises floating up and down the water and a whole range of chattering people settling into the benches and grassways. Eateries line the edge and we were debating which to go for...
(ARGH! Possible time delay miscalculation, must go now to avoid incurring late check-out fees! Will continue writing later!!!)
...While looking over the various special NYE menus, we stumbled upon the food court. Not only was it still open, but it was the most magnificent and varied food court we had yet discovered. Faced with an array of amazing food, all ready to eat, our stomachs made the descision for us and we found ourselves seated and munching within ten minutes of agonising choice process. Alex chowed down on a burger and pasta salad while I went Greek with spanakopita and salad. Yum. After our delicious dinners, we strolled along the river bank for a while, occasionally pausing to watch a street entertainer or sing along to the radio broadcast echoing around the streets for NYE. Then, we head across a bridge bedecked with steel sculptures and onwards past some crazy birds (rainbow lorikeets!!!) to the carnival area. We hiked on past more bizarre art (a forest of metal sconces) and settled ourselves in a field of spongy grass (so spongy, its is almost like bouncing. It is everywhere in Melbourne). Here, we listened to the playlist, Alex bemoaning his newfound liking of less than indie music and myself bopping away. However. Promising as this scene sounds for much jollity to be had as the evening developed and the early family fireworks began at 9.15, clouds began to gather over the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, the Eureka Tower. Menacing purple-black pouffs clustered over the fake Eiffel Tower. The radio began to issue weather warnings from the Met office. 'Severe storms forecast - be prepared to take refuge.' Refuge! Seriously? We were highly concerned at this point about the forocity of the storm. It grew darker and the clouds multiplied. Then, suddenly the wind picked up and rubbish and toddlers blew across the field. Giant, fat, heavy and cold drops of rain descended from the sky, knocking out passing birds. We decided now was the time to take refuge. So did the other few million people in attendance. A few hundred of us crammed under the thin, boardwalk bridge near the field, sheltering from the onslaught as best we could, not unlike penguins. The ferris wheel pit on a light show and the music continued as we all huddled away from the wind and rain. The fireworks put in an appearance about 15 minutes after the start of the storm, during a lull of rain. They sprang up from behind the Cricket ground (MCG) and made the damp grass sparkle. They were not alone - Mother Nature decided it was a competition of wills, and sprang the most jagged, pink and purple lightning bolts through the air inbetween the man-made lightshow.
Once the first set of fireworks had finished, we debated about staying the next three hours to midnight. However, no-one comes this far and goes home early just because of a little rain, do they? So we stayed. We danced wildly to the crazy rock music that came on the radio. Then we stopped, in case the police thought we had been drinking (strictly a no-no at this event). We then made a run for it as the rain revisited and trumped through various places between the Yarra River, the multistory carpark, Fed Square, the Atrium and some of the random colonaded buildings on Swanson St. There were millions of people, in the street, under tiny overhangs, congregating under stairwells - it was crazy! The music continued, the church bells decided to join in with their own cacophony and the disco that had meant to be taking place in Fed Square had dissolved into a mosh pit adoring the African Dance Troupe that were performing.
We stood by a sheltering pillar and ate the rest of the salad we had ordered for dinner as a mid-night snack. At about 11, we headed back towards our pre-picked-out epic viewing point for the midnight fireworks. It was so cold, still raining, so we shucked the open air for sitting on the grass under the bridge, drinking hastily purchased hot chocolate and eating warm doughnuts, faced on one side by a large Indian family and on the other by a Korean street gang. Bizarre circumstances. After one of the Korean boys got led away by the police, we decided to absent ourselves too. We went down to watch the ferris wheel performing its colours and took shelter under a tree (not wise, I know, in lightning, but it was fry or stay moderately dry. We took a gamble). There, we performing some sort of keep-warm jig to Micheal Jackson's 'Billy Jean' which was blaring out of the speakers lining the river.
Finally, it was almost time, so we darted out, and up the bridge to the point where we could view the entire skyline in order to see the fireworks being fired off the roofs. We had our own countdown, the music cresendoed and the fireworks whizzed, banged, flew and spun through the air off the roofs of the skyscrapers. 2010. Wow!
We spent the first hour of the new decade walking, almost in parade, with the thousands of other revellers not in cars or trains towards the outskirts of town. It was still raining, people were running about, the sheer numbers were crazy. Lights, music - noise everywhere. We sploshed back, made it to our hotel and went to sleep, grateful that the hotel had provided thick duvets in the wardrobe for just such an occasion.

New Years Day dawned...and it was grey and chilly. Hmm. Now that it appears that we really do have the power to cause rain wherever we go, we are seriously thinking about patenting our abilty and earning free trips to hot, draught-ridden locations forever. Its just a case of how to prove it? Ideas on a postcard.
It turns out that it was the coldest and wettest day Melbourne had experience in THIRTY years. Seriously. Its a gift. A giant, draught-ending, water providing, damp and sodden gift.
Anyway, rain notwithstanding, we took off into town and caught the tram to the Docklands. Here, we had a tasty breakfast of fresh blueberry and almond buns and cinnamon rolls. We perused the souviner shops for a little while then headed back into the city proper. We passed the Melbourne Prison where Ned Kelly met his end, as well as several beautiful gardens and buildings. The buildings are a mix of intricate Victorian stonework and modernist colourful blocks. We popped into the Imax theatre and watched the 3D movie, 'Dinosaurs Alive' as we both like dinosaurs. It was amusing as well to hear various young children scream 'My eye!!!' after a shovel full of sand was tossed out of the screen, or yelling when a Seismosauras trumped around the forest.
It was getting late, so we took another walk around the streets near Fed Square and onto Southbank to revisit the food court for dinner. We had Chinese and Indian food respectively, and then splurged on an ice-cream sundae. We sat outside by the river, watching peolpe go by and plowing through ice cream and waffle bits. Then, we returned to the hotel and went for a dip in the pool (not heated, eeep!) and then to re-warm ourselves we sat in the sauna for a bit.