I arrived in Melbourne after a long overnight flight and felt like I really needed to freshen up before exploring. However, on arriving in St Kilda early in the morning, I was told that I had to wait until the afternoon to get access to my room. So, I had to leave my bags in the hotel, pop on my sunglasses and step out into the warm sunshine. The first place I found that looked really inviting was a café overlooking the beach with plenty of outdoor seating. I ordered a nice coffee to wake me up and a bit of breakfast to keep me going for the day. It was great to relax and smell the fresh sea air and feel the gentle breeze brushing past my face. It was hard to believe I had finally arrived in Australia, as I had wanted to visit for so many years and hadn’t quite made it until now.
After some refreshments, I walked along the pier by the marina and along the beach which had great views of the Melbourne skyline in the distance. It was also here that I spotted a penguin amongst the rocks. There is a small colony of fairy penguins living in St Kilda that have been there since the mid-1950s. I felt really honoured to have seen one quite by chance when I wasn’t even looking for any.
After visiting this area, I walked away from the beach and found a small park where I sat on a bench for a little while to unwind and admire the scenery. I ended up chatting to an English couple who were visiting their son. I was then delighted to be joined by a group of cockatoos looking for a bit of lunch! It felt quite surreal to see these birds in the wild when the only place I have seen them before is in some form of cage.
I then strolled back to my hotel and managed to get into my room, which was certainly needed after such a long, but enjoyable day. St. Kilda is also home to the Palais Theatre (built in 1927 and formed part of the entertainment district)) and historic Luna Park, which is an amusement park located at Port Phillip Bay. Luna Park opened in December 2012 and was developed by American showman and entrepreneur J D Williams and the Phillips brothers. It looks magnificent after dark with all the coloured lights and is a sight not to be missed on a trip to Melbourne!
