Choo! Choo!

On January 5, 2026November 8, 2025 By kyndarisLeave a comment

It was a cold and blustery Sunday morning when bleachpanda and I headed over to the distant suburb of Belgrave. Eschewing the third day of PAX, the two of us had arranged for a train ship out in the quiet Victorian suburbs and to enjoy some high tea once our little steam engine reached its stop at Lakeside. But first, there was the whole ordeal of getting there. Especially with the ongoing trackwork on the line.

Having researched all this beforehand, the two of us woke early. Thankfully, our hotel was close to a local bus station. The bus in question, the 907, took us to station unaffected by the closures. Mitcham is a small commuter railway station on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines.

When we arrived, our train was pulling into the station. Bleachpanda and I quickly descended the escalator and hopped on. From there, it was a another twenty odd minutes or so to the station at the end of the line (as it was an all-stops train and because Belgrave sits about 36km away from Melbourne’s CBD). Once we arrived, we wended our way through the back exit of the station, making sure to tap our Myki cards, as we followed the signs to the one and only Puffing Billy.

According to the pamphlet we were handed as we picked up our tickets, the Puffing Billy Railway was one of four narrow-gauge railway lines built in Victoria back in December 1900 to open up more remote areas. This track, originally spanning 29 kilometres, traced a scenic route from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook (which was once a busy centre for the transportation of timber and farm produce).

During its nearly 125 year history, the railway was closed briefly in 1953 following a landslide and mounting financial losses at the time. Following its closure, though, the Puffing Billy Preservation Society was formed to keep the railway running and it reopened services in 1955 (with further work done in 1962, 1965, 1975 and 1998).

For bleachpanda and myself, we would be taking it only to Lakeside Station.

And what a ride it was!

With our feet dangling out the windows (although technically I was the only one out of the two of us who did it and even then, not for long), we watched the countryside flash past us. Munching on our snacks, we enjoyed a day out looking at nature. That said, it was a little nippy and the two of us, unfortunately, had not dressed as warmly as we should have.

Still, I have to admit, it was good to see train enthusiasts waving at us as we passed them by. There’s something uniquely human in that brief connection that filled me with a sense of wonder.

Once we arrived at Lakeside, we headed towards the the Visitor Centre where the cafe was located for our high tea lunch. Though the sandwiches were passable, I was a little confused at the selection of salami and prosciutto selections at the bottom. The scones, too, were a lot more filling than I expected. That said, they were tastier than the too sweet macarons.

After we finished filling our stomachs, bleachpanda and I took a stroll down past Lake Treganowan in Emerald Lake Park. To our dismay, it started to rain. Fortunately, the two of us had thought ahead (or I did because I was checking the daily forecast) and had brought umbrellas.

While I would have preferred a sunnier day, I suppose I should have been thankful it didn’t storm and turn our entire expedition out into some disaster. We even got to venture through an amateur art gallery filled with paintings of animals and iconic Australian scenery.

The train ride back on the Puffing Billy saw us sit facing the other side (which we missed out on the ride over to Lakeside). Snapping a few shots, I was lulled by the motion of the steam train and my natural circadian rhythm to nap for a few minutes as we returned to Belgrave and ‘civilised’ society.

After we pulled into the station, bleachpanda and I took a gander at some of the souvenirs. I picked up a fridge magnet while bleachpanda spent a pretty penny on a t-shirt for her niece. Then it was back to Belgrave train station. This time round we took the train all the way to Camberwell before taking a shuttle bus all the way to Parliament.

By then, it was nearing dinner so the two of us headed to Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen. And while the food was decent (though I did ask for normal noodles and feel like I got hard instead), I felt it was a little overpriced for what it was. Admittedly, it was also a Sunday (which would have added a hefty surcharge).

As bleachpanda and I sat and ate a nice warm soupy meal to combat the freezing temperature outside, I couldn’t help but take in the other patrons. A vast majority were PAX goers that had, presumably, enjoyed their Sunday in the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Stomachs full, bleachpanda and I braved the sudden storm blowing through Melbourne CBD in order to return to our hotel.

The trip to Melbourne had come to a close. While I would have liked it much better if bleachpanda had purchased me the steam paddleboat Lego set at the airport, I like to think it was a good trip. After all, she hadn’t threatened to murder me as much as she did when we were in Japan!

