It”s easy to think of Australia as a vast but essentially homogenous country, all united behind one ridiculously successful sporting banner, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Well, alright, they”re pretty useful at the odd sport here and there, but a first-time visitor may well be struck by how fiercely independent and proud each Australian is of his state and city. Overheard recently was one Aussie cricket fan muttering: ”Of course they”d never pick John Smith, he”s from Victoria,” and it”s a sentiment echoed by Sydneysiders, as well as residents of Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, who all believe the ”they” are inherently biased against their local heroes.
This sense of identity and place percolates through everyday Australian life and nowhere more so than Melbourne, whose melting pot history of Britons, Greeks, Italians, Croats, Serbs and latterly, Asians, requires some permanent glue to bind its 3.4m citizens together.
Admittedly, there was er, a full and frank exchange of views ” and fists ” recently at the Australian Open in Melbourne between the former Yugoslav neighbours ” but generally this is a peaceable and overwhelmingly friendly city. Struggle to read a map and somebody will inevitably come up and proffer help.
Arriving at Tullamarine Airport - 25km from the centre of Melbourne - is a relatively hassle-free procedure, although the Immigration Officer on the day an A340-load of Englishmen arrived, was clearly delighted to be asking: ”So, you here for the cricket?” before the lambs were sent to the 5-0 slaughter.
Cricket is hugely important to the Aussies ” and at no time is this more vibrantly demonstrated than when the Poms are in town to be ritually thrashed ” and Melbourne”s sporting cathedral of the newly-renovated MCG is a must-visit stop on any itinerary. Seating just shy of 100,000 fans, the stadium is a modern coliseum, a bearpit of sporting confrontation that reverberates to noise and colour. To hear the Aussies in full cry at the Boxing Day test match has to be one of the great experiences in world sport.
A stroll across the bridge near Birrung Marr from ”the G” takes the visitor past the hugely impressive Rod Laver tennis complex, where the Grand Slam Australian Open swings into action every January, and indeed the walk allows the visitor to absorb the sweeping vista of the Melbourne Skyline, seemingly punctuated by every type of sporting arena imaginable. This is a city that takes its sport deadly seriously, from Aussie Rules footie, whose players” antics would fit in right at home with any English Premiership nightclub shenanigans, to myriad cricket grounds and tennis courts, the Melbourne Cup and of course, the impending roar of the opening Formula 1 race in Albert Park.
There may be a perception that every day in Australia comes replete with endless sunshine and glorious temperatures, enabling its tanned citizens to perfect their sporting excellence. The reality is somewhat different in Melbourne with the oft-quoted ”four seasons in one day” particularly apt, no more so than the recent Christmas day, where Melburnians awoke to a carpet of white (a hailstorm had blasted through) and freezing winds, to make it the coldest 25 December on record.
The following few days however, saw temperatures soar into the 30 degree plus mark, giving the assembled legions of Barmy Army fans the chance to descend in herds to Melbourne”s nearest beach ” St Kilda.
Access to St Kilda is via the number 16 tram opposite the enormously impressive Flinders Street station (pictured above) ” local rumour has it that a British red tape blunder intended its bright yellow Victorian splendour for India ” and once in situ, the visitor can soak up the bohemian, boutique and slightly LA feel to this uber-trendy hot spot, where it seems as important to be seen on palm-tree lined Acland Street, as lie on the beach.
Just over the road from the vast American-feel Lunar Park, housing a vast array of funfair distractions, is St Kilda”s long, sandy beach, bordered by any number of watering holes, none more trendy and popular than The Stokehouse, whose panoramic windows frame Melbourne”s movers and shakers.
The food is a touch pricey but very good, while the generous bar stocks any number of Australia”s standard beer fare, such as Cascade, Coopers, Crown and of course, the ubiquitous, VB, (Victoria Bitter) enthusiastically promoted ” and drunk ” by Aussie cricket icon, David Boon.
And where to start with Melbourne”s bars and restaurants? The city is a gastronomic and liquid haven, from Brunswick Street”s eclectic mix of pubs and bars, St Kilda”s outdoor Belgian Beer Caf”, to Federation Square”s centrally-located collection of touristy ” and wallet-straining ” hotspots. On a weekend, fight to get in Fed Square”s Transport ” a bar on three levels overlooking the Yarra River and the MCG to the left, while the soaring skyscrapers on the right frame a memorable sweep that is particularly striking at night from the top floor. And why not take one of Melbourne”s gloriously eccentric restaurant trams that clank and scrape on a circular route around the city?
If you can stand the unpredictability of the weather ” although Victoria is currently sweltering through a drought ” Melbourne offers the visitor one of the world”s truly impressive ways to pass some time. From sports fans to foodies, from arty types to business people, Melbourne has it all and with the strength of overseas currencies versus the Aussie dollar, a little goes a very long way.
Simon Warburton
ABTN Editor