It was not a really bright morning which I woke up to. A cold bath later, I promptly left my Airbnb for my next objective. I took a series of trams, buses and later a long train (2 hr) ride out east to the city outskirts, arriving at the Belgrave township by mid-morning. The Puffing Billy Train Ride is one of the finest steam railway in the world and is famous for bringing tourists through its original 24km mountain track between Belgrave and Gembrook, in the natural surrounds of the magnificent Dandenong Ranges.
This would be my only scenic trip for the holiday because there was simply too many places to visit in the city area (and so much distances to walk).
I took the full ride through the Dandenong Range while taking in the amazing view. Each train stop was an experience, with conductors waving at squealing kids, cars (likely parents) racing after the train and waving at us when we passed by; and families coming out of the farmhouses built right beside the tracks coming out to greet and wave as we passed by. This was really great, sunny morning for me.
It was an another 3-hour travel back to the city central and I had a 3pm lunch at a nice fish and chips place beside the central train station.
Next, I tracked down 2 more game stores, visited the Scots Church and the famed Hosier Lane where I took some time taking pictures of the amazing street graffiti all around. I briefly cased the Federation Square but felt there was not enough time to fully explore it as the day began to deepen into evening time by then.
I had to travel quite a distance (Trams plus a 40 min walk) to another surburb area to get to my next pub of choice this evening. The Moon Dog Brewery was known for brewing its own beer and the beer turned out to be as delicious as advertised. The brewery was located in some sort of industrial area populated by mostly closed garages. The brewery itself was shuttered but there was a cheery pub scene going on within it. The very floor was sloped (garage) and seating and tables were little more than a series of barrels and long benches. Curiously piping hot pizza was being cooked and sold out of a makeshift trailer restaurant, adding to the ghetto-like atmosphere.
Later in the night, with some google mapping, I took the long walk back to Fitzroy while enjoying the chilled air. My next pub stop was the Napier; a second nearby pub recommended by my Airbnb host. This pub was much more lively than the Union, and there was an amazing crowd having beer and food within. The bartenders were really friendly and recommended a lot of good beer and food to go along with. I had a great steak here and many more beers before calling it a day.
Wanderer's Anthology 
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