While I can’t say when my next trip will be, I am hoping for a nice extended holiday overseas. Maybe a country with rolling hills and nice cottages that appeal to my sensibilities.

Time will see if my dreams come to fruition.

2026 is a new year filled with all manner of possibilities. Here’s hoping I can find the one thing I’ve craved for as long as I’ve been alive.

Disney Shopping Spree

On December 5, 2025October 23, 2025 By kyndarisLeave a comment

My third year at PAX saw me convince my good friend, bleachpanda, to tag along despite the misgivings I had over the event during the last few years. And while the panels for PAXAus 2025 did not give me much hope for the event, the dearth of many staple exhibitors this year only furthered my feeling to give myself a break. Or, at least, consider PAXAus not as the be-all, end-all event I’d hyped up in my head.

After our day out in Melbourne the day before, bleachpanda and I had a hearty breakfast before traipsing down Spencer Street towards the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. We arrived at the doors just after 10 AM, entering into the exhibition hall with the day still young.

Almost immediately, we were inundated by the mass of attendees (even on the Friday) and those excited to try the new best thing. Though I was tempted to linger in the indie section, we were quickly drawn further into the hall. Almost immediately, we were queuing for a hobby store selling all things video games and anime-related merchandise. Before I knew it, I had a Ceruledge Funko Pop! in hand and a Tifa Lockhart Adorable Arts figure in hand. How they’d got there, I couldn’t say. It was almost like my body was moving on its own as I handed over my credit card to the cashier.

Then there was a brief detour to the Disney store where, after assessing the prices for Disney Lorcana, I settled instead for a Sven plushie (don’t worry, dear reader, I would indulge in my Disney Lorcana addiction in short order later). Cute toy in hand, bleachpanda and I trickled into the tabletop gaming area. Almost immediately, I zeroed in on the Disney Lorcana stand. While I’d not initially been drawn in by the Collection Quest that was being run, I could not resist the allure of picking up a few booster packs and a mystery bag (this would contain an Azurite Sea Illumineer’s Trove and two playmats). Much to bleachpanda’s amazement (probably because of the sheer amount of money I was throwing away at colourful cardboard cards. And to that I say, it’s DISNEY! As an out and proud Disney adult, it is my DUTY to fall for nostalgia and good artwork of my favourite Disney characters).

Determined not to make Disney my entire personality, bleachpanda and I went around the rest of the tabletop stalls to have a look at what was on offer. While I was tempted by several Disney Villain jigsaws (because the prices were a steal!) and Tea Witch, I settled for getting the core ruleset for Daggerheart instead. And, by the Gods, was it heavy!

After we’d had a quick cursory look at what else was on display, we circled back to Nova to look at their dice. Admittedly, the idea of picking up a frosted glass dice set did tickle my fancy. Alas, I held off and the two of us returned again to the Disney Lorcana stand. Here, I taught bleachpanda a little of the rules before partaking in the Collection Quest (the cards in question being part of the Azurite Sea set. And since, you know, I had an entire trove of the cards, I thought I’d be able to easily find the cards needed). Working with several others on the table, I ripped and tore my way through the packets of cards to find the ones needed.

Suffice it to say, all the people on the table managed to get all four of the promotional cards being handed out. Myself included.

Weighed down by my haul of goodies, bleachpanda and I then headed to lunch at the Boatyard. Though it was the peak of lunch time, we managed to secure a spot near the back of the restaurant.

Once we’d eaten our fill, we headed back in to PAX. This time, however, our goal wasn’t the exhibition hall but one of the many theatres. The reason? To attend a panel definitely tier-ranking video game food. And run, of course, by very serious game journalists.

While it did feel like the panel was the journalists trying their best attempt at improv comedy, I like to think there were some decent discussions on what makes food look oh so yummy on the screen.

Once the panel was finished, bleachpanda and I returned to the exhibition hall. While nothing truly caught our eye, we did try our hand at archery at the Sims stall before enteringthe queue for Blackmilk. True to form, bleachpanda tried to convince me to buy a Pokemon skirt. But while some of the designs were nice, I couldn’t help but be put off by the lacklustre materials used.

