MELBOURNE TRIP 2016 # 2 PART 2 GHOST TOWN

6/3/2016 

SUNDAY 

While we were sleeping in after the Ghost Tour, (actually  I did not get to sleep well after hearing all those spooky tales!)  May was already up early and  she decided to walk up to the cricket ground (which was pointed out by the guide last night) by herself. 

long isolated hike to the cricket ground.

the ghostly cricket grounds empty and flat on top of the mountain.......

imagine the horsepower and manpower to level this place for the love of English cricket

She said it has some great views up there...

After checking out of the hotel, we drove around to view those "ghostly" sites mentioned last night during the tour.

heritage building the Windsor Hotel.

If you are "good", you can see little Emily sitting on the top left window!! 

She was burnt to death when her long hair caught fire with the candlestick and her "ghost" has been seen sitting at the window, playing with her hair!!!  By the way look the door  upstairs... one that open up  to nothing but straight down... what a death trap!  

  

the Shrine memorial of Walhalla...

the Band Rotunda - from where you can hear the faint music of the band playing.

the unusual Walhalla Cemetery, notice how its perched high on the steep mountain slope. 

It is rumoured that the coffins were buried standing upright. However the guide told us that's not true. But to see over 1100 graves make you realise the extreme hardship and difficulties that the miners faced those days.

The guide also told us about the bride Rhoda living at Spetts Cottage. Rhoda was jilted at the altar and people have seen "her" wandering in her wedding dress crossing the road! And in fact one of the lady in our group that night also affirmed that she had seen an aparition in her own wedding photograph where she held it at the Spetts Cottage. Well, these spooky tales told in the middle of the night were really frightening.  

But the tour was really more a heritage walk in the dark as the guide lead us through the town and it was a very good way to know the history of Walhalla. 

the Train Station was closed due to the accident yesterday.

 

Thus ended our weekend trip.  

On the highway back, we saw this sign and decided to stop by..

Could not hear any music....all was very  quiet ...

No,  it is not another "ghost" building.   

We were informed by the handsome guy that normally they have singing/muscial performances some sort of "open mic" sessions. 

Workshop and museum of musical instruments...they also do restoration and tuning of the pianos.

the "baby" piano 

the "grand" piano..

  

Bought these pretty bookmarks.

We had our dinner at Woodstock Pizza in Lygon Street back in the city.  

the cured hams and the cheese!

waiting for the rest of family to arrive

Deep fried calamaries

We also ordered the Arancini rice balls - cheesy rice balls... devoured before I remember to take photo.

mushroom pizza

eggplants pizza

prosciutto pizza and also a 4 cheese pizza 

These are worth the waiting, though a bit too long even though it says cooking time 3-4 minutes only!

So by the time we finished dinner, it was rather late and windy as well.  The purpose of having dinner in the city was to find and see the neon sign of Little Audrey at Victoria Street in Abbotsford!   

The Little Skipping girl- a popular feature in Melbourne - even in their stamps and souvenirs!.

The sign belongs to the Nycander Company, a producer of malt vinegar called "Skipping Girl Brand Pure Malt Vinegar".   This was Australia first animated neon sign in 1936. The sign was later dubbed as "Little Audrey", a commonly used phrase in Australia at the time and in the Little Audrey stories, the girl was wide-eye and naive. The original sign was removed when the building was demolished and this is the new sign and it came under the Heritage List now.  This sign is lit by  solar energy now  and it comes alive only at night.