Melbourne, Australia: Feeding emus at Pearcedale and Flinders Street lit up at night
Melbourne in August 2025: koalas and snakes at the zoo, a city wine flight, Flinders Street Station at night and hungry emus on a Pearcedale day trip.
After Sydney we flew south to Melbourne in August 2025, and the city split neatly in two for us: animals on the edges, wine and grand old buildings in the middle.
Zoo day
We started with the wildlife, because in Australia you always start with the wildlife.
The koala had opinions about our selfie and shared none of them.The reptile house, doing nothing to soften Australia's reputation. Glass appreciated.
In the city
Central Melbourne rewards walking: arcades, bars tucked into old buildings, and a railway station that looks like a palace.
Tassie Devil Poo or Wombat Poo, fifteen dollars either way. Australian souvenir shops commit to the joke.A wine flight in town, hats on, one of us in a Melbourne hoodie so nobody mistakes us for locals.Flinders Street Station lit up at night, tram included at no extra charge.
Feeding the locals at Pearcedale
On our last day we drove about an hour south-east of the city to a wildlife park at Pearcedale, where the animals wander over and the food cups don't last long.
Two emus, one cup, zero concept of personal space.A wallaby taking lunch far more politely, with a joey auditing the whole transaction from the pouch.
Melbourne in winter: cold enough for hats, warm enough for emus. We would go back for the arcades alone.
