melbourneDAC

Shows to see

This is from Nanette Carter (presenting at the conference). Please note the reference to football, as I posted here a while back it defines this city:

Two very worthwhile video installation shows that opened on Friday night within a kick of a footy from each other;
Brendan Lee at 200 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Aberrant by Christopher Koller at 69 Smith Street, Fitzroy

MelbourneDAC with the kids

Well, the conference itself really won't be much chop for the kids, though they'll be plenty for them on the DAC Day Out. But in Melbourne, which is a large cosmopolitan city, the top list of things to do with the kids (in no specific order):

Melbourne Zoo

Standard sort of zoo with wide collection of Australian and international animals. For the locals the exotic beasts are things like giraffes, zebras, elephants, gorillas and so on. Some of the cages look to the old days, but the gorillas get a pretty good gig, and the new elephant enclosure is a must see. Also wander into the Australian animal section to find kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, wombats, emus and so on. Highlights: elephants, gorillas, butterfly house (stand still and they'll land on you), and then whatever critters you want. There is a playground near the central cafe (next to the seals). Easy tram access, the gift shop is a trap, can get food there, easy to spend most of the day here.

Melbourne Aquarium

This is down on the Yarra River in the city, opposite the Casino (major landmark, everyone knows where the casino is). Has some coral and reef fish but the centre of the collection is a very very large bowl which is full of local species (including some bloody big stingrays collected from St Kilda). There are feedings and presentations at various times during the day, some hands on stuff, a free theme park style ride (if you're over the minimum height, don't remember but you'd need to be 7 or so I reckon), and so on.

Melbourne Museum

There are three campuses to the Melbourne Museum. The big new one (which is the one I'm describing) in Carlton's Exhibition Gardens, Scienceworks (which kids love) in a nearby suburb (but not the easiest to get to), and the Immigration Museum (in the city, exceptional). The Carlton Museum is a wonderful building, and is what the natural history museum has mutated into. Fantastic children's museum, then it is things like dinosaurs, collections of animals, technology, bodies (particularly grizzly), Aboriginal history, and a section of Australiana that documents most of Melbourne's sacred history (football, a horse called Phar Lap, school, Neighbours) and so on. Plenty of food available, inside down one end is a playground, outside for free is a much better one, and the Exhibition Gardens themselves are a great place to run around in.

s

In the Treasury Gardens (right next door to the State Parliament, at the eastern end of Collins St, go there after dark, s everywhere. If you take pieces of apple they will come and take it, but a) very sharp claws, b) very sharp teeth, c) they are wild. Oh, a is a furry critter, to us they're much like North American squirrels - tons bigger, but any park in the city is full of 'em after dark and they are very cute.

Melbourne botanic gardens

Hectares of open space, recognised as a landmark garden in the English landscape tradition, for the kids check out the eels in the lakes near the central cafe, the bats in the fern gully, and there are heaps of black swans (which you can feed but expect them to be bullies). They are large, if you've got a heap of energy then a tram to the gardens, walk through down to the river, cross at the Swan St Bridge then back to the city through Birrarung Marr (new park on the city side of the river and Federation Square can be good. Probably 3 kilometres though...

Fitzroy Gardens

Next door but over the road from the Treasury Gardens. Famous for its fairy tree (for my money a rather dull carved stump but been there forever), miniature village, and Captain Cook's Cottage (first Englishman to 'discover' Australia - never mind the local inhabitants or the Dutch who were on the west coast much earlier), but again heaps of space and if the kids want to explore then the path that follows the water is mighty good fun.

In case you're wondering, Federation Square (Fed Square to us) is good, but all capital 'C' culture. Free new gallery (just go to enjoy the architecture), the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (free) and a range of cafes. Essential if you want cultural stuff, YMMV with the kids. The Melbourne visitor centre is at fed square, so good place to get info.