In the end, we walked out of Blackmilk empty-handed (of their products, at least) before heading to our last panel for the day: Ghost of Yotei in the Main Theatre.

Yet again the panel did not seem to have the hype I’d wanted. Rather, it felt like an extended advertisement as the developer on stage tried to steer away from any narrative spoilers. And as someone who had already purchased the game, there wasn’t anything I saw in terms of gameplay that further sold me on the premise (I mean, I’ll eventually get to it. I just have such a HUGE backlog at this stage. Which has not been made any smaller by then picking up a new Nintendo Switch 2. If I had an entire year to sit back and play video games, I MIGHT be able to get through the majority of my backlog. Honestly, if I wasn’t as interested in open-world and role-playing games, I would most definitely be more on top of the games I play).

After the panel wrapped up, bleachpanda and I headed back to our hotel on the other side of Melbourne CBD. Mostly so I could drop my heavy bags before we headed out for a late dinner.

I had HOPED for steak but bleachpanda had her eyes on Katsuhon. However, given how long the line was, we changed plans and headed to Dao Noodle instead. While it wasn’t quite my favourite, it certainly brought something a little different to the usual Chinese fare I would have while out in Sydney.

So ended Day 1 of PAXAus 2025.

Already I was dreading how much I would end up spending for Day 2 (spoilers: shockingly not as much since I knew my suitcase was already bursting at the seams and couldn’t fit much more. That said, I could have gotten more Disney Lorcana booster packs if I wasn’t being overly stubborn).

Gridlock Goldilocks

On November 26, 2025October 18, 2025 By kyndarisLeave a comment

It is a feat, in and of itself, to navigate a city even with global positioning systems in our very pockets. Some central business districts, of course, need them. What with their one way streets and confusing configuration. But I , a purported human GPS, have always found Melbourne a cut above the rest with its sensible grid-like structure.

Does it lead to a lot of wind tunnels that threaten to blow one away? Yes, but it also makes tracking down that one elusive restaurant you’ve been meaning to try for years a breeze.

With PAXAus 2025 still two days away, bleachpanda and I made our way to the capital of Victoria. I’d chosen a Wednesday primarily because I wanted to take the time to enjoy our time exploring the city (that said, the two of us had visited it multiple times separately in the past) without worrying about missing the latest gaming showcases in the exhibition hall.

After we had checked into our hotel and divested our luggage into our room, bleachpanda and I hit the streets. Our earlier flight had been around lunch time and we hadn’t had a moment to refuel. Our first stop was a local cafe where the both of us grabbed something relatively light (along with hot drinks). Once we’d eaten our fill, we hurried along the familiar streets to check out the stores any basement-dwelling weeb nerds would actually hang out in.

Those stores being, of course, Critical Hit and Minotaur. Thankfully, both are located on Little Collins Street, albeit at some distance between each other. While bleachpanda was able to buy me a cursed Blue Badger charm, I was unable to find an equivalent present for her. Nor, for that matter, was I able to locate for myself a compact paperback of John Gwynne’s Fury of the Gods. Alas, my wait was to continue before I could complete the collection.

After a late dinner, we returned to our hotel to ready ourselves for the next day: a chill Thursday when others seeking to attend PAX would descend onto the city en masse.

And while the step count for Thursday was one of the highest, I like to think bleachpanda and I got to enjoy a fairly sedate exploration. We started with a visit to the Queen Victoria Markets. Operating since 1878, the QVM hosts a wide variety of fresh produce and specialty shopping for those inclined. It was here we were joined by my good friend Sorrengail, wherein I was able to hand over a gift: a pin of Morag (one of her favourite characters from Xenoblade Chronicles 2). While at QVM, we checked out the numerous stores as we nursed our own cups of hot beverages. There was, after all, much to see and temptations galore.

From QVM, we strolled all the way down Elizabeth Street towards Federation Square. The national museum of screen culture has always been a favourite of mine. And luckily, there was a special exhibition depicting video game worlds from the 1970s to the present. Game Worlds: Playable Exhibition had us exploring the evolution of video games over 50 years: from early text-based adventures to current indie sweethearts like Hollow Knight: Silksong (a game I wouldn’t dare to play because I simply can’t ‘git gud’ enough. Although, Sorrengail did finish it during a late night karaoke out with her work friends).

