The Tennis

​My first impression of Melbourne was through the lens of the Australian Open, or as the locals call it, the Tennis. “Are you here to see the Tennis?” was a common question in casual conversations. Indeed, the Tennis had a large presence in the city, beyond the arena complex itself. Around the city there were posters with the tournament’s slogan, “AO Hits Different,” numerous pedestrians wearing sleek AO hats, and extra staff at the tram stations advising fans on the best tram routes to the grounds. The main square, Federation Square, had a big screen livestreaming matches for the general public to enjoy, complete with lawn chairs and umbrellas. Smaller screens, filled with the recognizable blue court, could be spotted at the floating bars and riverside restaurants along the Yarra. In the Richmond neighborhood, storefronts had giant stickers with the silhouettes of tennis players. Even the high-end jewelry stores at the Crown Casino complex had tennis balls added to the window displays. The Tennis was both a tourist hit and a source of local pride. It was fun to see such universal enthusiasm for sporting event.

​Melbourne was also the final phase of the siblings trip. The four of us took an Uber from the airport into the CBD, where we stayed on the 15th floor of a building across from the Sea Life aquarium. The AirBNB had wonderful views looking towards the Yarra River, the Southbank skyscrapers, and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. The place had modern trappings, but over time we realized it was run by a problematic host. The listing advertised a hairdryer; we couldn’t find it, so we sent the host a message. Instead of replying to the question, they quietly deleted the hairdryer from the AirBNB listing. Where previous guests had left negative reviews, the host had retaliated with brutal attacks. So even though the Wifi was non-functional, a major let-down in the heart of the city, we decided not to complain.

​Val only had one night in Melbourne, so despite the residual exhaustion from our Kangaroo Island getaway, Rachel and I joined her for a little exploring. We walked through the Flagstaff Gardens to the Queen Victoria Market, which was normally closed at night but had a special Wednesday summer event. There were hundreds of stalls, including chic clothing, books and stationery, music performances, and a smorgasbord of food options. It was also quite crowded; one had to be mindful of the kids holding skewers of spiral potatoes.

​For food, Val and Rachel had tofu bao, Nepalese momos, and Italian panzerottis. I had a Sri Lankan combo plate; the curry, fermented veggies, and roti were delicious. We also ordered sangria from the Running Bull, a tent with the cute slogan “run with it.” (My new motto for the working holiday?) We continued browsing, picked up some Thai food for Vince, and headed back to the place.

Val began the task of repacking her suitcase, including items that Vince, Rachel, and I were sending back to California. We were all grateful that she brought a large suitcase and was so generous with taking on our stuff. She was off to the airport the next morning, with Hawaii as her next destination.
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The siblings trip was such a treat. We all agreed there were some real stand-out days: exploring Sydney Harbor, snorkeling in the GBR, wine tasting in Adelaide, and our Kangaroo Island safari. The stars aligned to make the trip possible. Soon, we were all dispersed across the globe again.

Vince and Rachel went to the Australian Open for 3 days, soaking in as much of the Tennis as they could. I joined them for the first night match at Rod Laver (the main court), which originally was going to be their first match as well. However, after seeing the players and prices for the day match, they added on an upfront session! They got to see both  Iga Swiatek, the #1 women’s seed, and the rising star “Carlitos” Alcaraz, Rachel’s favorite player.

​In the meantime, I had a little time to start exploring the city. I started with a pint-sized adventure: going to the City Library to get a visitor library card. Since our place didn't have Wifi, the library was also an oasis of free, fast Wifi to start my apartment/job hunting. After, I stopped at a Woolworth’s for groceries, where a homeless guy got into a fight with the security guard. I hung out at the AirBNB, snacking and waiting for the right time to join the others at the Tennis.

​The afternoon tennis match went very long, which ate into the buffer before the evening match. As a result, Rachel and Vince didn’t have a chance to explore the grounds on the first day. Since it was my one and only day with a ticket, I walked the grounds by myself and took in the atmosphere.

It was a sunny day and it was the transition time between matches, so the grounds were bustling. In between the larger main courts, there were patios with a canopies of artistic shade structures, bars and luxury suites hosted by brands like Rolex and Tanqueray, a smattering of gift shops and food vendors, and even a bunch of ping pong tables for families to enjoy. I stood by a footbridge that overlooked the dozen or so smaller courts, which showed the magnitude of the tournament at this early stage (it was only Day 5). It was more of a party atmosphere than say, Wimbledon. The tournament’s modern branding included lots of colorful cartoonish murals with positive messaging. It had plenty to offer for the "eventists" - people who visit the grounds for the ambience, without going to any matches.

​It was finally time to enter Rod Laver arena for the evening matches. Our seats were above the TV cameras and had the classic view that you’d see on TV, with some minor blockage from the equipment and the people in front of us. The rows were quite narrow, and we were in the middle of the block, which discouraged us from getting up during the match. At convenient moments, we each ventured out for food or warm beverages.

​The first match featured the #3 women’s seed, Elena Rybakina, the Russian-born Kazakhstani player. At this early stage of the tournament, a competitive match wasn’t expected. Rybakina was playing against Anna Blinkova, an underdog (underdingo?) who ultimately pulled an upset and defeated the #3 seed. It was a long and competitive match. After each player took one set, the final set went into a tense tiebreaker. Per the rules, the winner was the first to 10 points with a +2 lead. Both players managed to win points when they were on the brink of losing, and the final score ended up being 22-20. At 42 points, this was the longest tiebreaker in history! The crowd’s excitement (and incredulity) increased with each additional point. It was a spectacular match to witness. Blinkova was charming and funny in her interview, even after this inspiring athletic feat.

