This Frommer’s article about St. Kilda in Melbourne has me feeling
a bit nostalgic today. I spent a lovely day in St. Kilda a few
years back and still remember it as if it was yesterday. The sky was powder blue, and even though it wasn’t hot, the
temp was mild enough (in March) for me to lie on the beach for a bit and take a quick dip in Port Philip Bay. We
brought our bikes and took a great ride along the water, beginning at Port Melbourne, where we watched the Spirit of Tasmania ferry depart for a trip south to East
Devonport. We biked past the historic Palais Theater, the Espy Hotel and the famous clown creature entrance
to Luna Park, making our way to the shops. We walked along Acland Street
briefly, stopping only to buy some St. Joseph’s Day pastries at the Monarch Cake Shop, which a St. Kilda native hails as one of the only
authentic outposts left in the area. I didn’t sense the screaming comercialization of the area that he criticizes,
probably because we didn’t dine or shop — we simply enjoyed the waterfront area for the better part of a perfectly
pleasant afternoon. The City of Port Philip hosts a Film
Festival each year in St. Kilda, which takes place May 30 – June 4. It’s late autumn in Australia at that time, so
flights and accommodation will be cheaper in off-season…it might be a cool time to consider a visit.