I have to say, the nostalgia hit me hard when I saw Neopets being celebrated. A browser game filled with many Flash-powered minigames, Neopets was a pivotal moment of my childhood. Logging on each day to feed my pets, having my mum sign a consent form (which we sent to the offices so I could have access to other parts of the game as I was under 13 at the time), and interacting with the world at large. I’d even tried penning my own ‘choose-your-own’ adventure style narratives (though it never went far).

There were, of course, other games on display. But what took me by surprise was a small monument to Dungeons & Dragons. On the screen in the exhibit, snippets of Critical Role, Dimension 20 and a show hosted by renowned GM and player, Deborah Ann Woll were on display. Considering my current obsession with tabletop role-playing games, it was a pleasant thing to stumble upon.

That said, it should have come as no surprise. Many video games have been inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. Least of all, the Baldur’s Gate series, but even Final Fantasy can chalk some of its roots to the dice-rolling role-playing game.

Game Worlds: Playable Exhibition also showcased a number of big name titles including World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online and The Sims. There were also lesser known games like Stardew Valley and Celeste. All of which attendees could sit down and play with for a few short minutes should they so choose.

The ACMI also had a dedicated free exhibition for the Story of the Moving Image. This, too, bleachpanda and I took a gander at. While there were no longer Thor costumes, there WERE a few iconic displays including a spin table for Cuphead.

Feet tired, bleachpanda and I desperately tried to find a place to sit and refuel. We stopped at ShanDong MaMa Mini in a offshoot street along Flinders Lane.

Energy restored, we ventured to our last tourist attraction for the day: SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium. And while there IS a SEA Life aquarium in Sydney too, there were also vast differences for what was on display. Prices, too, were far more expensive than I’d initially anticipated.

Still, I got to see a few curious cephalopods, those being the cuttlefish and an octopus, as well as a host of sea dragons and sea horses! More importantly, I got to see a host of penguins (and not just cute fairy penguins but KING and Gentoo penguins).

Honestly, the penguins made my day. I loved watching this silly goose of a penguin try and pick up rocks – only to have them slide back down on the ice. He and his mate even had to fend off another penguin looking for rocks to fill his own nest.

It was glorious!

On a side note, the aquarium also hosted a number of reptiles including snakes and lizards. While it was a little strange to me as to why they would be on display, I didn’t let it deter my overall enjoyment.

After we departed SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium (with some hefty spoils from my end including an octopus mug and an axolotl plushie), we returned to our hotel. Once we’d recuperated enough, we stumbled over to dinner at nearby La Cucina.

Day 1 of PAXAus was just around the corner.

PAX AUS! PAX AUS! PAX AUS!

On November 26, 2022October 28, 2022 By kyndarisLeave a comment

PAX Australia. For years, I’d dream of attending and mingling with famous guests such as the Outside Xtra and Outside Xbox teams, becoming their friends because of the parasocial relationship I had developed from watching them on the screen. Unfortunately for most of those years, time and money had been against me.

When finally I put my foot down and declared to the world that I would finally head down to Melbourne for the convention, COVID hit and I was left adrift along the seas of broken dreams.

That is, until 2022.

With COVID-19 firmly in the rear-view mirror (at least for most individuals), game developers, nerds and pop-culture fans flocked to the Melbourne Convention Centre located on the southern bank of the Yarra River on the second weekend of October. Eager to celebrate the impact of the gaming industry on their lives and mingle with like-minded individuals in world where such interests still remain relatively niche.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s start on Friday.

Although the doors of the Melbourne Convention Centre had opened to fans, my journey began in Sydney as I prepared for the flight down. At the domestic terminal, waiting for my plane, I caught sight of fellow nerds. One group were Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts, with a member of their party sporting a Swoleregard shirt. A man seated not too far from me, with his partner, wore a Star Wars shirt.

Of course, not everyone on my flight down to Melbourne were heading down for PAX.

Still, the excitement was palpable.

It helped that I was not the only nerd going down on Friday.

When I arrived in Melbourne, I headed for the hotel I was staying at. After the brief shower that enveloped the Skybus, the sun broke through and I trekked twenty or so minutes to the Oak Premier Hotel next to the Southbank DFO. Never before had I booked such an aptly located set of accommodations for myself.

