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CITY CIRCLE TRAM
Melbourne is a great walking city, but if your legs get tired two different light rail services can take you around. One of those is the City Circle Tram, which is free! Most of these trams look like San Francisco cable cars, but in keeping with the city’s artistic image some have been painted creatively. The Circle Tram travels slowly around the city, stopping at all the major attractions and shops. Just wait at any of the specially marked stops. Trams run in both directions every ten minutes, seven days a week, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (except Christmas and Good Friday). During Daylight Savings they operate until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

OBSERVATION DECK
A good first place to get your bearings of the city -- and great 360-degree panoramic views -- is the Rialto Towers observation deck. At 55 stories high (823 feet), it’s the tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere. Admission includes a 20-minute film called "Melbourne and the Living City" -- what visitors can see and do while in Melbourne. Prices: adult $13.50 AUD ($10 USD); children $7.80 ($6). Melbourne Observation Deck, Level 55/525 Collins Street, Melbourne; tel: 03-9629-8222.

FEDERATION SQUARE
Two buildings you can’t miss – not that you’d want to -- are Flinders Street Station and Federation Square. Federation Square, the more special of the two, takes up en entire city block. Its controversial modern design has everyone talking. It’s full of neat things to see, including a digital scrolling message board that allows anyone to send text messages (send to: 19 767 333 or 19 SMS FED) for everyone to see. Inside are a variety of attractions, including the Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame; restaurants, cafes and bars. Federation Square, corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street, Melbourne; tel.: 03-9639-2800.

VICTORIA MARKET
Another must stop is the Queen Victoria Market. This historic landmark, opened in 1878, is spread over seven hectares, making it the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. Nearly a thousand traders sell everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to souvenirs. It’s closed every Monday and Wednesday, and on major holidays. Queen Victoria Market, 513 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000; tel.: 03- 9320-5830.

NEW CAMERA
On the way back from Queen Victoria Market I walked down Elizabeth Street. Passing one camera shop after another reminded me I better get a new camera, since I busted my Nikkon Coolpix up pretty bad on the luge track in New Zealand. I didn’t want to go out to the remote places I was headed for without a camera. Australia’s not the cheapest place to buy a camera, but it’s also a place you don’t want to be without one. I ended up buying a camera that hit the market just a few days before: a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01. It slides perfectly into my pocket, has a wide-angle lens, an extended battery, a giant viewfinder, and 6.0 megapixels. So far I’m happy with it!

SEVEN CITY ARCADES
Off Elizabeth Street I stumbled upon the Magnificent Seven City Arcades. These are the key shopping spots, all within walking distance of each other. With over 260 shops, it’s worth visiting even if you don’t want to drop any coin. The 19th-century Block and Royal arcades are beautiful, and were inspired by European design. They are the oldest arcades still trading in Australia, and offer an eclectic range of small shops. In the Royal Arcade you’ll find 7-foot statues of Gog and Magog. These mythical monsters have been striking the famous Gaunt's Clock since 1992.

VIDEO
Here’s a pretty lame 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of Melbourne. With high-speed the video takes about one minute to load; with dial-up, please allow up to three weeks.

NEXT WEEK
Next week we travel to a truly amazing place. Some people say if you haven’t been there, you haven’t really been to Australia!