The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[MrPixel]

I'll bring up a local weirdness - trick-or-treat here was last night. The Halloween parade is tonight.

Some city father many years ago decreed that they were to be observed on the last full weekend of October. A nearby town declared trick-or-treat to be the last Thursday (WTF?). Everybody else around keeps traditional.

 

[NuclearFairy]

I dunno... but I can understand that. American white bread is a tasteless sponge you can't scrub the sink with.

And yet, there are a large number of people that think white bread is the best thing for packing into a tooth cavity.

 

[yowser]

I will be giving a talk in Melbourne in December, my first visit to Australia. My spouse did some fieldwork in Queensland some time before we met, but this will be our first trip to the continent together.

I would be interested in what any of you Oz-dwellers have to say about 'must-see' adventures in Melbourne (anyone who has visited and has suggestions please also chime in). I will be aiming to hit universities and libraries, but am open to day trip options and unique places.

Caveats (there are always caveats) include vegetarians in the traveling party and a wheelchair user. No rental car, so public transportation will have to suffice.

Any suggestions on local beer/breweries, vintage car-related museums or events especially welcome. Looks like a trip down the coast (Anglesea, but maybe too crowded?) or to quieter neighborhoods or towns nearby (I am a small town/rural person at heart) might be in order.

As an aside, the online Australia visa application is curious, complex, quirky and overwhelmingly frustrating (for anyone contemplating a trip, budget some serious time and patience for this process.) The designers and UX folks need to be shot, or at least beaten severely.

Thank you, very exciting.

 

[NuclearFairy]

We have frozen balls of cookie dough in the freezer. They're chocolate chip, banana, oatmeal. And I so want to cook them and eat them all, but I know I shouldn't.

 

[TheLobster]

We have frozen balls

Oh no!

of cookie dough in the freezer.

Oh yes!

 

[Rustyoznail]

Hi @yowser - how long are you heading over for?

First, be prepared for the weather to change instantly. Pack for the Antarctic as well as the Sarara. Take the weather forecast with a grain of salt...

Vegetarians are catered for at most cafes and restaurants. Some are better than others, but there's enough online reviews to help.

You'd like Scienceworks, a museum at Spotswood.

You will be severely limited without a car. Public transport around Melbourne is good, but getting to places outside the city will be painful. A train to Ballarat, then a taxi or maybe a bus to Sovereign Hill is doable.

Castlemaine is also worth a visit.

Many trams in Melbourne are theoretically ok for wheelchair access, but because the CBD routes are free, they are crowded. Use this link to help plan things.
https://yarratrams.com.au/accessibility

PM me if you want more details. Unfortunately, I'll be heading west around that time.

Cheers