Christopher Rowe

I must confess, I purchased VAustralia airline tickets to Melbourne on the count that after committing to spend x thousands on a skiing holiday, I needed relief somewhere, and when it came to airlines, Virgin naturally won out over Qantas for price in a significant enough way.

The last time I flew Virgin was about seven years ago, and if memory serves, I was travelling to Melbourne then too for my first skiing trip at Falls Creek. Again it was probably for the same financial reasons we traveled the budget carrier then known as VirginBlue. Makes you wonder just how many skiers and winter adventurers offset their costs by traveling with Virgin?

Michelle and I arrived at the Domestic Terminal of Perth Airport, checked in and made our way to the departure gates. Neither of us had breakfast, and given my recollection of VirginBlue some years earlier, knew that if I didn’t eat something now, there wasn’t going to be an offer of a meal on the flight.. After all, that was one of the distinguishing differences between boarding a flight that had a flying kangaroo painted on its hull over one that had a woman in a swimsuit holding a flag to an uncanny resemblance of Pamela Anderson.

Upon boarding the VAustralia airbus, I realised that a few things had changed since the last time I traveled Virgin. Right from the moment of stepping over the threshold in fact, from the pedestrian bridge into the plane itself, the paint on the plan was immaculate, no dents, no scratches. The hostess that welcomed us aboard was also young and attractive just as in the ads, much like the plane itself. Walking down the aisles towards our seats, it became apparent that Virgins ‘get sexy’ overhaul had in fact started to lift the ‘budget airline’ into premier league that its British counterpart Virgin Atlantic was born into – a premier airline service offering the comforts of business class to economy class passengers.

Although the leg room was still something to be desired, it was a small matter that was easily forgiven and overlooked in the lap of luxury that shadowed over any ill feelings towards the airline I had those many years earlier. For now there was good food, good wine, on demand TV… and a few obvious Branson touches that set thenairline apart from the rest; a comical yet informative flight control check video, and a sexy female digitized voice, informing passengers of flight status updates. Overall, it gave a glimpse of what flying in the 21st century should be like.. I cannot wait to fly their international carrier Virgin Atlantic!

After checking into our hotel, ALTO on Burke Street, we started exploring Melbourne. I had only been to Melbourne once previously for 8hrs, which saw me roam the dark streets into the brightly colourful South Bank district and that was it… so naturally with this trip, I was a little more curious as to what else Melbourne had to offer.

The city had a nice warm feel to it, although clearly a lot larger than Perth, Melbourne though manages to manage the hecticness in a uniquely relaxed style. Rather than the diesel fumes of TransPerth buses running around the city back home, Melbourne has an elaborate network of trams that cross up and down a lot of the major streets in the city.

On a down side though, especially if you’re planning to do a lot of traveling on foot, the Melbourne CBD unlike Perth’s or Sydney’s is quite hilly – your calves certainly get a good work out! And as much as the trams were a nice touch, it is obvious Perth will never experience them (again). If our TransPerth trains are too noisy for freeway residence’s hence the drop in speed as you approach the city, the Trams wont stand a chance. Although reasonably quiet on a straight, the moment they cross over an intersection, which is practically every street intersection, the wheels make a very loud clang, as iron meets iron.

Aside from the novelty of the public transport network, and a few niche stores that we don’t get in Perth due to an obvious lack of sophistication, the CBD didn’t really have a great deal to keep one entertained during the day (unless you were into clothing shopping – then between the CBD and DFO and Factory Outlets at Docklands you were set). After a few days, we found ourselves longing for the evenings, because that is when Melbourne truly comes to life.

The CBD itself has a rather impressive number of hidden alleyways containing a very cultured sampling of restaurants and bars. There is even a street, which reminded us of a street in Brussels, Belgium, with restaurants of varying cuisine on either side, the restaurant staff doing what they can to win you over so you would dine at their restaurant. A staff member finally one us over offering the first drink on the house; which later turned out to be a very limited choice of sparkling or still white wine.. a far cry from the night in Brussels where we were practically showered in one Duvel after another.

Although we did discover a few nice places to enjoy a meal, and some VERY nice high-rise bars to enjoy a drink or two, one in particular called the Blue Diamond Bar, which we will be returning to with our dear friend (and now Melbourne-ite) Mark before we leave Melbourne, we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the variety that South Bank offered.

For a $6 taxi fair or a 20min walk you arrive in the district of South Bank, home to the Crown Casino and an array of coffee shops, restaurants and chocolate outlets – which reminds me, the Lindor Milky Chocolate and Peanut butter is to die for!

Where there is no alternative other than to fine dine, South Banks variety of restaurants have everything you could want, whether it is a whole pan-cooked snapper, or a slow 16hr cooked beef rib that quite simply falls off the bone with the touch of a fork. When it came to dinner time, we both ate quite well, particularly at The Breslin Bar and Grill – Michelle will vouch for the steaks and I will forever be salivating for their beef rib, so tender that it falls off the bone with a touch of the fork – and for me, that is what I will remember most fondly of Melbourne.

Now its time to leave the city behind, travel some 500km north east for the white mountain top of Mount Beauty for a week of skiing!