Festivals Galore

Melbourne is known to be one of the most liveable cities in the world and you can see why. One of the things that I love about Melbourne aside from it being a sport mad city is that there’s always a festival going on whether it’s film, comedy, arts, design or music.  This is probably why Melbourne is considered to be the entertainment Capital of Australia as there is always something to see and do. Since arriving in Melbourne I have been to:

• New Years Eve Celebrations in Federation Square
• St Kilda Festival 2013
• Moomba Festival
• Melbourne International Comedy Festival
• Melbourne International Jazz Festival
• Australia Day
• Pride Festival
• Emerge Festival 2013
• Light in Winter celebration

St Kilda Festival, 2013

Pride Festival, 2013

Australia Day Celebrations, St Kilda Botanical Gardens, 2013

New Years Eve celebrations in Federation Square, 2012

On Saturday afternoon I found myself heading to the Good Shepard Festival Day at Abbotsford Convent in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Good Shepherds Sisters in Melbourne. Upon arrival it was clear to see what a success the festival was, seeing many people enjoying the weather, food and various other activities that’d been organised.  I was greeted by Frances, a volunteer, who pointed me in the direction of a guided tour lead by one of the Good Shepherd Sisters. On the tour we explored many of the Convent rooms, including the laundry, the Good Shepherd Chapel and a newly built exhibition featuring never before seen artefacts . I really enjoyed my tour around the Convent, and particularly enjoyed listening to the stories of convent life as it was for the Sister and residents.

Good Shepherd Festival Day, 2013

Following the Good Shepherd Festival Day I followed the City Trail bike path to Federation Square in time for the Winter Solstice Celebrations.  This celebration brought more than twenty of Melbourne’s culturally diverse communities with a night of music, performance and food from around the world. The performances took place on the centre stage, around the Helix Tree and camp fire. All the performances were fantastic but my favourite had to be the Square of Light project funded by Vic Health which saw individuals and groups explore cultural understanding through the form of music and performance around the warmth of a camp fire.

Winter Solstice Celebrations, 2013

Lighting up the Helix Tree, Winter Solstice Celebrations, 2013

So, if you are planning on visiting Melbourne be sure to check out one of the many festivals taking place across the City – they are great!

What better way to explore Melbourne than on two wheels?

 Last week I hit the Melbourne Capital City Trail which is a 30km loop around inner Melbourne. I decided to start the trail at Federation Square and ride clockwise following the Capital City Trail logo. From the start of my ride it was clear to see how popular the trail was particularly for City commuters and those wanting to get an exercise fix over lunch. The City Trail is a shared pedestrian and bike path that essentially follows the Yarra River, so I couldn’t  possibly get lost. Or could I?

I’d read many reviews highlighting that the trail was not very well-marked so I was extra vigilant on my travels not to miss any of the City Trail logos. I first passed the Olympic Precinct seeing the MCG aka the ‘G’ and Aami Park carrying along the riverside towards Abbotsford Convent and Collingwood Children’s Farm. I was feeling very content. I only faced a couple of obstacles during this part of the trail and this was due to water damaged paths from the recent downpour in Melbourne where the city saw a months worth of rain in one night. These obstacles would have been great fun if you were riding the trail on a mountain or cyclocross bike. However, I was on a fixie so I decided it was best to get off and walk though the thick muddy sections. Otherwise, I could have ended up swimming down the river!

        

Having discovered Abbotsford Convent a couple of weeks ago at a Skirt and Shirt Market  I decided to stop and refuel at Lentil as Anything. I’d really recommend a visit to Lentil as Anything if you haven’t been; It’s a vegetarian restaurant where you simply make a contribution based on what you feel your meal and experience is worth, according to your own financial ability – they also have restaurants in St Kilda and Footscray. The Convent is the perfect place to stop as it’s just off the Yarra River and is surrounded by the Collingwood Children’s Farm and Yarra Bend Park (you don’t feel like you’re in a City). The Farm Cafe at the Collingwood Children’s Farm is also another great place to recharge the batteries, and if you love a chocolate fix the brownie is to die for!

     

After consuming more than my own body weight in food it was time to get back on to my bike and join the trail to head towards Melbourne Zoo.  I fastly approached Dights Falls at which point everything started to go wrong! My navigation skills went out of the window! I thought I had followed the instructions and signs, but for whatever reason, I ended up back at the Collingwood Childrens Farm! (confused.com). I asked a lovely lady who was working at the farm for her advice and she pointed my in the right direction. So off I went, again. I reached the Fairfield Boathouse and was checking my map to see if I was back on track; I must have looked confused as a cyclist stopped to ask me if I was OK . I asked if I was on the City Trail and he said “no”, at this point I explained how I had been lost since the Merri Creek area and that I needed to be on the City Trail towards the Zoo. He kindly offered to lead me back onto the trail taking me through the suburbs of Clifton Hill towards the Royal Park Station.

Following a trail which was signposted should not have been this hard but one little mistake had completely thrown me off track. What was supposed to be a 9km route from the Convent to the Zoo ended up to be about 20km.  On a positive note at least I got to see another part of the City. Now that I was eventually  back on the ‘right trail’, I said thanks and farewell to my temporary lead, and was on my way.  I passed the Royal Park Station and the Melbourne Zoo feeling a sense of relief  as it was starting to get dark and cold and the whole point of doing the trail was to see it in the daylight. The end was now in sight as I begun the final section of my ride to the Docklands finishing back in Federation Square for the Light in Winter celebration. Thankfully I didn’t get lost on and I enjoyed seeing the rest of trail including;  the Ethiad Stadium, Melbourne Aquarium and the Docklands.

   

Despite getting lost I had a great afternoon, but if I was to do it again I would probably dedicate a whole day to do the ride to get the most out of the sights and attractions along the way.  A GPS would probably come in handy too!