There is only one half decent playground in the centre of the city, this is located to the west of Queen Victoria Market, in the Flagstaff Gardens (the gardens are the block formed by King, Latrobe, William, and um, some other street to the north). This has some playground equipment (swings, slides and so on). This combined with a trip to the markets (sorry for that web page, it really is disgusting) might be good, make sure it is a market day though. The market has fantastic food, fresh fruit and cheeses and so on, and is, well, vibrant.

Ostraylean animuls

If you happen to be coming to MelbourneDAC from foreign climes (as many of you seem to be) and you'd like to see some Australian fauna, then there are two ready to hand options. The first is the Melbourne Zoo where you can be sure to see emus, wombats, koalas, kangaroos, fairy penguins, fur seals, as well as giraffes, elephants, red pandas, and all that exotic stuff. The zoo is pretty much a 20 minute tram ride out of the centre of the city, and this page should show you how to get there.

The other main place is the Healsville Sanctuary. This is out of town, up around where the DAC Big Day Out is happening (which might, just might, include a quick visit to the Sanctuary), and is nestled in some mountain forest. Here it is all native stuff, plenty of walking, and if you're lucky you might get to pat a dingo, watch the eagles, or cuddle a snake.

On the other hand, you might want something more authentic. Bit hard to show you how to get there, but some bush next to Melbourne's major airport (Tullarmarine) is actually a reserve and last time I was out there there were more kangaroos than you could point a stick at. (I always find this ironic, a lot of international flights would land or take off over this bit of bush, and no one knows about all the cute critters just below the wings...) But if you're want to see a koala up close, the zoo.

street press

For up to date information on what is happening around town go to the local street press. RRR, PBS, SYN and 3CR are all community radio stations. There are two main street rags, Beat and Inpress, they are available from Wednesdays at most city cafes and record stores.

st kilda

The bayside suburb of St Kilda (as featured in The Secret Lives of Us) offers a vibrant underground arts and music scene through its established galleries, pubs, cafes, live music venues and the diverse characters that wander the streets. From the Metropol Station, stroll/crawl/rollerblade along Fitzroy St past legendary pubs The George and the Prince of Wales towards St Kilda pier where you can view the magnificent sunsets or catch a ferry to historic Williamstown. Walk along the esplanade past The Espy, Palace and Luna Park to Acland Street, which is lined with fancy cake shops. Galleries like Patrizia Autor, Jackman, and Linden feature work form local artists. St Kilda is home to some of Melbourne’s best cafes and restaurants. From the budget priced Lentil as Anything, City Café, Leroy, Balas, Veg Out, Galleon, Café Scherazade and the legendary Greasy Joe’s (great hangover breakfasts) to the middle range Chicolina, Veludo, Barcelona, Claypots, Chinta Ria, Ill Forneo, Banff and the Vineyard through to some Melbourne’s higher priced trendy restaurants like Lux, One Fitzroy and Circa. Visit St Kilda on a sunny day or Sunday to catch the Arts & Crafts market or head in after dark for some late night entertainment. Take a tram from the city to St Kilda Beach (15, 96, 112). For more specific information and maps please visit the City of Port Philip site.

Rod Quantock Big Night Out

This is from Deena Larsen:

This will be my last note on the subject, really. I would like to make this tour work, and I do need people to reserve so that I can go ahead with arrangements.

This will NOT interfere with any DAC function--it is on Friday night after the festivities die down. This will be a unique opportunity--a famous local comic comes out of hhiding to do a wonderful tour. You will never see Melbourne--or any other city for that matter--in the same light again!

