For OM Gear:
Couple of stores in the Melbourne CBD but all way overpriced IMHO.
Example: How about AU$600 for poor condition OM-1 with 50/1.8?
(That's about US$300). Ridiculous !
I find I do much better thru e-bay or via the internet from overseas
(UK, NZ and USA).
As for photo opps and day trips for the family, it depends on your
inclination and whether you will have access to a car or not.
My choice would be to hire a car and take a trip to:
1. Yarra Valley (40-50min NE of Melb)
great vineyards
rolling countryside
Healesville sanctuary is fantastic - native birds, walk-through
aviaries, wombats, koalas, platypus etc educ sessions and displays
for the kids
needs a whole day to do properly
2. Dandenongs (50min E of Melb)
these are a couple of medium mountains/hills east of Melb with great
art galleries, eateries, fern gullies, Ricketts Sanctuary (aboriginal
rock carvings in natural bush settings), great views over Melb city
on a clear day. You'll need a full day here. Can recommend towns of
Sassafras and Olinda for arts/crafts/galleries. Best eating joint is
a place called "Miss Marples" at Sassafras. Go for lunch or afternoon
tea. Desserts are spectacular, and the whole restaurant is themed on
the Agatha Christie novels. Lovely atmosphere. Bring a tripod if poss
or fast film as the light can be poor under the tree canopy. The
Rhododendron Gardens in the Dandenongs is near Olinda and is
spectacular but I can't remeber when they are in flower. Worth a
visit if "the season" otherwise give a miss.
3. Mornington Penninsula (SE of Melb)
Drive down the eastern side of Port Philip Bay down to Sorrento or
even Portsea nice bay views from Arthurs Seat at Dromana. Nice
pleasant drive, safe beaches for the kids to swim at (but water might
be a bit cold by march). Some traditional old changing sheds along
the beach that are brightly coloured and come up well on film.
4. Drive down to Geelong the Surf Coast and Great Ocean Road (SW of Melb)
1 hr drive SW of Melb is Geelong (where I live). Within 20min drive
are some great surf beaches, and a further 20 min gets you to Lorne
along the Great Ocean Rd - probably some of the most spectacular
ocean coast-road scenery anywhere and the otways mountain ranges
-great huge Mountain Ash eucalypts, lush fern gullies, waterfalls etc
etc.The Great Ocean Rd is very reminiscent of the Pacific Coast
highway in the USA near Monterey and Big Sur - great spectacular
cliffs, rock shelves and formations with pounding surf, lovely quiet
beaches and river inlets - but with the added interest that just
inland is lovely rainforest. Driving the road itself is fantastic fun
on the twisting/winding road right at the ocean/cliff edge if you
like driving. Little holiday towns dotted along the coast like
Angelsea, Torquay, Lorne, Aireys Inlet and Apollo bay. I'd recommend
drive down to Apollo bay via the coast (get an early start from Melb)
and enjoy the coastal scenery, have luncjh at Lorne or Apollo Bay
then cut back to Melb inland via Colac, driving thru the otways
ranges and the lovely bush smells, ferns, eucalypts and bird calls on
the way. The drive back thru Colac/Geelong/Melb is a bit boring
(straight country highway driving thru cleared farming /grazing land)
so leave this for the return when it might be getting dark. Bring
wide lens (say 24mm or 28mm) for spectacular seascapes and landscapes
, a tripod and heaps of film. A zoom 35-105 would also be useful as
would a 90/2 macro if you have one. Take a drive along Turtons Track
(dirt road but beautiful ferns etc), go up to the lookout inland of
Apollo bay, walk out onto the jetty at Lorne.
If you want to do an overnight trip from melb, you could combine the
Gret Ocean Rd trip above and continue down to Port Campbell on the SW
coast. You have probably seen pics of the "12 apostles" and some of
the sandstone freestanding columns amidst the surf - very
spectacular. The "Bay of Islands" at nearby Peterborough is also
lovely. You won't do all this in one day though - better to do melb
to Appollo Bay on Day One, then do 12 apostles and the "Shipwreck
Coast" and return to Melb on Day Two.
5. Shorter trips closer to the city
If in Melb over a weekend, or you want closer, shorter excursions you
might like to visit Ackland St and St Kilda Market on a Sunday
morning - it's a sidewalk art/craft market very popular along the
esplanade. Ackland St has nice Continental food shops (not good if
you are on a diet !!) Would be good for candid street portraits.
Or try a walk along Lygon St in the evening - Italian restaurants etc
and coffee shops al fresco etc. Very interesting. maybe not so
exciting for the kids (depending on age). Would be good for candid
street portraits.
The Melb zoo is very good too. A wonderful butterfly enclosure where
you can walk thru the enclosure and the butterflies even land on you
- the kids would love it. Bring your macro gear and a small flash -
and heaps of film ! The gorilla enclosure is great too - bring a
200-300mm range tele for nice portraits of the gorillas.
Go for a ride on the free City Loop tram.
great parks and gardens close to the city - have a picnic with the family.
try and get to see a game of AFL "Aussie Rules" football at the MCG
(Melb Cricket Ground). Great spectacle. Season should be started by
March I think. You can catch a tram to the MCG from anywhere within
the inner city region.
hope these ideas help.
I'm sure you'll have a great time in Melb and surrounds.
peter
I'll be visiting Melbourne in mid March.....
Any photo stores I should visit for OM gear ? Nothing in particular , just
the usual OM "itch" .......
Where are the must visit places for good photo-opportunities ? With and
without kids/moms-in-laws.... in tow ?
Peace
TMLee
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