Melbourne is truly a fascinating city.  Had there not been so many other fantastic locations to explore in Australia, we would have loved to extend our stay here and explore not only the city itself but many of the outlying areas.

Melbourne from the 48th Floor of the Sofitel

We were surprised by how much we loved Melbourne.  It’s a really friendly city with so much to see and do.  There are restaurants and shops everywhere, as well as a lot of museums and cultural venues, and a few beautiful historical sites as well.  We loved exploring the different cathedrals as well.  The photo below is St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  Just gorgeous!

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne

It was especially nice being in Melbourne right before Christmas.

Christmas Spirit in Melbourne

After having been to New Zealand, we thought pricing would be exorbitant in all of Australia and were planning for the same.  We were quite shocked on our first night to go into an Indian restaurant walking distance from the Sofitel that had entrees priced at $13 AUD verses the typical $18 – $22 NZD we were getting used to.  Thanks for that, Melbourne!  It certainly helped our overall budget.

Indian Food! Surprised?

Other dining options were plentiful.  Here’s a shot from Chinatown.

Chinatown Chefs

And just a few other sites along the way

Another pleasant surprise was discovering that Les Miserables was playing in Melbourne the evening we were leaving.  Since our flight was not until after midnight, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect!  We surprised the kids with an early Christmas gift and enjoyed our last night in Melbourne immensely.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to photograph any part of the performance, so this is the best I could do.

Les Miserables Melbourne

And finally, Melbourne at night.  Goodbye for now, Melbourne.  We hope to meet again.

Melbourne at Night