Last day for Dogs on the Beach

Today (31st October 2014) is the last day that dogs are allowed on beach areas. This happens every year for the Summer season, which next year, ends on the 31st March 2015.

During the Summer season you can still take your dog to Elwood or Middle Park beaches early in the mornings.  For more information check out this Information Brochure about dog areas from the City of Port Phillip.  

Wild Storms Subside

The wild weather that hit Melbourne yesterday was quite horrific. If you were in Melbourne last night there was no way that you would have missed, or escaped, it.
 

It was a typical Melbourne sunny afternoon and what appeared to just be the simple beginnings of a rainy evening, turned into a horrific thunder and lightning storm at around 2:00am. The lightning was very intense and each flash was so bright that it lit up the sky as if it were day.  The thunder was so loud that my apartment windows vibrated.  It was the type of thunder that distresses pets too. My cats are always quick as lightning trying to scurry under the bed, but giving them a cuddle and letting them sleep on the bed always calms their nerves. Hopefully other pet owners took time to comfort their pets too, especially when the power went out.

According to The Age, 50,000 Victorians lost power due to these storms but many of them were reconnected by Monday afternoon.  There was only one moment during the night where all of the power went out in East St Kilda. All power was out inside my home, and it was eerie to look out the window and see no street or traffic lights. It was completely black and it was another flash of lightning in the sky that illuminated the streets again for a brief moment.   The power returned approximately 15 minutes later. Things were not so fortunate for the owners of a house in the nearby suburb of Prahran. Their house was struck by lightning and caught fire, causing around $850,000 in damage.

Melbourne's public transport system also took a beating with many train lines and services interrupted due to flooding.  We are relatively lucky in St Kilda because if our train line, the Sandringham Line, is delayed or cancelled in such circumstances, we still have trams and buses that are available to us that all head into the city, and although it may take a little longer than the train to get to Flinders Street, it is not as bad as someone who may be relying on just the one train to commute to work.

 

Overall, St Kilda escaped having too many major post-storm issues, and now that the storms have subsided, we look forward to more pleasant Spring weather for the rest of the week.



Photo taken from my balcony.

Dogs off leash in Alma Park

As a dog owner, it's not difficult to know the importance of getting outdoors with you furry family member to let them get some fresh air and exercise.  It's also important that they have an opportunity to run and play freely without being restricted by a leash all of the time.

Alma Park in St Kilda East is a popular place for people to take their dogs.  In fact, it is common around 5pm each day, to see a whole group of like-minded dog owners in the park with their canines.  It's like a small community where people get to know each other and each others' dogs, they share stories about caring for their pets and offer each other advice, while the dogs run leash free.

 

As responsible dog owners, it is a requirement that people remain in control and in view of their dogs, as well as pick up after their dogs. The majority of people do this without any hesitation. However, some of the other dog owners will strongly "remind" people when they don't! It is such a shame when you witness some dog owners turning a blind eye when their dogs are doing their business, and then just walk away as if nothing happened.  The classic one is when you see someone looking at their smart phones conveniently at the right moment!  

 

Considering that the park is used by many other people as well, whether they be lads out kicking the football, or parents with their children in the playground, personal trainers utilizing some of the grass areas with their clients, or just people sitting and relaxing in the sunshine, there is nothing worse than stepping in, or even worse, sitting on, some unexpected doggy doo. 

 

There are other "off leash" parks around St Kilda and the City of Port Phillip if Alma Park is not near you.

 

 

 

McHappy Day @ St Kilda McDonalds

Get down to McDonalds St Kilda for McHappy Day and you might see the Mix101.1 team there playing games and giving out prizes.

 

But apart from that, it's a great cause because $2 from every Big Mac sold goes to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

 

 

 

Seniors Festival 2014

These billboard posters that are currently being displayed in front of the St Kilda Town Hall, are promoting some of the things going on in St Kilda at the moment. Some events are beginning in a couple of weeks at the end of October, but the Seniors Festival is on right now until Sunday 19th October 2014.  This festival is an annual event and is a great opportunity for the senior citizens of the area to get involved in some fun and fantastic activities.  There are still a few days left to be a part of fun in Port Phillip.

