Watching the Clouds Go by in Melbourne: Big City, Big Sky

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There is very little that the beachside, cosmopolitan city of Melbourne, Australia has in common with the landlocked, rural American state of Montana. Nevertheless, there’s something these two disparate places share that was somewhat surprising, as well as marvelous.

Late one afternoon we walked through Birrarung Marr Park. This expansive green space situated on the banks of the Yarra River has an ideal location for concerts, festivals, events and regattas.

Our timing was almost perfect. The annual Night Noodle Market coincided with our stay in Melbourne. We discovered when we arrived at the popular food extravaganza that the gate wasn’t open yet. So, we took the opportunity to lie down in the grass and do some serious cloud watching for an hour. It was extraordinary to be just steps away from a metropolitan’s central business district and have an almost unobstructed view of this celestial show.

Melbourne might want to consider altering Montana's nickname to call herself the Big Sky City.

If you enjoyed this story in our series, A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Characters™, you may also enjoy another one about the Melbourne area or our book The Unguidebook Sydney & Melbourne.