The Festival of Erk 2013

[erkpod]

Booked months ago, I thought I'd spoil myself with a week in Melbourne for my birthday, flying in J on VA. Later, I decided to add a status run/day trip to Darwin & back. By the time I get home to Sydney, I should be VFF Gold.

I believe in celebrating my birthday in some way. In 2011, I was in London. In 2012, I promoted a hard rock/metal gig. I've always enjoyed Melbourne so why not!

 

[Hvr]

Cool, I look forward to contributing as we meet at your first AFF function.

A birthday as well, that's awesome, you didn't tell us you were paying for dinner on Sunday.

 

[erkpod]

While I've been to Melbourne on several occasions & know several different groups of people there, this is my first trip as an AFF member including a dinner on Sunday.

It will also be my first time to Darwin, my first AFL game & my first time staying in Docklands.

After somewhat of a difficult time for various reasons since returning from the US at the end of February, this will be my 3rd domestic trip of the year but also the longest so far.

 

[erkpod]

Day 1 - Sydney to Melbourne

Day 1 starts off how days for me have done in the past. A short bus ride from near my house to the local train station. Then there's a short connection to the express train to the city with a change required to arrive at Sydney T2, check in & some Vlounge time.



Even a scene like this is worth documenting as buses are being converted to a common livery & in my area, there's a change in operator in October.


Getting into holiday mode by taking a photo of a bus where I normally don't.


I'm glad I don't have to have my meal break on my train like many bus drivers do.


Express train, please!


A newish concept for longer distance intercity trains in Sydney are quiet carriages.

 

[erkpod]

I've made the trip from home to Central for both work & pleasure. The train was on time. Despite being with luggage & out of uniform, I still got asked 2 questions.

"Where's the toilet?" (the next carriage, maybe)

"What's the date today?" (the 20th).

After some photos at Central including some selfies, I remembered that my aim is to get to the Vlounge ASAP for my 1600 departure.

 

[erkpod]

I arrived at Domestic station & was pleased to see that references to QF flights from T2 have been removed.







Check in via the priority line was done in under 5 minutes. I was offerred an earlier flight but I told the guy that I didn't want to cut into my Vlounge time.

He asked me if I knew about the Valet check-in. I said that I knew about it but I'd caught the train in.He said I could still use it & that it was worth it for a speedier time through security. That was not offerred when I went recently in J to OOL.



I went to the Valet entry & asked the Lounge Angel if I could just come straight here instead of normal check-in. She said that I could if I was HLO.

Security was a breeze. They picked up my steel capped boots as I'd left them on (on purpose). They obviously have the extra nice people here.

I've got a few minutes of Vlounging. I'm too early for hotdogs. The lounge has a lot of people here but isn't crowded. Upstairs appears to be closed.

 

[erkpod]

After my mandatory check-in to the VA lounge thread, I've found a spot with a view outside. It's a nice day but the view isn't like the one at OOL!




Anyone we know? While typing this, someone came back for the hat.

Next stop Melbourne!

 

[bass_ke]

Have a fun time Erk!

I've found just being confident can lead people to asking you questions, OOL is really bad for very simple questions!

 

[erkpod]

Leaving the Vlounge before the PA call but after the boarding time, I wandered down to gate 40 & my plane.

ANOTHER RED PLANE!





My plane was VH-VOM & probably not for the first time, I christened it The Vomit Comet.

Boarding was easy in the PB lane, one thing VA seems a lot better at than QF.

Boarding the plane behind some laughing fellows in suits, I was welcomed aboard by a FA. 1A was my seat - maybe the laughing suits didn't want it.

Soon enough, CSM Megan introduced herself to J & I could hear the suits joking & asking if they could have a children's pack.

I was soon offered a mocktail or water & I took the water as the rest of the cabin boarded.

I shouted out to the VA social media team as I always do & they waved back to me, welcoming me on board & congratulating me on my upcoming birthday & gold status. Of course, they didn't know that automatically, I did prompt them - it might help one day!

Unlucky for me, the seatbelt was too short so I needed the extender - the seat belt replacement program obviously hasn't made it to VOM yet.

There was a PA asking for a Mr Mark Skaife to make himself known to the crew. I'd find it hard to believe that an Australian motorsport legend & current V8 Supercar Chairman would be down the back of the bus while a train driver from western Sydney was in 1A.

Turning to face my shadow in 1C, I was surprised to see an FA standing on the seat to reach the overhead bin, especially wearing a dress.

It was time for pushback pretty close to time. A slow taxi to the runway was accompanied by a manual safety demonstration.

Going up to cruise altitude down the south coast was pretty.



Live2Air was available in Y but no IFE was offerred in J, not that I needed it. There was no mention of wireless IFE except for in the inflight magazine & indeed, VOM did not have it.

I was offerred a something pie & a something salad but I was happy with a bourbon & Coke & some chips. The CSM offerred me the use of my shadow's tray & I accepted.

There was a brief mention of a holding pattern but the landing seemed routine & close to time. While waiting for a gate, I found VOM on Plane Finder & it said that I was at 700ft at 146kts but I can confirm we were on the ground, as did the plane status.





There was a nice sunset underway behind the ATC tower but it had clearly been raining at some point.

WELCOME TO MELBOURNE!

 

[serfty]

They should have offered you (and those in the first 4 rows) a Galaxy Tab being a L2A bird - that's a service failure.

 

[erkpod]

Cool, I look forward to contributing as we meet at your first AFF function.

