Midweek Melbourne: Exploring Emerald Lake

This weekend we went to Emerald Lake Park . Again.  This time we stayed there as we were meeting members of our small group there.

This was an interesting experience on so many levels.  We were dealing with at least three different cultures if not five as we gathered.  The weather was warmer than we expected and my wonderful wife was not feeling so wonderful.

One of the great things though was going on a water trike with my super son.  It cost too much and got the legs working hard but he loved it.  One thing he never realised was how tight I was holding on to make sure he did not wriggle away into the water.

We had taken sandwiches even though the barbecue was electric and thus safe to use no matter what the weather.

I had been thinking lately of growing up and the parks I went to when I was around the age of my son.  I have particularly been thinking of Lane Cove River Park which is huge, had a weir, playground equipment, picnic areas and when I was older a real paddle steamer. I was wanting to find an equivalent for my super son.  Well Emerald Lake Park is not quite it but it will do.

Midweek Melbourne: Beaches & Shopping

My super son was in a very active mood on Saturday and his mother was not.  I took the brave step of going out with him shopping to get his uncle’s birthday present and then to Brighton Beach.  I have now seen the famous beach sheds that appear in all sorts of photos of Melbourne Beaches.

Sunday was the birthday party and we all got there after a short outing.

Monday was a big beach day, we went to Mornington and had a wander around and lunch and then my super son went for a dip in some very clear water.

One of the things I do enjoy about Melbourne is the accessibility of the beaches.  We have found many of them easy to get to and easy to park at (for no or little cost).  This is unlike Sydney and California beaches which seem to charge an arm and a leg or have no parking.

So just another good reason to be in Melbourne 🙂

Midweek Melbourne: Comparisons

In the last few weeks with it being holidays and talking to people someone asked me where I have enjoyed living the most.  Out of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane it was easy for me to decide which was number 3 but less so for 1 and 2.

Now if I did a simple comparison I could say:

Best waterway(s):

a) Sydney Harbour
b) Yarra River + the Bay
c) The Brisbane River + Moreton Bay

That’s easy – Sydney Harbour.

Best places to eat:

a) Melbourne – all over
b) Sydney – all over
c) Brisbane – all over

I’d have to say that all are close but Sydney while I am most familiar with and find it easiest to get to stuff I think I’d go for Melbourne.

Best place to drive:

a) Brisbane
b) Melbourne
c) Sydney

So I am not sure a comparison is fair.  If I think about more exotic things like interesting markets and include places like the UK and the US where I lived Berlin;s Christmas markets win but for day to day it has to be Melbourne.

So in the end the winner for me at the moment is Melbourne and thus I start a new trend in the blog of reflecting on Melbournian experiences each mid-week.