Rhonda Bracey: At Random

Our quick trip to Melbourne to watch the AFL Preliminary Final had some other features:

• The VirginBlue flights were uneventful, and the leg room was much more than on Qantas. Staff were very pleasant.
• We got to visit my Mum’s sister and her family on Friday, then have lunch with my cousin and her husband. I hadn’t seen any of them for about 10-15 years, so that was good!
• The rental car was an electric/petrol hybrid—a Toyota Prius. After getting used to the start up/shut down procedure and the lack of noise (!!!) it was a great car to drive. And incredibly fuel efficient. We did 200kms and when I filled the tank before returning the car to the airport, it took only 6 litres! That’s 3L per 100kms. Normal vehicles run about 9-10L/100kms, and 4WDs are upwards of 12L/100kms. The lack of noise was a little disconcerting at first. When you are idling (like at traffic lights or when you first start the car), there is NO engine noise, so it seems like you’ve stalled, except all the dash lights tell you otherwise.
• The toll road charges are HORRENDOUS! $11 per calendar day whether you use the roads or not. No wonder Victoria can afford such great sporting and arts venues.
• We walked for about 2 hours around the Yarra on Saturday morning before going to the airport. The weather was absolutely brilliant and Melbourne shone like a Christmas bauble! Photos are here…