The Great Ocean Road: Day 4

So the fourth day of our road trip started by us waking up at hostel Coffee Palace in St Kilda, which wasn't as luxurious as Herb's Hus, or quite as nice, but beggars can't be choosers.

We toyed with the idea of going to the hostel buffet and fighting the other peasants for a share of the no-frills corn flakes and a slice of the mighty-white, but at risk of catching something contagious from the food, residents, or both, thought better of the idea and decided to find a cafe. We walked down the road to the esplanade to try to find somewhere to eat. We stopped at a nice little cafe which, ironically, served worse food than we would have received at the hostel and charged a lot of money for the privilege.

We then walked down to the end of the pier before catching the tram back into Melbourne for a day of shopping to supplement what was already a very expensive holiday. The Melbourne tram system is quite a quirky little feature and it is what Melbourne is known for. The coverage is really good and you're never waiting long for one to arrive.

The only problem is that despite the best intentions in the world you can't seem to pay for them. They don't take cards, you can't pay the driver and they don't take notes so unless you have $3.70 in small change to pay at a little machine in the back of the tram you're well and truly stumped. All the local shops have got wise too and will not give you change unless you buy something. If there is ever a shortage of change in Australia, the Melbourne tram system will definitely be the culprit.

Shopping went as shopping usually does; I managed to keep my money inside my wallet but Lucia succumbed and bought two pairs of jeans which she has needed for ages (apparently). For lunch we had a couple of paninis in one of the lovely little cafes that Melbourne has, tucked down a back alley. The breakfast and café culture are just a couple of the ways Melbourne differentiates itself from Sydney, and it is a quite an endearing little feature.

After lunch we went to Crown Casino, the largest casino in the southern hemisphere (it has bars, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, theatres, hotels and just about everything else), to watch Clash of the Titans 3D. This qualifies as probably the worst film I've ever seen and all I have to show for it is a lighter wallet and a pair of 3D sunglasses. Disappointed, we caught the train back to to St Kilda to go out for dinner...