This weather this morning was a little overcast but ideal for today’s planned activity, a trip to the Botanical Gardens. After the short walk to Flinders Street station we caught the tram to the Shrine of Remembrance. We thought that this was just going to be a war memorial so were surprised to come across a large building housing a military museum and memorial to all Australians involved in conflicts around the world. The museum itself contained artefacts and uniforms from the first Australian troops in the 1860s through the two World Wars to the modern era. A paricularly poignant exhibit being the WW1 Gallipolli section which included an actual boat used in the troop landing. Outside a large poppy sculpture could be seen.
The terrace at the top of the shrine gave a great opportunity for a running photo.
Over the road from the Shrine is the entrance to the Royal Botanical Gardens which are reckoned to be the second best in the World after those in Kew. Indeed there were a good selection of plants and flowers such as these.....
........and these.
Unfortunately most of the plants had finished flowering as the autumn is upon us but it was still a lovely place with great smells and superb views across the lake...
......and of the borders.
We had arranged to meet up with Lorna, Patrick and Sally, a school friend who was visiting from New Zealand so mafe our way to the Southbank. We had a lovely lunch, lamb shank for me, chicken for Sylvia and lamb burgers for the others, compliments to Patrick. After lunch we split up the girls going off into town while Patrick and I made our way to the Melbourne sporting area for a visit to the MCG.
We managed to just make it in time for the last guided tour around the stadium including the dressing rooms, press area, underground practise pitches and the members long room.
The ground is really impressive and the tour was both interesting and amusing, even though England cricket was the butt of most jokes!
Outside the ground are a series of statues of great athletes and especially cricketers, not many being greater than Shane Warne.
Sylvia meantime took a walk along the river to visit the sailing ship “Polly Woodside”, which is part of the Australian National Trust.
Melbourne as a city has so much to offer and on this visit we have only just scratched the surface, I’m sure that there is plenty left to see in a future visit.
Tomorrow we board our cruise ship.
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