At the airport, we got some food. Wombat didn't really like the pasta since it was too dry, but the bacon in the pasta was pretty good. The domestic airport was very different than the US. It was like the old days in the US, where you didn't need a boarding pass to go through security so you could wait at the gate until it was time for your friends or family to leave. You could bring liquids over 3 oz onto your aircraft. It was just very casual.
Apparently on every domestic flight, they'll make an announcement requesting you listen to the safety features on the aircraft since every plane is different. But it seemed as if everything was still the same. Wombat was secured into his seat before we left the airport.
The flight to Melbourne was very short and when we arrived, it was dinner time! We got some recommendations for food, but ended up eating at a little Japanese cafe near Chinatown. The food was delicious! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find as good food for as cheap in Sydney/Manly. Afterwards, it was bedtime in order to prepare for the next day.
The next morning, we stopped by Federation Square to eat our breakfast on the steps. The architecture in the area was amazing and since it was still early, there weren't too many people around.
After breakfast, we rushed over to Day 2 of the Boxing Day Test Match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. To give our US readers an idea of how big of an event it is, Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test Match is about the equivalent of Thanksgiving Day football games. Boxing Day is the day after Christmas and also a national holiday. The Test Match can last up to 5 days, but you would definitely want to go on Day 1 or 2 to guarantee some excitement. Every year, they rotate who Australia plays and this year they were playing India, which is a big rival.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground had all these rules that don't exist in the US. If you got onto the field, you were fined up to $6000. You couldn't start the wave and aren't supposed to participate in it. Apparently, people were throwing things during the wave, which is why it was banned. You couldn't make any racist comments or you'd be thrown out of the stadium for life. If you were seen inflating a beach ball and throwing it around, you could also get kicked out. The rules were pretty strict and we were able to see some people get walked out of the stadium.
We had bought tickets for general admission, which meant we could sit anywhere we wanted in a couple of areas. The view from the lower stand was great except for the beating sun. It got hot very quickly.
Wombat seemed to enjoy his view except that people are much bigger than him.
From the upper grandstand, you got a view of the entire arena without any obstructions, but the people ended up being very small and it was easy to miss the plays that were happening since it happens so fast. Luckily, they replayed all the events on the big screens so we could rewatch from there. We alternated between these two seating areas due to the sun. In the sun, it was too hot, but in the shade it was actually pretty chilly because of the wind.
Coming up tomorrow: The Great Ocean Road!
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