#highlanderbar

Late night touch-down at Tullamarine airport and a swift Skybus saw check-in at the first night’s backpackers at nearing midnight. We chucked the bags in the room, changed into clothes that didn’t smell like a locker room (try as you might, over 24 hours travelling on flights and through airports has an adverse affect on your personal hygiene) and asked the friendly guy at reception for a low-key bar that would still be open. Enter The Highlander Bar - fully recommended. Vibe for days, and a sweet collection of booze.

This lasted us one drink, and come their closing for 1am, and showing that NOTHING was learnt from the USA trip back in the summer, headed straight for the Crown Casino - taking the above picture of the Casino on the way! To be fair - It’s a great place to have a few drinks and exercise the excitement that comes with the first day of travel, drinks weren’t horrendously expensive and for a while we were $60 up! When the next hour was to be 4am, the backpackers was calling. Next up, we moved on to the much nicer Greenhouse Backpackers, bang in the centre, and so started a few days and nights of exploration. The first afternoon, an old friend of mine from the UK that now lives in Mornington (Hello Pete!) came up and checked into Greenhouse for the night too, and we hit some bars. I’ve been out here once before and Pete and I had gone around the rooftop bars in the daytime, but with night falling we hit some other lesser known spots. Total must sees:

The Croft Institute - Cocktails with Syringes, areas that look fresh out of a horror film, and a sweet vibe, this asylum get-up is found down some winding chinatown lanes. I don’t want to give it all away, just make it an essential stop!

The Rooftop Bar & Cinema - Found at 252 Swanston Street, this bar is an awesome place to sink a cold one in the sun, and a lively bar with cool views at night. Not too expensive, and when you’re heading up or down this building to the rooftop, stop off at: Cookie Bar - Awesome beers on tap, funky vibe and well - you’re already in the building so why not! Ponyfish Island - Ok, so probably better known, but still a great place to chill at day and night - Situated under one of the footbridges that cross the Yarra from Melbourne CBD to Southbank, the views of the city from here are superb, and it’s totally chic vibe is ideal whilst watching the world - and boats - coast by.

We ended up opposite Flinders Station watching a pub covers band, and chatting to anyone and everyone that came and sat at the huge table we were on. Anyway, come 2am, I realise that my UK Phone (a new Samsung Galaxy S7, which I’ve come to love using for shots when my camera isn’t around, especially as it shoots RAW) is... not on my person. I’d been tapping my pocket thinking I had it, but that was the old S5 we’d brought and put an Aussie simcard in. Crap.

Still, these things happen, and the next day I heard about a spate of pickpocket theft in that exact area. Sucks, but it’s just a “thing” at the end of the day, so un-deterred, we went to the back of St Paul’s Cathedral and chatted to the homeless chaps living on the street there, and took time to listen to what brought them there. This is partly going to be covered in a future post, as it relates to a part of a new musical project I am putting together, but for now, it led to this shot with this guy who had such a hopeful outlook on life that talking to him was such a pleasure.

My mobile phone recommendation goes thus: Travel with one phone on you. If you have more than one, keep one in your bag. It’s so easy, after being used to having to check for one phone on your person, to then on travel not be used to having two on you, and forget to check for both. Especially after a few beers. Don’t get me wrong, a spare is a good idea and in fact on this trip completely was a lifesaver, but yea - don’t be Johnny Two-Phones out in bars if your observational skills are anything like mine!

The next and following days we walked the streets of Melbourne taking in everything we could, including all of the awesome street art that adorns so many walls. So popular, and you can see why to be fair! With Christmas looming, the festive feel everywhere was addictive in the sunshine, if a little odd for a Brit that is used to cold at this time of year! Also took the trip down to St Kilda - Absolutely love SK, and the laid back way of life there. Can’t recommend it enough! I did go out at night and take some night shots and timelapse too, but that’s for another post. What I do love about this country, is that I sat on the corner opposite Flinders with my camera on a Gorillapod Tripod for a good 45 mins taking timelapse, with hundreds of people crossing the roads and walking by, and not once did i have ANY trouble from even one person. You try that in the UK...

After this, we headed out of the city to stay with family for a few nights, taking in Philip Island and Mount Dandenong (below - amazing view!) among many other beaches and sights - oh and Ramsey Street. Yes, yes, tourist location 101 i know but y’know - You have to see it when nearby! It’s like a guilty pleasure.