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Thursday, January 08, 2004
Neri: Melbourne
By Nelia Neri
Talk of travel thrills and nothing beats our recent trip to the land down under. From the day of departure to the time we were back on Philippine soil, it was one excitement after the other.
For starters, our passports with our Australian visas didn’t come until a few hours before our scheduled departure. After moving “heaven and earth” to get hold of that all-important package sent by the Australian Embassy through a courier, our tour leader Zenaida Chua of Worldwide Travel (she organized the famtour in coordination with PAL), finally located it with the help of Aussie specialist Steve Alfafara.
We took PAL’s late afternoon flight to Manila to connect with the evening flight to Melbourne. Since we were checked through all the way, it was literally a “walk in the park” when we arrived at the Manila airport. With our Melbourne boarding passes in hand, we simply proceeded to the international departure area next door. No hassle, no heavy luggage (just our handcarry), and no more lining up at the check in counter. What convenience!
Just as PAL’s manager of Passenger Sales Chris Lebumfacil said during the briefing, all we had to do was to go though Immigration and then wait for our flight to be called within the comforts of PAL’s Mabuhay Lounge. We did just that while savoring PAL’s signature comfort food of steaming hot Arroz Caldo.
Our group of 10 in the PAL-Worldwide Travel Familiarization Tour of Melbourne and Sydney included tour leader Zenaida Chua and PAL escort Chris Lebumfacil; Chit Querubin of Dreamscape Travel-Iloilo; Angelita Dy of Cebu Morningstar Travel; Nelson Dy of Grand Hope Travel; Danilo Ching of Travel Saver; Cookie Chan of Southwind Travel, Bebina Cenia of Segen Travel; Jayne Felicilda of Mabuhay Travel; and me, as the media invitee.
Melbourne weather was unexpectedly icy for late November because it was supposed to be early summer in the land down under. We proceeded to the Duxton Hotel, our home for the next three nights. Housed in a heritage-listed building, the 349-room hotel is strategically located across the street from the historic Flinders Street Railway Station. It is a short stroll away from the shops and restaurants along the Yarra River, and within walking distance to the main shopping district, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Federation Square, the Melbourne Aquarium, St. Paul’s Cathedral and other landmarks. Constructed in 1913, the building has been restored to its original splendour with the main hall and prime rooms featuring ornate ceilings, leadlight windows and columns, and rich, dark timber panelling.
It was a thrill setting foot in Melbourne once again after that first visit in 1998.
Looking around for familiar sights, I identified the Queen Victoria Market, the meandering Yarra River, the Victorian Arts Centre, the Crown Entertainment Complex in Southbank and the famed Aussie department stores, Myer and David Jones.
Melbourne is definitely on the move. A steadily growing metropolis with new and exciting developments, Melbourne has become even more enticing and more tourist-friendly. Not too many places can boast of a free tram moving around the city for anybody who cares to hop on and off and get to know it better.
There’s the newly-opened Federation Square, dubbed as the city’s cultural heart (all 3.8 hectares of it), at the busy corner of Flinders and Swanston streets. The ultra modern landmark stands out because of its dramatic series of structures with triangularly composed facades making use of glass shards and silver. It is a place where people rendezvous, mill around, and congregate, especially when something’s showing on the outdoor screen. In the complex are the Ian Potter Center: NGV Australia with its superb collection of Australian art from the Colonial period to today; the Australian Centre for the Moving Image which displays movie history; SBS-Radio and Television; the 450-seat performance venue called BMW Edge; and the Melbourne Visitor Centre where all kinds of brochures promoting the many attractions of Melbourne and its environs are available.
One of the most exciting additions to the city’s “must visit” places is the world-class Melbourne Aquarium, home to over 10,000 aquatic creatures. Among the features are a walk-through section where divers can be seen hand-feeding sharks and rays, and various themed sections including tanks with smaller marine creatures such as sea dragons, a mangrove ecosystem, a rock-pool exhibit and a simulated coral atoll.
Two special dinners come to mind when we think of our Melbourne stay. One was that steak dinner (yummy!) at Hard Rock Cafe where we got the chance to ogle at the Melbourne Collection of stars’ memorabilia...like Madonna’s famous black bustier and her trademark brown beret; the Beatles’s stage suit from the film A Hard Day’s Night; Chuck Berry’s guitar; and lots of other mementoes.
Another unforgettable one was that early dinner on our last night in Melbourne at the River Seafood Grill hosted by Tourism Victoria. It was simply divine, dining on fresh seafood while dreamily looking out at the picturesque landscape around the Yarra River.
(More next week.)
(January 8, 2004 issue)
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