Melbourne

Going solo this time round was as much a rash decision as it was a necessity. I was (and still am) trying hard to contain an emotion thread from consuming all of my brain's processing power. I needed the time to prevent my heart from taking complete control over my mind...

Taking the overnight flight gave me ample of daylight when I arrived to locate my hostel, and boy how I really needed that. My navigation skill has dropped considerably since my last solo trip. Even with Google Maps printed out, I still kept turning at the wrong corners, having lost count the number of streets I had crossed. It didn't help when the route was mostly upslope.

Melbourne is relatively a very wheelchair-friendly city to visit. All the roads and buildings have aids for the disabled to navigate themselves and ramps and toilets for wheelchairs to access. Almost all of the public transport system allow wheelchairs to board their buses and trains/subway. The only exception is the older inner-city trams which have yet to be replaced by modern ones. However, everything is work-in-progress and I'm sure there will be full convenience soon.

I managed to stay and move around comfortably and safely from 26-29 December, even being out at 4 in the morning watching a football match in a pub. The people were so friendly that I didn't worry a single bit even when I was feeling lost. Overall, the trip was easy though I had wished I was in better shape for it. My fitness was not as it used to be, especially my stamina, as I felt exhausted whenever I got back to the hostel.

I left Melbourne for Sydney on an overnight train, which was another first for me. I shall save this story for another post...

Melbourne Museum

It is one of the bigger museums that I have visited. It is an ultra modern piece of architecture housing some of the most ancient artefacts. The exhibits are housed under different wings of the building with six major galleries:

1. Children's
2. Mind and Body
3. Science and Life
4. Forest
5. Melbourne
6. Bunjilaka

Each gallery contains multiple sections showcasing archaeological finds and donated items pertaining to Australia in general and Melbourne in detail.The more interesting galleries are the Science and Life, and Melbourne galleries.

The Science and Life gallery has an amazing collection of dinosaur skeletal displays ranging from pterodactyls to what I assume to be an apatosaurus. It also has such a wide and rich exhibition of flora and fauna, both living and extinct, that I had a hard time capturing all of them, which I eventually gave up doing.

The Melbourne gallery is interesting in the sense that there are gadgets which tell of the lifestyle in the late 19th Century - early 20th Century, how life was like for the people of Melbourne. I like the collections of sewing machines and typewriters the most as I was able to recognise the brands, even a couple of the models from my childhood days.

Anyway, I had a great time and for $14, it's worth it. I cannot describe any better my experience of the museum so I shall let my photographs show it.

PS: Pardon the bad quality of most of the photos as I forgot about the "museum" mode on my camera until much later and my hands were not stable.

Old Melbourne Gaol

It is a relic of the dark history of Australia from the 1840's to 1930's. It was a harsh 19th century prison where some of Australia's most infamous criminals were held. It also had in-house gallows where prisoners walked directly from their cells in front to be hanged, 133 times. Prisoners included men, women and children too.

The Gaol's system of punishment and reform was based on silence and separation. Most prisoners were in solitary confinement, spending 23 hours each day locked in small cells with one hour of solitary exercise. Communication among prisoners was forbidden and when leaving their cells, they were required to wear a silence mask.

The moment one stepped inside the cell block, one was hit by the grimness and cruelty. I could not imagine how any prisoner would survive a term in such an environment. Sanity must be the first thing a prisoner lost before any freedom was gained.

The Old Melbourne Gaol tour also included an experience being arrested and locked up in the Police Watch House. It was an opportunity to view the cells and the exercise yard of the police station which only closed its doors in 1994. It was sobering to be in a real jail cell alone with lights turned off.

Another part of the tour was a courtroom drama at the old city court, reenacting the trial of Ned Kelly. Visitors got to play a role as one of 10 characters or watch as part of the public gallery as the scripted courtroom drama unfolded. They got to decide whether Australia's most famous bushranger received a fair trial or not.

Wheelchairs could access most parts of the buildings except the second and third levels of the old cell block. So wheelchair visitors may want to consider whether to pay the extra $5 for the guided tour as they will not be able to hear the tour guide from the first level when the tour group shifts to the upper levels.

The basic $25 entrance covers the gaol, police watch house and courtroom. I highly recommend to go for it.

State Library of Victoria

Entering the library was like stepping into a time-machine and being transported back to old England. It's like walking into the Victorian era, which was befitting of the library's name. This place had two of the things I love most: old books and colonial architecture.

The library was holding two permanent exhibitions. The first one was on the early records and articles of 19th century Melbourne. The second exhibition displayed books from all over the world, ranging from the ancient copies to the modern old editions. I got to see the earliest handwritten scripts of the Bible and the Quran as well as the various printed versions of "Alice In Wonderland". I admired the penmanship of the scripts' authors which I fear will be much lost in the digital age. The printed books were meticulously pressed and came with beautiful illustrations, some even in colours much like paintings.

Entrance to the library is free so one can view the exhibitions whenever he/she wants. Of course, not being a member of the library meant I could not borrow any books. However, there's a mini bookshop selling the library's recommendations of the month. It's a shame that I could only spend half a day as I had to catch my train.