Melbourne was very different to Sydney. The streets were busy and slightly scruffy, and there were roadworks everywhere. The population seemed very young and very Asian. The city was laid out on a neat grid, but its buildings were an anarchic mix of elegant old constructions from Melbourne’s boom years in the late 1800s (with the Victoria gold rush) and improbably tall modern skyscrapers, sometimes built right next to modest two-storey houses.

My accommodation was a flat in one of the skyscrapers and I dropped my stuff off and went out to explore.

The city teamed with life, like an anthill on steroids. A lot of the modern architecture was very successful, like this shopping arcade….

Amongst the modern skyscrapers were some glorious old buildings.

Some of the old buildings had semi-hidden entrances that an intrepid bear could walk through to admire the stylish interiors.

Melbourne turned out to be a city where the best things are hidden and need to be searched out – in contrast to Sydney’s in-your-face Opera House and harbour. Leading off the main streets are small arcades, filled with small shops, bars and cafes.

Walking around and exploring this chaos was a lot of fun, and a good way to build up a thirst for another Melbourne tradition – the roof top bar, of which there were dozens. I dropped into one to enjoy the early evening atmosphere. I was half-way through my first beer, when five o’clock struck and suddenly a wave of visitors clambered up the stairs to join me – it seems that many Melburnians do not work a minute more than their contractual hours.

Another of Melbourne’s hidden attractions is its amazing collection of street art, mostly hidden away down dingy alleyways. An incredible diversity of art is mostly painted….

….and sometimes stuck onto the walls of the city.

Some of these art installations are in popular places that are firmly on the tourist trail, like the famous AC/DC Alley, and others are in quiet, edgy neighbourhoods where drug addicts and graffiti artists hang out.

I ended my tour of Melbourne street art in yet another rooftop bar. My initial impressions of the city were a bit negative, but after a couple of days of walking around exploring hidden arcades and alleyways, I am getting to like it a lot.

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