Two nights at St Kilda, Melbourne

I recently had a brief getaway to Melbourne in order to attend the 2018 Bupa Blog Awards.  The event was being held at Quat Quatta at Ripponlea which is nearby to St Kilda so I decided to stay there, at St Kilda.  I flew down the day before so I didn’t feel rushed and had some time to browse around and meet up with a friend who lives in Melbourne.

In today’s post I’m sharing some snaps I took while I was away.  All were taken with my iPhone.

I stayed at Rydges Hotel in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.  Here’s my hotel room (part of it anyway)!  That bed was super comfy!

My plane landed.  I collected my suitcase.  I got myself to the hotel.  I checked in, dumped all my gear in my room, and off I went immediately on foot to meet my friend Rita and her daughter for lunch.  I met Rita online back in 2012 when we had both just started blogging.  Her blog was called ‘The Crafty Expat’.  Rita no longer blogs but is kept busy as a Mum and as part of a writers group.  They have recently released a box set of novella’s, one of which has been written by Rita, but I won’t say anymore as I have an interview with Rita coming up this Thursday on the blog so be sure to keep watch for that!   Rita and I met in person in 2014 when she visited Brisbane.  We spent a good portion of a day together at Southbank here in Brisbane.  We hadn’t seen each other since so it was wonderful to see her again and meet her now 3 1/2 year old daughter.  She wasn’t yet a mum last time I saw her!  Rita is around 15 years younger than me but we get along very well despite that age difference which proves that age really is no barrier to friendship!  We met for lunch at Abbey Road Cafe on Acland Street.

After lunch we went for coffee and cake just a short stroll down the street at the Acland Cake Shop.

The next morning I was up early and off for a walk.

St Kilda Beach

St Kilda Pier

Sunrise from St Kilda Pier

Dogman and Rabbitwoman by Gillie and Marc

A couple more snaps taken at the residential end of Acland Street on my walk back to the hotel in Fitzroy Street.

Christ Church, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda – a historical 150 year old Anglican Church.

I’ve watched a few series of The Block over the years, including this years (though not religiously) so I had to visit ‘The Gatwick’ on Fitzroy Street, which was over the road and up just a bit from where I was staying.  The Gatwick Private Hotel was one of a number of substantial apartment buildings and private hotels constructed in Saint Kilda during the interwar period. It was a three storeyed stuccoed building on three street frontages executed in a restrained Spanish Mission style. The Gatwick was one of the last of the substantial private hotels erected in Saint Kilda in the interwar period to cater for a more upmarket clientele.  You can read more of its history HERE if you’re interested.  Needless to say, it was in a dilapidated state, crying out for renovation and along comes The Block 2018 to the rescue.  Now The Gatwick is looking mighty fine!  Here’s some snaps I took.

Love the tree lined street on the walk to The Gatwick

The trams are longer and more modern then my last visit to Melbourne in 2012! This is a tram passing by just opposite The Gatwick on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda.

I had breakfast at The Hub Cafe downstairs at Rydges Hotel on my last day.

Coffee (and brekky coming) at The Hub Cafe at Rydges Hotel, St Kilda

Those two nights went by so quickly!  I packed up my gear and was soon on my way to the airport.  I spotted The Spirit of Tasmania on the way to the airport.  So nice to see it again!  Last time I saw it was at Devonport in Tasmania!  It even featured in a blog post I published back in October 2015 – HERE.

Goodbye St Kilda!  Goodbye Melbourne!  I will be back again VERY soon.  In fact, on 22 November we are back in Melbourne and off to explore The Great Ocean Road.  Looking forward to it!