Melbourne 2026 October

Walk About the Bay

Now that our Datelines Project has concluded, our new goal is to walk around Port Phillip, not in order nor all at once. We had no plans for the weekend so we committed to starting at one of the two furthest points. It took a 1.25 hour train, 1.45 hour bus, a 2km walk, and a 5km shuttle to arrive at Fort Nepean so we could actually begin our journey. I was exhausted before we began. All I had to do was walk. Right. Except we traveled 3x the distance of what I usually walk, at a faster pace than I usually do, with 8037 flies swarming around my face. At least the sun was shining without gusting winds. The room we stayed in had a bathtub and I soaked for an hour. The next day, we started earlier and only had a 30 minute bus ride to our starting place. I was surprised by how many brightly colored beach boxes there were along our walk. We walked a total of 21+ miles (~34km) along the Bay Trail on the Mornington Peninsula.

Photography

The Royal Botanic Gardens were wet! I’d never photographed in the literal rain before. My pants and shoes were soaked through.

Town Halls

Preston Town Hall – City of Darebin 10/5/26

The main town hall was closed for a staff event. The building was part of a large complex including a multicultural center, council chambers, and customer service area. Preston was larger than I thought it would be. The train station was very colorful. The outdoor art looked like an orgy.

Richmond Town Hall – City of Yarra 10/13/26

Although this was a working town hall, the only part I could see/get into was the ground floor customer service center. I could see there was interesting art on the 2nd floor but one needed a key card i.e. be official to get up there.

My Town Hall side quest has concluded! I started this almost a year ago. This journey has taken me to suburbs that I knew nothing about so I saw some cute and interesting places. I like how every suburb has a bakery cafe, a nail salon, and a fish shop. There’s always a nice sidewalk in front of the shops and chairs/tables set out for people to enjoy. I’m sad that I’ve finished because it gave me a weekly purpose to go out into the community.

I’m not sure what my next side quest will be.

Melbourne Star

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Defo88sBifz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&cplk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&srtk=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I rode the Melbourne Star in 2021 and it closed for repair shortly after. There were rumors that it was irreparable and was going to be dismantled. Last year, a developer said repairs were underway and that it would reopen in 2026. I arrived on opening day, ready to ride again.

Shepparton

The Archibald Prize exhibit was over 3 hours away by public transportation so we turned our visit into a V-line Dateline. Shepparton was at the end of a V-line train so it was a perfect convergence of activities. We disembarked at lunch so we found a local pub née hotel. On the way to the motel, we wandered through the local “Moooving Art” display, 90 decorated cows scattered through the city. The botanic garden had recently been created on the local rubbish tip along the river. We walked along the river back to town and had dinner at yet another local hotel/pub. In the morning, we went to view the Archibald prize exhibit. This year, I only knew one of the subjects: the first female governor-generals. We needed a low key get-away.