Week 17, in the third city

This weekend, my long-standing plan to travel to Melbourne finally came to fruition. Casting the only shadow over the proceedings was the fact that I'd arranged for us to be out of Sydney on one of the biggest weekends of the year, the Mardi Gras parade. But being in Melbourne at least meant that we got to ascend not only Melbourne's highest building, but Australia's highest building and (let me make sure I get this right) the tallest residential building in the southern hemisphere: the aptly named Eureka Tower.



We duly paid our $16 and in exchange were treated to a lift up to the 88th floor (the equivalent distance of walking up the stairs at Covent Garden tube, in my guesstimation - never recommended), and a razzle-dazzle exhibit on how the building was, you know, built. Apparently in high winds the tower can lean up to 30cm in each direction, and the windows on the highest floors are coated with 24 carat gold (which must make the views a bit disappointingly crap from up there).

It really is a great view, though, and inspired all sorts of chats between Tom & I about space travel. Here is Tom reflecting on what skills he could bring to the first colonial mission to Mars:



I think he settled on carpentry in the end. To infinity and beyond!

Ali x