And what a view!

Of course, by the time I had settled at the hotel, it was late afternoon.

Still, there was plenty to see and explore in Melbourne and out I set, forgoing a proper lunch as I picked up my badges for the next two days and shopped around for merchandise in and around Melbourne proper – I ended up at Critical Hit again – picking up a Phantom Kid nenderoid!

Thankfully, I was not quite alone on my trip down to PAX Australia, even if my friend, bleachpanda, was occupied with a new full-time 9-5 job back in Sydney.

Bleachpanda, I hope you read this and realise the shenanigans you would have missed (and the food!). Not to mention, of course, how much cheaper the accommodations would have been if we had shared it between the two of us!

Yes, dear readers, I had a dinner date with two fellow high school classmates that I’d not seen in many a year. One had moved to Melbourne during the COVID-19 outbreak. The other had fallen backwards into video game marketing and was helping out at the Sega booth as it tried to tout the amazing Sonic Frontiers.

We ate at Half Acre, catching up on each other’s lives (mostly me with their lives and they with mine) and made plans to enjoy a Saturday at the convention centre hobnobbing with fellow nerds and gamers and pop-culture enthusiasts. I learned about their partying 20s and how they had slowly learned to settle down and enjoy quiet suburban life. One friend in particular had been particular…lascivious during her high school days and it was surprising to see that she had certainly matured over the years.

In fact, she surprised me with a diagnosis of autism that helped explain her behaviour of blunt comments and inability to deal with plans going awry. How did it explain her erratic and seemingly impulsive displays back during high school? Because she had planned it so.

As we caught up, we talked late into the night. They even stopped by my hotel room before we went out again, hunting for a place to enjoy a drink or two. Being a non-drinker, I settled for a sweet mocktail that was right up my alley.

Saturday dawned bright and early. On my elevator down, I encountered a man that recognised the lanyard around my neck. ‘PAX?’ he asked. At my nod, he told me that he had been the one to organise the event and that he was heading back to Sydney for a meeting or some such. His name, I never quite got. Google tells me it might be Paul Curryer but a search on Images doesn’t quite match the visage of the person I met.

Regardless, my first day at PAX had me arrive early until the appointed time that they allowed all those that had gathered in the waiting hall to swarm into the expo proper. As soon as I did, I glanced around at all the indie games on display. A few caught my eye – not always for the best of reasons. One, of course, looked like it was a clone of Age of Empires. Several seemed to be town manager simulators. Even more were visual novels with a sliding scale of quality art.

But the one that had me stop for a second look was Cuisineer.

I didn’t get to play it but it certainly seemed intriguing by my standards.

After a quick gander, I managed to locate the Sega booth and my high school friend. Lining up, I participated in a speed test – performing less than satisfactory in my first and only attempt. Unfortunately, there would be no Sonic sunglasses for me to sport.

Still, there were so many others things on display: Final Fantasy XIV, of course, and a myriad of elite PC set-ups. PAX Australia also had an entire hall devoted to board games. One in which I scoured for games to bring home. Unfortunately, travelling solo and having split from the high school friend that wasn’t serving as exhibitor, meant that I had no-one to compete with in regards to Catan or Ticket to Ride.

Next time, though, it will hopefully be different. After all, I’ll drag bleachpanda with me. One way or another. That or maybe I’ll perhaps have got myself a significant other to humour my wild tastes.

In the end, I wound up partaking of a few panels (with one involving video game writing) and enjoying music from the Invictus Quartet, before being unceremoniously taken out for an early dinner at Munich.

So ended my first day at PAX.

Sunday also proved to be a sunny day. But after witnessing what had been offered on the expo floor, I actually headed back out to the city of Melbourne. My destination? ACMI.

There, I got to enjoy playing through Cult of the Lamb with no line to fight with because most of the gamers were at PAX.

After roaming through the streets of Melbourne, stopping again at Critical Hit, I enjoyed an especially nice Italian meal before watching the casual attendees play through rounds and rounds of Just Dance. And though I did think of going up and dancing through a song, inhibitions forgotten, I chickened out at the last minute.

And as the appointed hour neared for the end of PAX, I dragged myself up to the Kookaburra Theatre for a trivia contest featuring the hosts of ABC Gamer and Kotaku’s own Ruby Innes as they battled it out for supremacy. Spoilers: It was a draw because Dan had a very strange way of tallying up the scores.

