Seeing the sights in Melbourne: Botanic Gardens; Yarra Rvier; Shrine of Remembrance, etc.

More general tourism, just walking around and seeing the sights and the buildings of Melbourne.

Walking along the banks of the Yarra.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are beautiful, with a few cool and shady spots in the heat of the day. In the evening the bats come out to play.

Inside the Tropical Glasshouse

Tacca integrifolia, also known as the 'bat plant'

This tapestry at the entrance to the gift shop is created to depict Arthur Boyd's Shoalhaven Trees

Melbourne Observatory

The Shrine of Remembrance

Widow and Children by Louis Laumen

We walked many times past the Hisense Arena and Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Tennis Open. The blue of the outdoor courts matched the cloudless skies above.

Federation Square

I developed a bit of a 'thing' for roof-top bars while in Melbourne. This one is Madame Brussels.

The interior of Madam Brussels

The Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens

Christmas decorations along Bourke Street Mall

The Myer Christmas window is apparently a big deal in Melbourne. The animated windows have been delighting children and bemusing adults for the past 59 years, with a different theme each Christmas, chosen from a storybook, nursery rhyme, film or theatre production. This year it was the turn of The Gingerbread Friends. I thought they were great, but Him Outdoors was less than entertained.

Meanwhile, back to the laneways and random statues...

And a Merry Christmas from Flinders Street Station and the City of Melbourne.

MCG: Boxing Day Test

Gluttons for cricketing punishment, we were off to the MCG to witness days three and four of the Boxing Day Test (it didn't make it to Day Five). 

Our team was very disappointing, but theirs was good and the ground was sensational. Him Outdoors has always wanted to see a Boxing Test at the MCG, so now we have, and although far from thrilled with the result, it was still a good experience.

Gearing up with a hearty breakfast before the start

Michael Carberry

Stuart Broad

Carberry at bat

Nathan Lyon's bizarre bowling style

Nathan Lyon may have a very inelegant style, but it didn't stop him taking his 100th Test wicket, and his first five-wicket haul in Australia. The crowd went wild, in parts.

Shane Watson

Mitchell Johnson steaming in

Sadly for us, he is more of a bloody legend, than a bloody idiot. He was Man of the Match and went on to be awarded Player of the Series.

Michael Clarke refuses to be intimidated

Joe Root into the attack

Monty Panesar fields a ball!

The supporters tried...

Monty got a wicket!

The Scoobys were happy

Nice ground: shame about the result...

Fortunately, the bars were still open.