Christmas in Melbourne

Well it was an unusual, but good Christmas for the four of us in Melbourne. The obvious differences for me were being away from family and the weather! Over the whole time we were in Melbourne, it was hot and sunny! It was the ultimate paradox: summery weather and wintery Christmas imagery.

On Christmas Eve we shopped for our multicultural Christmas meal, which we had later that evening, and I mean later. The hostel kitchen was packed with people cooking, so by the time we actually sat down to eat it was already Christmas Day! Alexis made perogies (no idea if that's how you spell it), which is mashed potato, onion and cheese wrapped in dough and boiled (they looked like ravioli), and is a Ukrainian dish (Alexis has Ukrainian heritage). Thomas and Ines made Käsespätzle, a dish with pasta, bacon, herbs and onion, etc. I made mulled wine and we had Christmas pudding the next day. We were all really stuffed, as you should be after a Christmas meal!

On Christmas Day itself we started the day with Buck's Fizz and xmas pud, then we headed to the aquarium, which was surprisingly open. Amongst the usual countless numbers of fish, they also had penguins and a shark tunnel. After a traditional Christmas lunch of pizza (:P) we spent the day exploring the city, looking at the river and Federation Square amongst other things. In the evening we went to see Australia (the cinema was also open), which was mcuh better than I thought it would be.

On Boxing Day we did something I thought I'd never do: we went to the sales! I didn't buy anything, I kind of refused to, but Ines desperately needed some new shoes (which she didn't get) and souvenirs for family. In the afternoon we had a BBQ at one of the many free ones found by the river. (This is the amazing thing about Australia. BBQs are such a strong part of the culture that you find free public ones everywhere. You just push a button and in a few minutes it's ready to use!) We ate the common Aussie BBQ food: sausages and onions wrapped in bread! In the evening we went to the top of the Eureka Tower, where we had a fantastic view of the whole city as the lights turned on.

On 27th we sadly said goodbye to Alexis at the airport (after a scenic tour of Melbourne's northern suburbs while trying to get there), as she was headign back home to Canada. We then left our hostel (the cheapest hostel so far on our travels) and travelled in the general direction of Sydney in time for New Year's.


See my Facebook photo album which corresponds to this entry:

Adelaide to Cape Trib 2: Roadtripping and Christmas in Melbourne