If anyone asks, Rad and Ruby clearly won.

Am I being held hostage as I say that? Perhaps. But you wouldn’t like Rad when she’s angry. Oh no.

All in all, PAX Australia was a fun diversion for the weekend.

Was it worth the flights, price of admission and the accommodation? Probably not – given that most of the big studios were missing – and yet I can’t say I regret it. Going down to Melbourne is a treat. And it helped reconnect me with a few people that I might not have done so if I had remained in Sydney.

Will there be a PAX Australia 2023?

You betcha! And Bleachpanda…you’re coming with me!

Southland City by a River

On May 27, 2022April 25, 2022 By kyndarisLeave a comment

For those that have known me since I was still a twinkle in my mother’s eye, they would know of my obsession with the Harry Potter franchise. While Melbourne boasts a play that was endorsed by J.K. Rowling, but which I consider terrible fanfiction, was it any wonder that I skipped out on seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Admittedly, I do like the characterisation of Scorpius Malfoy but the entire plot was off the rails and didn’t quite fit into the world that had been painstakingly created.

Besides, I have a script at home. While I may not have the budget for the special effects, I think I do a superb job doing all the characters. Melbourne Theatre Company, why have I not been hired to play any of the characters?

Regardless, my one excitement of heading down to Melbourne was to hit the Store of Requirement. Though it was a trek, I managed to get there right before the shop opened. When it finally did, I stepped inside to enjoy all the Harry Potter goodness to be found therein…

Only…

Only it wasn’t what I had eagerly hoped for. Sure, there were a selection of wands and a few gift sets but there was nothing anything I actually desired in the store. After spending a few minutes wandering through the store, I resigned myself to another trip, either to the UK or the US, and paying a visit to their stores instead. There’s more to Harry Potter than the occasional pop vinyl or cute keychains. I wanted more.

Disappointed, I headed down towards the Melbourne Museum. And by Jove, it was magical! Certainly, there were a lot of exhibits to see. From minerals to insects to dinosaurs! There were even live specimens on display. Certainly a rare treat when compared to the Australian Museum in Sydney. There was also a forest that had a chimney that had survived the Black Saturday bushfires from 2009.

Utterly gorgeous.

While I would have preferred taking my time to read all the placards, I also had many other places to see and visit on this second day in Melbourne. Besides, it was also school holidays and I was SURROUNDED by children and parents. Yes, it’s good that you’re taking your children out to get educated but rein them in. Please! Or take them out to the beach/ park where they can’t disturb me taking in the sights and wanting to further expand my knowledge on the natural world!

The other half of the Melbourne Museum also contained an exhibit on Indigenous Australians. There was even a small section dedicated to Northland Secondary College and their fight to keep the school open. Thankfully, unlike most narratives, the Koori school won.

But even with a tale of victory to buoy my spirits, I was soon reminded that Australia’s history with its First Nations people has always been bloody. Colonialism and its impact on the native people can still be felt today with one group above all others trying to impose their own ideals as the norm and squashing out any resistance.

For a true and proper reconciliation, recognition and restitution must be made. It isn’t simply a matter of sweeping it under a rug. Forgiveness and atonement must go hand-in-hand if the land, and the people, are to heal.

From this exhibit, I headed back up to a part of the museum that was dedicated to chronicling the history of Melbourne itself. It was fascinating to learn that the streets now dedicated to shops and a theatre that was featuring the Hamilton musical was previously known as the red light district.

Best of all, though, there was a miniature exhibit! Many were models but there was also a huge doll house for the snotty kids to admire. Prepare yourselves for a slew of photos bombarding you in:

3…

2…

1…

After I managed to emerge from the museum and back into the blinding sunlight, I headed back towards the heart of the city again. My destination? The Museum of Chinese Australian History. As an Australian of Chinese descent, it seemed proper for me to understand some of that history, even if my family were only recent migrants.

Inside, I listened to many stories. Some from those that had arrived in Australia during the gold rush period and others were from my mother’s generation, entering Australia as students or entrepreneur businessmen.

All of it helped illustrate my place in the great Australia story. It also helped me feel less alone, knowing that no matter when we came to Australia, we could still proudly call ourselves Australians.

