barryb Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 (edited) Just arrived back this morning from Melbourne, first time I have been there since Covid. The place is now Graffiti (not the artwork type that its famous for, but the pure fucking vandalism), Rubbish ridden & looks shabby. The roads are a complete fucking mess & embarrassment. Clearly investment has been reduced & its no wonder its slipped from the Worlds most livable city to 10th, further falls are likely on what I saw. Food is still great, shopping is super, piss drinking in Yarra Valley outstanding & public transport is amazing still. Only 40% of inner city workers have returned since Covid & its looked like it. Edited March 19 by barryb 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 So how do you rate the place compared to your beloved Tron 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Max was there last November (Cup Week) and the city seemed to have lost its soul. Mebbe it was the appallingly cold weather that made it worse ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 (edited) Just got back too Barry after 10 days, public transport amazing, drinking venues many and varied, food superb, safety excellent tho agree looks tired and under repair in many parts. Flemington was fantastic as always and the Tuesday at Ballarat was very very good for a second, maybe third tier venue. On the racing front we are just not there, never will be, 18 page supplement in the Herald Sun each Friday and a 4 pager daily ... just stunning Off to Randwick mid August for Winx Stakes day, and keen to see how Sydney town is tracking even if harder to get around Edited March 19 by Turny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb Posted March 19 Author Share Posted March 19 47 minutes ago, Hesi said: So how do you rate the place compared to your beloved Tron I like Melbourne, probably the best of the Aus cities for getting around etc, big wide open streets. Did The Great Ocean Road, never done it before, what a long boring old drive to see a few mounds eroding away. The Melbourne river cruise is a farking joke also, who wants to see a stinky dirty river as a highlight. I did the usual Kiwi thing & abused the honesty system with trams & trains & paid for none of them, climbed in through a hole in the fence at by the turn at Moonee Valley yesterday for free, that was spectacular. Fuck are we ripped for buying shit here though, the gap has become a chasm since Covid. Petrol $1.80 Doz free range eggs $4.80 Almost every cheaper or way cheaper at the supermarket, (much of it tastes like cardboard to be fair though). Dining out in Mel is fecking expensive & much of it is low bar stuff. Yes agree with Turny, very safe out & about, saw nothing of concern & zero violence in 7 days. most of the violence was inside my car with the fecking rubbish direction instructions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Agree on the price difference Barry eye fillet rolls 32.65 a Kg, here 47 to 54 a Kg All food was significantly cheaper, dining out not so cheap but lovely well priced food at my favourite sports bar, Mail Exchange Bourke Street 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb Posted March 19 Author Share Posted March 19 We dined at a place called SUD on Lonsdale St, it was out of this world good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Put SUD in my bb for next year, menu looks good pricing not too heftt Thanks as it is in the part of town we stay at 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 1 hour ago, barryb said: I like Melbourne, probably the best of the Aus cities for getting around etc, big wide open streets. Did The Great Ocean Road, never done it before, what a long boring old drive to see a few mounds eroding away. The Melbourne river cruise is a farking joke also, who wants to see a stinky dirty river as a highlight. I did the usual Kiwi thing & abused the honesty system with trams & trains & paid for none of them, climbed in through a hole in the fence at by the turn at Moonee Valley yesterday for free, that was spectacular. Fuck are we ripped for buying shit here though, the gap has become a chasm since Covid. Petrol $1.80 Doz free range eggs $4.80 Almost every cheaper or way cheaper at the supermarket, (much of it tastes like cardboard to be fair though). Dining out in Mel is fecking expensive & much of it is low bar stuff. Yes agree with Turny, very safe out & about, saw nothing of concern & zero violence in 7 days. most of the violence was inside my car with the fecking rubbish direction instructions. Someone is creaming it in NZ, not sure if it is the producer or the supermarkets. Having worked in the grocery products industry, I'm aware of how they cost out products. Many items have gone up well beyond the inflation rate of the last 2 years, which is about 11%. So you would expect to see an item that cost $5, 2 years ago, now costing $5.60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turny Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Supermarkets Hesi, absolutely coining it, they are total thugs when dealing with the suppliers and simply rip them Sad sad situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 19 Share Posted March 19 Yes, I saw the report about some of the draconian clauses they had in their leases, about what the leaser could and could not do. Why you never see green grocers and butchers in the malls, when there is a supermarket present Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globederby19 Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 To put it into perspective, when one says they have been to Melbourne , have they seen all of it?. Its bloody huge, one of the biggest sprawling City's in the world. My son whom I spent 5 weeks with over Xmas lives in Sunbury(out west,look it up), just above Diggers Rest and Melton. Roads are brilliant,access into the city is easy, food cheap, plenty of markets to get cheap produce and now there is a Costco,s to go to, not far away. Its my fav city, so much to do , and some of the outlying smaller towns are full of interesting history , quaint shops and eatery's. Just north of Sunbury is one of the largest horse training establishment in the Southern Hemisphere, Macedon Lodge, absolutely massive and fills up the valley. Still the land of milk and honey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Silly comment Globe, I haven’t seen all of Auck either, does that prevent me or anyone else from passing comment? As for “Roads Brillant” did you get off the highway? The roads off the M1 I drove on were completely fucked, pot hole ridden. and broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 https://vic.nationals.org.au/media-releases/victorian-roads-still-a-mess-as-labor-looks-away/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-02-09/rural-vic-roads-damage-1-billion-repairs-needed/101941184 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globederby19 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 18 hours ago, barryb said: Silly comment Globe, Quite right Barry, but Melbourne a little bigger than Auckland nevertheless. And yes spent lots of time off the highway, but the roads up that way where I was ,were fine. Of course every road isn't and I wasn't alluding to that fact. You just carry on with your comments , always appreciated even if punctuated with obscenities' most of the time . Elocution lessons maybe , where one can learn to speak clearly and in an acceptable manner. Might do you some good , although I have my doubts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryb Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 15 minutes ago, Globederby19 said: Quite right Barry, but Melbourne a little bigger than Auckland nevertheless. And yes spent lots of time off the highway, but the roads up that way where I was ,were fine. Of course every road isn't and I wasn't alluding to that fact. You just carry on with your comments , always appreciated even if punctuated with obscenities' most of the time . Elocution lessons maybe , where one can learn to speak clearly and in an acceptable manner. Might do you some good , although I have my doubts. Pray for me Globe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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