Our first day in Australia looked very promissing. We had a good night`s sleep but woke up a little early. After a big breakfast buffet we headed into the city to start a walking tour along the sights. The first few hours it was nice and quiet with a comfortable temperature but during the afternoon it got very busy and the sun heated the city to 31 degrees.
The tour took us from Flinder`s Station and Federation Square to Fitzroy Gardens and Parlaiment. A short walk further we entered Melbourne`s Chinatown exiting near Bourke Street Mall where we got 2 SIM cards in the local Telstra shop for our phone and data . The historic brick Coop shottower was next on the list. This tower is restored and covered against the elements by a glass dome from a shopping mall. By now it was tme to go to the Eureka Skydeck 88, the highest viewing platform in the Southern hemisphere for an eagle`s view of the city. We also had a clear view on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, the ship that will take us to Tasmania tomorrow.
We followed the boardwalk to the salingship Polly Woodside and then made our way back to the station where, after 23 Km, we took a taxi back to the hotel.
Time to get some rest for another day of walking tomorrow.