Melbourne has recently been voted the world’s most livable city. Although I don’t live within the CBD, I have still found this to be true. Melbourne really is not a touristy city. There are certainly a couple main attractions, “must-sees” if you will, but they are not located in the city proper. There are not really any landmarks, and while there are many museums, I have not actually made it to many.
Within the city proper, my favorite attraction is probably Hosier Lane. Hosier Lane is just one of the many alley ways for which Melbourne is famous. This alley way, however, rather than be marked by restaurants and cafes, is home to graffiti-covered walls. The graffiti is so diverse, vibrant, and colorful. To me, the diversity of the graffiti represents the various ethnicities, cultures, and perspectives than can be found in Melbourne. It is a little snapshot into heart of Melbourne, the unspoken voice of the city. The day I went to Hosier Lane, there was a mural that read, “Becky, will you marry me?” My first reaction was to get excited because my name is Becky, too! But it is also cool and heart-warming to think of someone being proposed to here, earlier in time. Hosier lane is dynamic, transient and constantly changing, and I find solace in that, since my life has been of the same nature as of late.
I think my personal favorite sight to see in general would have to be the penguins at St. Kilda. St. Kilda is a neighborhood of Melbourne, just outside of the CBD. It is a beautiful beach town that reminds me of home. The very end of a jetty in St. Kilda is home to a little, or sometimes called fairy, penguin colony. These types of penguins are the smallest in the world and are found along the southern coast of Australia and in New Zealand. Watching the sunset over the harbor with the city skyline in the background is absolutely breath-taking. After the sun disappears, the little penguins swim up to the little beach on the side of the jetty and take shelter in the rocks for the night. September marks mating season for the penguins, so one can watch them search for a partner, or protect their already-laid eggs. There are several rangers around that are very willing to provide insight into the life of a penguin. There are also “ricaldi” around, also known as water rats!
