Eureka Skydeck

Wed 31/7/13

Today was all about sightseeing in the city.
The tram stop is about 2min away, & takes you down Nicholson St, past the Victorian Parliament building & into Bourke St Mall. What isn't there to do in Melbourne? Not much!. There's shopping, coffee, food & eating, museums, parks, street performers.....heaps.
Glenn & I decided to do the Eureka Skydeck. Absolutely amazing. Some facts on the Eureka Skydeck:-
it is 92 storeys high
the skydeck is on level 88, & it takes 38sec for the elevator to travel from ground floor to level 88.
it is the highest public viewing point in the Southern hemisphere
it is 300m high
the top of the tower can flex more than 600mm in high winds.
it has 360 degree views
It costs $18.50/adult. At level 88, you can then purchase a ticket to go out on "the edge", which is a platform that goes out over the streets & then retracts. It has a glass floor so you are literally looking at the ground straight below you.
Found the Eureka Skydeck well worth a visit. The views are spectacular.
 

 

 Photo: the entrance to Skydeck 88

 Photo: Albert Park to the left. Yarra River looking out to Docklands to right.

 

 

 Photo: MCG & Tennis Centre

 

Photo: Looks over the city. You can see the Yarra River & Federation Square

 

 

 

 

 

 



Arrive in Melbourne

Tuesday 30/7/13

Saying goodbye to my gorgeous boys was hard. That bit hadn't occurred to me when I decided on this grand plan. I'll miss them. That feeling probably won't be mutual though!
We arrived safely in Melbourne approx. 7.30pm. You could notice the drop in temperature from Goulburn on. Some beautiful scenery along the way, & the lushness of some areas suggests decent rainfall. While it was a long drive, it turned out to be a practical idea, as I came with 3 suitcases of "stuff". And since we were coming by car, with plenty of room, I added more "stuff". There was no way I would have been able to cull it to 1 suitcase to go on a plane.
The apartment is rather new, & is 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, so I have my own areas. My flatmate is Crystal, who is a lawyer at the Children's court. Impressive, eh? Our unit faces Brunswick Rd & you get a view of the city.
Fortunately, the unit feels pretty warm. I was dreading how cold it would be. All in all, looks pretty comfy. Anyway, it's home for the next 3 months.

 

The photo shows the view from our lounge room window. Absolutely beautiful. Welcome to Melbourne.

 

Class schedule

Friday 26/7/13
I have saved my class schedule in jpeg format, so have been able to upload it for you all to check out.

The classes in black are the ones I'm booked in for. I get to do every class once. The classes in red are for second time classes, where I go on the waiting list & if the class isn't full, I get to attend.
First class is next Friday - Petit Fours.

T minus 1 week

Wed 24/8/13

Well, the countdown is on....
Less than a week before I leave for Melbourne. I've paid my money & booked into my classes so there' s no turning back now!
I've managed to get into every class I wanted except the 3 day chocolates & pralines level 1 class, which was full. I have been told, however, that I may be able to watch & that I can have the notes for that class. I did book into a 2 day chocolates & pralines 1 class, so I'm satisfied with that. I did write up a timetable so you could all see what classes were coming up, but I can't upload a document, only photos by the looks of it. 
Basically, I'm doing every class at least once, which is what I'm allowed to do. If I wish to do a class again, I go on a waiting list & find out the day before the class if I get to do it again. 
Classes I'm doing include macarons, entremets, verrines, tarts, choux pastry & croquembouche, plated desserts, chocolates including fillings & decorative effects & petit gateaux. All without putting on weight since I have my brother's wedding at the end of August! 
I'm a bit worried about how cold it's going to be. But it's a perfect time of year to be doing this membership, since the products won't suffer from heat stress. It'll be me suffering from cold stress, however!
On my bucket list for Melbourne is the following:
a few visits to Burch & Purchese
AFL games
catching up with my friend Lesa
exploring The Great Ocean Road
the skydeck
the state library
finding little coffee shops in out of the way places
immersing myself in the culture
etc
Sooo excited.