Please tell me if you can make this, and send this message off to anyone you know in Melbourne. Thanks

Deena

Deena's email is deenalarsen@yahoo.com

Footy

If you wanted a bit of authentic cultural tourism (or perhaps that would be ethnographic tourism?) and you're looking for something to do on the Friday night after MelbourneDAC, or the Saturday afternoon then try having a look at a match of Australian Rules Football (Aussie Rules, or if you live anywhere in Australia south of Sydney, simply "footy"). The fixture is here, and there are three matches being played in Melbourne. We take our footy seriously in Melbourne (it's our bookish culture - we think nothing of turning our backs to the world in a stadium of 60,000 people and watching a game that we do treat as our morality play). If you've never seen it before you have to have someone explain the rules to you. (Any game, with no knowledge of the rules, only ever appears as chaos, except Irish curling, which really is anarchy.) This is very Melbourne, and footy crosses most class and cultural distinctions.

oh, Inner City

FITZROY and FITZROY Nth:
How to get there:
The West Preston tram no.112 from Collins St will take you along Brunswick St, Fitzroy and St Georges Rd, Fitzroy Nth.

RESTAURANTS:
BLUE CHILLIES: 182 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. tel. 9417 0071
Most delicious Malaysian restuarant. Exceedingly polite staff.
Alight at King William St.
Website here

MOROCCAN SOUP BAR: 183 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North.
Verbal menu delivered by slightly crazy woman - no alchohol allowed- mostly vegan.
Alight at Scotchmer St.

PUBS:
THE PINNACLE: 251 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North.
Slurp famous Pinnacle oysters, sip cold beer at the warm fireplace.
Alight at Scotchmer St.

THE EMPRESS OF INDIA HOTEL: Corner Scotchmer St and Nicholson St (which lies parralel to, and west of, St Georges Rd), Fitzroy North.
Extraordinary exponent of Melbourne's diverse independent music scene: live music almost every night.

THE ROBROY HOTEL: 51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.
Dark corners to lounge in, swirly metallic sky blue wallpaper: another place to drink and catch more live melbourne music.

GALLERIES:
Centre for Contemporary Photography
205 Johnston St
www.ccp.org.au

more things to do in melbourne to follow soon...

Galleries

AUSTRALIAN CENTRE OF CONTEMPORARY ART: 111 Sturt Street, Southbank.
this big rusty monolith has a new show called "the Labyrinthine Effect' opening on the 23rd of May. If you have a car, ACCA is a great place to do burnouts.
Open tues-sun 11-6. To get there, take tram no.1 from Swanston St - alight stop 18.
www.accaonline.org.au

AUSTRALIAN CENTRE FOR THE MOVING IMAGE
at Federation Square: Screen gallery downstairs full of new media art.
www.acmi.net.au

life is so much more interesting with

SYNAETHESIA: Upstairs, 28 Block Place (above the optometrist), Melbourne.
Excellent experimental music store. Sit on the corner couch, listen to cds, browse books, magazines and comics. The Synaethesia 'Strewth' CD compilation of abstract electronic music from australia and new zealand is brilliant.
Open: mon-sat 11-6.
www.synrecords.com

compulsory

QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET: 513 Elizabeth St, Melbourne.
a most undigital environment -very therapeutic-: hard to frown when surrounded by wonderous aromas, free tastings (wine, cheese, preserves) and bustling peoples from all over the place.
in the deli, purchase: quality teas and coffees from McIvers, big fat spicy bratwursts 'worth crossing town for' from the Bratwurst Shoppe, and only the best honey roasted cashews and macadamias from Nut Trek.
Open: tues & thurs 6-2, fri 6-6, sat 6-2, sun 9-4.
www.qvm.com.au

two cafe/bars very close to RMIT

RUE BEBELONS: 267 Little Lonsdale St (just off Swanston St), Melbourne.
Enjoy: musica latino; smoking inside; cheap tasty coffee and wine-
Open: mon-fri 8am-3am, sat 11am-3am, sun 2pm-8pm

SAHARA: Upstairs, 301 Swanston St, Melbourne.
Enjoy: fresh produce from the Queen Victoria Markets turned into tasty sandwiches and bagels; bread and dips; tim tams with your coffee; imported beers; eclectic record collection from jackson 5 to yo yo ma-
Open: lunch til late