Kangaroo steaks & digeridoos - Victoria Market & the South Bank

I was James Bond today.

I stood over the green baize while the croupier spun the roulette wheel. I betted on black and it landed on red. $10 up in smoke. But I enjoyed myself at the Crown Casino complex on the South Bank - it reminded me of my time in Las Vegas. Melbourne and Las Vegas? Surely not? Well, yes, actually - take a look at that skyscrapered skyline - its much closer to Los Angeles then London. Melbourne seems just like any other city of the 20th Century. Just what is Melbourne?

Where it really excelled were the Australain fruits and vegetables - papaya, mango, lychees and coconuts. The fish stalls were superb and I found out what yabbies were (little blue crayfish)

I'm probably being too hard on it.It must be a good place to live. The roads seem uncrowded, the shopping excellent, a beach a tram ride away and a guaranted summer. No wonder residents rave about it. The tourist infrastructure is excellent. They have friendly "greeters" everywhere helping tourists out I am also seeing it at the weakest time of the year - the equivalent of our early spring. And spring in Victoria is much like spring in northern Europe.

But weather doesnt bother me. I quite like rough weather (Paris, New York, Prague) because it isnt as uncomfortable and sweaty as extreme heat. i wasnt also sure what to see in Melbourne. Melbourne gaol didnt appeal because everytime I approached there were phalanxs' of schoolkids lined up and I really dont fancy another tour outside the city as I have already spent three days buzzing around roads.

So what to do?

How about a market? You cant go wrong with that.

I took the train from South Yarra on the Loop to La Trobe on the edge of the business district. All around me suits were heading off to work.I followed the tram tracks north until I saw the big aircraft hangar with the words QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET emblazoned on its roof. It was like a mini city selling everything you could possibly conceive. It was a mixture of genuine goods and the worst kind of tourist pap with "Melbourne, Australia" T-shirts and koala keyrings and numerous calenders with Melbournes skyscrapers shot at sunset.

The food halls were exceptional, truly exceptional. Everything was freshly plucked or caught that morning. Huge great doorstep steaks of emu, kangaroo and crocodile were on sale. The vegetable stalls were piled high with massive courgettes, bananas and the biggest green peppers I have ever seen. But where it really excelled was the Australian fruits and vegetables - papaya, mangoe, lynchees and coconuts. The fish stalls was superb and I found out what Yabbies were (little blue crayfish). All in all I stayed to lunchtime at the market and treated myself to a superb giant prawn salad with fresh fruit and vegetables for $7.

Mightily impressed I left and trotted down King Street to the Yarra River. The South Bank of the river has been gentrified. A marble walkway flanks the river overlooked by skyscrapers and it is dotted with surrealistic statues and potted palms. Millions of dollars have been poured into it. The Yarra river itself is a lovely shade of mustard - which I rather like because it reminds me of the Thames. And despite all the glass and chrome about it seems to resist the gentrification.

But the Crown Casino pulled me in.Its a huge entertainment complex with restaurants and bars and carpet so deep that you were in danger of losign your feet. Electronic gambling machines stood to attention like ranks of soldiers. The computerised gambling machiens looked too complicated for me so I settled on roulette and even when I lost sat and watched the other players. I had found my little niche in Melbourne.

Then back across Princes Bridge to Federation Square and checked out the shopping down Collins. The quality of the shops here is impressive - the advertising seems to be aimed at the female demographic to enjoy pampering and shopping. "Australia on Collins" was a good Mall.

Melboure is growing on me. Its inhabitants seem very happy with it and its a nice life taking advantage of the cafe culture and the trams.

A simple relaxed life for a city which is looking better every day.