The other floors also provided some historical information about the Han Dynasty (a historical and cultural connection that I often found lacking in my education because I had grown up in Australia). While I knew some of the facts on the walls, due to my attendance at mandatory Chinese school every Saturday, what I read and learnt felt different to what I had learned somewhat scattershot from my Chinese teachers.

Of course, there was also a floor that had been transformed into a proper show with a tilting ship deck and a mural of Chinese migrants trekking from South Australia to enter Victoria and have a turn at digging up gold in Ballarat. Like many migrant stories, they brought their culture with them such as Beijing opera and their many gods with them into the new world.

As with my time in Seattle, I was disappointed to hear that even in Australia, the Chinese were discriminated against because of their sheer number and work ethic. A tax was imposed on every Chinese arrival and there were limitations on the number of them that could arrive on each vessel. In passing this legislation, the state of Victoria paved the way for similar exclusionary legislation in other colonies.

After drinking in my fill of Chinese Australian history, I decided that it was time to fill up. Checking Google Maps, I managed to wend my way to Becco, an Italian restaurant that wasn’t too far from where I wanted to head to next. The food was decent, if a little pricey, and unlike most Australian restaurants, they had also installed an option to tip a specific amount. While I was tempted to click cancel on the tips, my guilt and social conscientiousness prompted me to give them the second most expensive tip.

Still, I must truly protest. We aren’t America. Are you underpaying your workers in these fine dining places? If not, why are you resting tips? Please, please, please get rid of tipping. It’s not a thing in Australia! And I hope to goodness, it never will be.

After that, I headed down towards Fitzroy Gardens. And summarily bumped into my mother and stepfather. Together, we traipsed past the Old Treasury and cut through the Treasury Gardens where a memorial to J.F. Kennedy could be found. Why an American president was being memorialised in Melbourne was a mystery to me, although it didn’t stop me from taking a few photographs.

I parted ways with my mother after we took in Cook’s Cottage (which also required an entry fee to tour the very small grounds). Whilst she and my stepfather departed to take the free tram, I headed up to see the Fairies Tree before strolling down Flinders Street towards St Paul’s Cathedral and Federation Square.

From there, I crossed the bridge over the Yarra River and headed to the Melbourne Skydeck for a bird’s eye view of the city below. After enjoying a loaded cookie and one of the worst hot chocolate that was ever mixed, I took my time soaking in the sights on the Southbank promenade before returning back to our hotel.

So ended a very busy day.

The next day, my mother and stepfather accompanied me to the Scienceworks Museum in the out-of-the-way suburb of Spotswood. While not as impressive the Melbourne Museum, I liked the exhibits that showcased future technologies and the activities that could be had for all the kids wanting to test the limits of their body. We might be living in a world of COVID-19, but that won’t stop kids (or even teenagers) from touching anything in reach.

The highlight of this trip was taking the Collections Tour and seeing what Museums Victoria had in storage. If ever I had been tempted to be a museum curator, this was that one defining moment. Oh how I would have loved taking people around a warehouse, pointing out iconic pieces of the past and spinning my lies about what it was used for.

Fun fact, a lot of the rotary engines for planes in the past used castor oil as a lubricant. The scarfs many pilots wore was used to help wipe their goggles and to filter it out as well.

From the Scienceworks, we headed to the DFO at Essendon. After an exhausting day of running around the city of Melbourne, my mother was ready for some SHOPPING!

And shop she did. After the two or so hours we spent there, she walked away with three pairs of shoes. I, on the other hand, bought two jeans and some hiking boots for any future expeditions into the great outdoors (or whenever I decide to visit Tasmania, I suppose).

Friday saw us finally wave goodbye to Melbourne. Deciding to take the coastal route, we stopped first at Brighton to take obligatory photos of the bathing houses. And then it was all uphill from there as we drove to Eden, and back across the border into New South Wales.

On Saturday, we enjoyed a meandering path up the Princes Highway, looking out at the small towns that were scattered on the south coast before finally arriving back home just after five.

All in all, it was an exhausting trip but well worth it. Would Melbourne be ranked high on my list of cities to visit again? Maybe. I certainly did enjoy my time walking its streets and mapping out the city in my head. Then, of course, there are the exhibits I missed or didn’t spend enough time in.

