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.