Up with a hotel coffee and enjoying our tiny little shower-loo combo, it’s like if it was on an airplane ????

It’s pouring outside so we get ready and prepped for this – we have a 13 minute walk to the nearest train station

Of course, we are sodden upon arrival and our train is cancelled so we catch the next

We get a little treat for a wait as there’s a Krispy Kreme’s opposite ????

This train takes us to Flinders Street Railway Station where we grab the number 70 tram, after a little queue as everyone is going the same way as us

We arrive at 7B Rod Laver Arena stop: we’re going to the Aussie Open ????

Get through the Garden Square Entrance smoothly and straight into Rod Laver Arena for our first match to watch

It’s the 2nd round of ladies singles and we’re watching world #6 Ons Jabeur, from Tunisia, vs a new addition to the game of a sweet sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva, from Russia but playing under no flag

The match is kinda short as it seems Ons is off her game and looses the first set

She gets a couple wins in the next set but is ultimately beaten, fairly, by the up-and-comer in just over an hour

Fun to watch and some history has just happened before us, for sure!

Next up, we’ve got the 2nd round of men’s singles where Matteo Arnaldi, from Italy, plays the world #10 Alex de Minaur where he has a large crowd of support, being Aussie himself

The game starts off strong – first set has some great tennis with decent lengths of rounds

de Minaur wins the first set… then the next with flying colours

The third set is heated as it goes between several exchanges of deuce before the Aussie claims it

Finishing dead on the 2 hour mark, we are told the court will hold another 2nd round of ladies singles!

This match has Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, the world’s #10 ladies single player, vs Alina Korneeva, another flag-less Russian player

With the weather changed, they’ve opened the roof for this game ????

It’s a slow game as both competitors are strong – the first set shows why Haddad Maia is number #10 as she leads

Though, midway through set two the Russian is giving her a run for her money!

We call it quits as we’re getting quite hungry and the food here is extortionately priced

On the way out, we see the rest of the Australia Open grounds: there’s a bunch of other courts outside and lots of the public are wondering

They even have a section called Ballpark which has a Go Ape-like set up

We get taken through to Federation Square where people are out and about watching the tennis on big screens and we can see St Paul’s Cathedral

We walk down Swanston Street for about half an hour seeing other landmarks, including Manchester Unity Building, Melbourne Town Hall and Melbourne City Baths

This takes us to Queen Victoria Markets – here on several days of the week, they have a fresh produce market

It’s closed today… but they do have a weekly Wednesday night Food Market though, with free entry too

It’s so busy here – definitely “the spot” to be on Wednesdays it seems!

We stroll around with a couple drinks trying to decipher the best bargain and the yummiest treat

A ginormous meat platter to share, from Black Sheep – a Greek rotisserie joint – for just $28

The vibes here are immaculate: there’s lots going on aside from the food and craft vendors too, including several street performers and buskers

Not completely full, we try another stalls food: can’t not go for the “best burger in Melbourne Central Business District (CBD)” – as well as it being called Dave’s Diner – for just shy of $15

Very yummy but Davesy would say that was a strong statement

After, it’s getting a little late so we decide to start making our way back to the hotel – though not before Dave gets his very own Indiana Jones hat ????

Journey back takes us almost an hour and we’re pooped so straight to bed for us