Renowned for its coffee, I was also disappointed that I didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy brunch with my friends. The cafe scene, I’ve heard, is alive and well in Melbourne and that’s also something I’m strangely looking forward to if I should ever visit again.

In any case, Melbourne isn’t so out of reach that visiting again would be out of the question. But perhaps I ought to be a bit more discerning with my travel companions next time, eh?

Exodus South

On May 26, 2022April 25, 2022 By kyndarisLeave a comment

With the Easter holidays just before ANZAC day, I took advantage of the numerous public holidays scattered throughout April to take four days of annual leave between Easter Monday and the next long weekend. Why, I hear you ask? Well, it was to ensure that I could enjoy as much time off as I could. And finally get to enjoying some time exploring the great outdoors. A homebody, I might be, but a chance has finally arisen for me to cross state lines and to check out if Melbourne truly was the most liveable city (at least from 2017 standards) and to also possibly pick up some nerdy merchandise to feed the gaping void in my soul.

After all, I never denied I was a materialistic girl.

The problem, of course, was picking my travelling companions. Before my stepfather returned to Australia, I was hoping for some bonding time with just my mother and I. We could go down to Melbourne, the two of us, and enjoy what the city would offer. Failing that, I’d simply go my own way and she could do whatever she preferred.

Unfortunately, my mother’s husband testing positive to COVID-19 prior to the trip only served to further sour our relationship. Mostly because I could not deal with his selfish tendencies during our period of self-isolation and his blatant disregard for the health guidelines. Then, of course, there’s the other baggage I won’t go into. But, let it be known, that ever since they got married in Malaysia (a wedding to which I wasn’t even invited to), I’ve tolerated his presence in my mother’s life.

And so, after much hewing and hawing, the trip would remain as it was. For one glorious moment, I had prayed he would decide to stay back and it would just be my mother and I. Alas, it was not to be.

So, eschewing the convenience of a one hour flight and unconcerned about exorbitant petrol prices, we drove down. On the first day of our journey, we stopped several times for toilet breaks, petrol or food. Our first stop was at Sutton Forest. A most popular place to rest before heading all the way to Canberra. The next was Gundagai where we enjoyed a lot of Hungry Jack’s latest fried chicken range of burgers. Disappointed that we couldn’t try anything else, we continued the long drive down to Albury – stopping briefly at Wagga Wagga because the outback city had piqued my mother’s curiosity and she wanted to take a photo of an old post office.

Instead, we got a hotel that was aptly named the Mantra Pavilion Hotel with a conical roof. Of course, we didn’t go in. Just take snaps of it from the outside before we continued the drive to Culcairn and finally to Albury.

After staying the night, we continued our trip down to Melbourne. Of course, not without stopping first at Noreuil Park Foreshore to stare at the Murray river (and the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria) and heading up Monument Hill to see both the twin cities of Albury-Wodonga.

Despite the early start, we didn’t arrive at Melbourne until well past noon. At the very least, we stopped briefly on the road for a small lunch that consisted of a chicken wrap and a few crackers. As soon as we checked into our luxurious apartment, I was out pounding the pavement. There was little time to lose. While my mother and the stepfather decided to go for an early dinner, I was much too concerned with stopping by Critical Hit, Minotaur and One Stop Anime to feed my desire for all things nerd.

Thankfully, they were all quite close to each other in the centre of Melbourne. Better yet, our hotel wasn’t too far. By the time the shops were all closed, I had gained the Octopath soundtrack, a new book that had been recommended by BookTuber Daniel Greene (while also scoping out the manga heavy sections that were also peppered with plenty of pop vinyls) and some breakfast for the morrow from Breadtop.

I also jammed my finger when trying to exit the Breadtop, but the bruising wasn’t too bad.

So ends part one of my Melbourne adventures. Tune in next time to read all about my disappointment that there were no keyblades on displays or the fact that One Stop Anime was so confusingly placed in some corner in the wall. Okay, I kid. It wasn’t that bad. And if one does follow the most popular anime shows, I’m sure there would have been plenty to love. I, unfortunately, haven’t fallen for anything beyond my beloved Detective Conan. May Kudo Shinichi reign supreme forevermore.