Street Art in Melbourne: Part 1

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A fish mural in Fitzroy, Melbourne

A fish mural in Fitzroy, Melbourne

Street art in Melbourne is – in a word – amazing. The laneways in the CBD and neighborhoods like Fitzroy and Collingwood are havens for artists, many of whom create larger than life murals. Hosier Lane near Federation Square is the most famous and it is constantly changing. I have visited three times over the past three weeks and each time I’ve seen brand new, very impressive pieces. Croft Alley, Centre Place, and Tattersall’s Lane are also good places to check out in the CBD.

Most of these photos were taken in the aforementioned places, and this is the first post of a series of three (at least for now!).

One thing I’ve loved about documenting street art is seeing some familiar tags and murals that are obviously done by artists I’d seen before. In Melbourne’s case, I see some of the same characters that I saw up in Chiang Mai. It’s like an international treasure hunt!

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RTW Trip Roundup

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My year (plus some) trip over three continents has finished and I’m still processing everything I saw and learned! I visited 20 countries in total. Here’s a list of each country with something I will remember about it, as well as a gallery of photos which hadn’t previously made it onto the blog.

Malaysia Roundup

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The Queen Victoria Clock Tower Memorial in George Town, Penang

The Queen Victoria Clock Tower Memorial in George Town, Penang

I spent only 9 days in Malaysia – all in George Town – and spent an average of $28 per day. As I’m at the end of my year-long trip through three continents, I was quite tired and didn’t do much except eat and ogle street art. It was also really, uncomfortably hot in George Town, so I didn’t have much energy to see tourist spots like Monkey Island or Penang Hill. It was a nice week, though, as I had time to plan for my time at home and also get myself ready for my work and holiday year in Australia, which will commence in May!

I would love to go back to Malaysia one day, particularly to go scuba diving off Borneo or the Perhentian Islands. I have to save something for the future, right?

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Street Art in George Town

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A pink elephant and a cynical message on a wall near Lebuh Armenian in George Town, Penang

A pink elephant and a cynical message on a wall near Lebuh Armenian in George Town, Penang

I had just 9 days in Malaysia and I was feeling a bit worn out on the bus rides, booking new hostels, getting orientated to a new place and so on, so I decided to just spend the whole time in the UNESCO heritage site of George Town. It’s a very tourist-friendly small city that’s pretty cheap, and almost everybody speaks English. It’s also famous for two of my very favorite things: food and street art. I was quite a happy camper!

The street art in George Town is dominated mostly by a series of murals that are advertised in a popular tourist map (Marking George Town). Most of these had at least a handful of other tourists snapping pics when I found them. The common theme is protection of animals – particularly cats – and promoting responsible pet ownership. There were a few other nice pieces that I found scattered about as well.

In addition to the murals, there are wrought-iron caricatures with messages about George Town’s history all throughout the city. They’re a fun reminder of the history behind all the streets.

 

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Thailand Roundup

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Standing in front of the Namuang waterfall on Koh Samui

Standing in front of the Namuang waterfall on Koh Samui

I spent 74 days in Thailand, which beats my previous record from Bolivia! My budget was all over the place, as food, accommodation, and transport were extremely cheap up north and only  moderately cheap down south, but then I added on loads of scuba diving, some Thai language lessons, a cooking class, and renewing nearly my entire wardrobe. Ultimately I panned out at an average of $35 per day including everything, which still isn’t too bad!

I visited 8 places: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai, Sukothai, Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Khao Sok, and Ao Nang. I absolutely fell in love with Chiang Mai and would consider going back to live there semi-permanently in the future. It’s a bit of a cliched expat center, but for good reason!

I also enjoyed checking out some cool street art and seeing the beautiful coral reefs of Koh Phi Phi. All in all, it was a wonderful 10 weeks!

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