​The second match featured the #3 men’s seed, Daniil Medvedev, against Finnish underdog Emil Ruusuvuori. The young Fin took the first two sets, frustrating Medvedev (and his coach). Medvedev took a timeout for a medical check, which could have been a stalling tactic. By this point, it was 1:30am and we were getting cold. We left with Medvedev’s fate uncertain – was another upset of a #3 seed in store? When we woke up the next day, we discovered Medvedev had made a comeback and survived the challenge. It was great to see him play, as he would later reach the finals and earn second place overall!

​On the second day of tennis, Vince and Rachel returned to the grounds while I went on another mini adventure. First, I went down to the building’s gym and ran 5k on the treadmill. The AirBNB key fob didn’t actually have access to the gym, but someone was leaving as I arrived and let me in. ​Later, I headed west to the Docklands area to another public library. It was within the free tram zone, a nice feature of the CBD. My first Melbourne tram ride! The library was modern and had several floors, ping pong tables, and a makerspace. On the way back, I cut through the busy Southern Cross train station, and picked up more supplies at the Woolworth’s embedded in the station. I spent the evening at the apartment, snacking on Yumi’s falafel and hummus, until the tennis crew came back.

​On the third day of tennis, I took the tram east and did a self-guided walking tour through East Melbourne, Richmond, the Botanical Gardens, and Southbank. As before, I used the libraries as anchor points. The East Melbourne library was stylish and modern, reflecting the affluence of this suburb. 

Heading into Richmond, I enjoyed the variety of shops along Bridge St. The two-story Victorian houses, quirky stores, trams, and foot traffic evoked a flatter version of San Francisco. The quieter Church St lived up to its name, with an abundance of charming churches.

​Across the river, the Botanical Gardens were spacious but lively. There were couples enjoying wine on picnic blankets, a busy café called The Terrace where I got an iced coffee, and a kids’ playground with goofy-shaped topiaries. I skirted the edge of the Shrine of Remembrance, a prominent WWI monument, and made a mental note to visit the museum later. ​Now in Southbank, I visited a small wine shop to pick out a gift for my Servas host – a Barossa grenache. ​

I swung by the Crown casino complex, which had some dazzling interiors and fancy shops. The exit was just a few blocks from the AirBNB, completing a giant loop around the Australian Open grounds.

​Rachel and Vince returned from the afternoon tennis, and we had a pesto pasta meal together while sharing stories from the day. Amazingly, they got into a selfie with Carlos Alcaraz! Apparently after he was done practicing, and a loud fan asked him to take a selfie with the kids in front. Someone offered up their phone, and Carlos obliged. Not only did the photo include the whole crowd, but the phone’s owner actually texted it out. Another unique, “only at the AO” experience.

​It was now Rachel and Vince’s last day in Melbourne, and they carved out some time to explore outside of the tennis bubble. We checked out of the AirBNB, and I made a side trip to my Servas host in South Melbourne to say hello and drop off my bags (more on the Servas stay in the next post). Then we rendezvoused at a shopping mall in the CBD, where the other two were stocking up on western goods before heading to the Middle East and Africa. ​The mall had just about everything they needed, but the most elusive item turned out to be a Kindle. We visited an Officeworks and inquired; they had one left in stock, but they wouldn’t hand the box over the counter so that Rachel could check the size and weight. Workers at that location had been recently traumatized by an attempted theft or crazy person (it was a bit unclear) and didn't want us to run off with the box. At their suggestion, we headed to a different Officeworks nearby. The second location had the display Kindle we were seeking, and Rachel bought the last one in stock. The bizarre experience at the first location was a reminder that even a safe city like Melbourne has its urban crime.

We walked to the Botanical Gardens, passing Flinders Station, Federation Square and street musicians on the bridge. We stumbled across a pride festival called Midsumma; by coincidence it was the first day of a multi-week event. There were rainbow-decked booths from sporting teams and corporate sponsors, giant stages with live music, and lots of queer arts and crafts for sale. It was a little overwhelming, but the potential for people-watching was off the charts. There were drag queens, wheelchairs, dogs, ​rotary selfie platforms, an Auslan booth for the deaf community, and a fleet of food trucks. We stopped for lunch; I got a souvlaki wrap and a coffee. The charismatic coffee cashier was trying to upsell customers on snacks. The comedic quips were good, so I got a cookie too.

​The weather was cold and gray, and we weren’t really dressed for the occasion. We sought an indoor activity and headed for the National Gallery of Victoria across the street. Outside there were some interesting installations, including a bunch of potted plants that would play electric tones when you touched them. The most striking one was a set of a dozen LED screens with stylized digital birds that walked in place, like moving hieroglyphs, along the side of the road.

Inside the NGV, we watched a funny video of an actress posing as different emojis. It was near an exhibit called the tennis ball exchange, a giant vault of tennis balls from the community. We browsed the Asian Art gallery, which was very well curated, but agreed we were too tired to absorb it properly.

​For a more engaging activity, we played a round of mini golf at Holey Moley, part of the Crown casino complex. The course was had a small indoor footprint, and we were stuck behind a large group, but the holes themselves were quite innovative. One was a marble labyrinth that didn’t even require the club. The final hole was inside an enclosed wind tunnel full of fake dollar bills, swirling around the golfer.

​It was almost time for Rachel and Vince to leave for the airport. Of course, it was only fitting to end this chapter with a last taste of the Tennis – we found a screen by the river and watched for a bit. We returned to the lobby to get their bags out of storage, waited for the Uber to arrive, and then bid each other safe travels. ​

It was honestly hard to believe that our trio travels, which began 2 months and 12 days before in Auckland, had finally come to a close in Melbourne. It was an unforgettable trip together, and we covered so much ground!