A birthday as well, that's awesome, you didn't tell us you were paying for dinner on Sunday.

See you Sunday!

 

[erkpod]

Have a fun time Erk!

I've found just being confident can lead people to asking you questions, OOL is really bad for very simple questions!

It doesn't seem to matter where in the world I am, it happens to me. It must be all the years dealing with the public.

 

[erkpod]

They should have offered you (and those in the first 4 rows) a Galaxy Tab being a L2A bird - that's a service failure.

I have been offered it before in J but not this time.

I wanted to sample the wireless IFE but not this time. I've got 3 more flights this trip.

 

[erkpod]

Watching the planes at the gates, I was wondering where I was going. I passed what I think are the extensions to the Vlounge & ended up at gate 11. I don't remember being on this pier before.







Turning right after getting off the pointy end of the plane, I wanted a goodbye shot of VOM. Due to the time of day, that wasn't easy.

I was a little dis-orientated until I saw the entry to the Vlounge. The last time I'd gone downstairs to the baggage claim area, it was a construction zone (October 2012). It was looking rather nice tonight.





After a few minutes wait, my bag arrived in p12. I spotted a few non priority bags before mine.

A Skybus was waiting for me & after a few minutes of loading & unloading paasengers only, we headed off into the dark (it's a different kind of darkness here) & into the PM peak, albeit in the non peak direction.

 

[erkpod]

I arrived into Southern Cross on the Skybus. While Melbourne doesn't have a train service, the Skybus is the next best thing. I checked at the hotel shuttle booth if there was a shuttle to my accommodation but there wasn't. The guy assured me that it was quicker for me to walk.

After about 15 minutes walking with luggage, I found the street where I needed to turn into. The premises was being advertised as being on Bourke St but it is actually on Marchant St between Bourke & Collins. I was thankful to know that there was a Woolworths oops Safeway in the next building.

I'd called one of the property managers when I was at Southern Cross. He assured me that the other property manager was waiting for me on site. I had no idea this was not a hotel when I booked it - I'm not complaining, though!

I met the property manager on site in the foyer & we went up to my Melbourne apartment. I warned him that I'd probably think it was better than my house. I was proved right.

It is a brand new 1 bedroom apartment. It has a balcony, combined kitchen/lounge, a bedroom, a combined toilet/bathroom/laundry.

It felt like I was getting the key to a new car. After a little bit of TV, I'm off to get some supplies.

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[erkpod]

I woke up to this view (no filters)

 

[erkpod]

Day 2 - Melbourne

After seeing the view, I decided on a couple of hours more sleep. Waking up again to blue sky, I had a leisurely breakfast.

I'd noticed that the lift had some missing floors due to the car park below. The in lift display shows these floors as X. It also confirms how ugly the outside of the building is. But nothing confirms it until you see it yourself.





Going outside & onto Collins St, I found I was at the Docklands terminus of the 31 & 48 trams. Southern Cross & the Melbourne CBD is now a short tram ride away.





The trip was cut short though because according to the tram driver, there was an accident ahead. The track was blocked by a tram company vehicle.



As it turns out, the accident had just been cleared but the driver of the tram company car had been busy & hadn't had time to move his car. With the car moved, the trams could move again.

As luck would have it, the stop was the one I needed to change trams to head to South Melbourne.

 

[erkpod]

Getting my bearings, I jumped on the 112 tram to South Melbourne. After a short ride including passing the casino that shall not be named, I arrived at a building that I'd watched on TV be rebuilt over 12 weeks.

*insert The Block theme here*



The building had changed from a run down dive motel to a multi million dollar apartment block in 12 weeks.

With the auction about a month previously, the for sale sirens were still on display. The person placing the sold sign obviously wasn't a fan of one of the contestants, partly covering up his photo.



The building looks a lot bigger on TV. It was an amazing transformation. I recorded part of a podcast in the park across the road from the building.





I love Melbourne's trams both as a form of transport and a photography subject. Melbourne's tram network is the largest one in the southern hemisphere & I haven't been on all of it after several visits.

Returning to Clarendon St to catch a tram to St Kilda, I found that for some reason, I was in a 19 smiles an hour zone. I didn't see any smiles, though.

 

[erkpod]

I found the venue of a music festival that I could be going to on Saturday night, The Espy. Getting there will be ok but the late finish might mean a cab ride home. Compared to Sydney, the Melbourne live music scene seems awesome!



I found the site of the first building in St Kilda. It is now a public park.



This keep left sign obviously has had better days, being left to die outside McDonalds in St Kilda. I know of some people would be begging me to bring that sign home with me. Heavy metal sign is heavy.



I've got a bad habit of expecting an amusement park to be open on a weekday.

Luna Park, Melbourne - October/November 2012. KKKLLLOOOSSSEEEDDDD.

Coney Island, New York - February 2013 - KKKKLLLLOOOOSSSEEEDDD.

Today, Luna Park Melbourne? KKKKLLLLOOOOSSSEEEDDDD.



I recorded more of a podcast from outside Luna Park before returning to the city for a late lunch & then catching up with an old friend who was unexpectedly free for the afternoon.

For hopefully not the first time for the trip, I was able to show off the view from my apartment. We even went food shopping because if I don't do it tonight, I won't be here anytime on Thursday because of my day trip to Darwin. Several of my Melbourne friends were amazed I could still find a Safeway.

Next stop Darwin via the Melbourne Vlounge.

 

[RB]

Enjoying your report & like your humour with the photos