 

For more information you can pop in to the Council Offices at St Kilda Town Hall, located on the Corner of Carlisle St and Nepean Highway, or you can Click Here.

Braille at Tram Stops

It's great that there are braille signs at some tram stops to help the visually impaired. This tram stop is for Route 112 (ie: Tram No. 12) which runs along Park Street, West St Kilda.  The end of the line is at the intersection of Park St and Fitzroy St.  This tram will also get you to the city and take you all the way to Victoria Gardens in Richmond.  For those that don't know where that is, it is where IKEA is!

 

It's a positive step for Yarra Trams because they are aiming to make tram journeys more accessible to more people. If you think that more tram stops need this kind of signage, you should contact Public Transport Victoria and give them your feedback. It can only improve the service for everyone.

Bad Parking

This was seen in West St Kilda today. Imagine returning to your car to find that someone parked their 4Wheel Drive and Trailer like this in front of you. It's sad that people don't respect other people's property.  You cannot tell me that you would not notice hitting the car behind when you're parking.  I feel sorry for the owner of the damaged car. Such bad parking.

Welcome to St Kilda Life

There are many facets to life in St Kilda.  Living in this neighbourhood means to live amongst an agglomeration of people, food, sights and sounds. There’s a lot more going on than what is advertised on a tourist website. Perhaps people want to know all about the public events and activities that occur, and perhaps they want to know about some of the other things that make up this wonderful suburb that aren’t listed on any website. Each is a wonderful story. This blog aims to share these with you from the perspective of a local who has called St Kilda home for more than twenty years.

Away from the tourist spotlight

There are many things going on away from the tourist spotlight that would also be interesting to share with people, whether they are fellow residents or people from other suburbs or countries. It’s always good to know where you can take your dog for a walk without a leash, which places have free Wi-Fi, where public toilets are, and which bar makes a superb Espresso Martini! But it is important to share some of the things about this neighbourhood that are perhaps, not always viewed as being glamorous and exciting, but for some people, they may be worthwhile knowing about. These day to day things also make up life in St Kilda and you probably will only hear about them from someone who lives there and would experience it firsthand.

Let’s share!

This St Kilda Life blog is about sharing. There is a story in every little pocket of St Kilda: from Acland Street near St Kilda Beach, to Fitzroy Street in the west, to Carlisle Street in the east, there is a story waiting to be told and shared.  Each one is an important part of the St Kilda mosaic. Whether it is the bright lights and sparkle of Luna Park, or what old films are playing at the historical Astor Theatre, there are funny stories, serious stories, and some downright weird stories. But all of these are what make St Kilda an amazing and wonderful place to visit. They are also what make it an incredible place to live because it is never boring.  By sharing these stories with you, it is hoped that you will find them entertaining, interesting and possibly even useful when you next find yourself visiting, or living a St Kilda life.

Why write this Blog?

Home for over 20 years.

Having called St Kilda home for more than twenty years, this beachside suburb in Melbourne’s southeast never ceases to amaze me, inspire me, surprise me, and comfort me. It is home to a diverse and vibrant culture that continues to be interesting no matter what time of year, whether it be during the forty degree heat of summer, or an icy cold winter. There is always something to see and experience here. This blog is one way for me to share my love of St Kilda with you all.  

 

What I love about St Kilda.

What I love about St Kilda is its diversity. There is actually a local free publication called “Divercity” that is distributed by our local council, the City of Port Phillip. I love all the things that tourists adore such as the beach, the theatres, the festivals, the variety of cafes, restaurants and groovy bars where many of the arty-farty types hang out, but I also love the things that aren’t always listed on tourist and visitors websites, such as where to go for a good Chinese lunch special forunder $10, or a Laundrette that is also a solarium! I guess that during the cold rainy days of a Melbourne winter, one can maintain one’s summer tan while waiting for your whites to tumble dry.

 

Why I want to share

Since I travel a lot with my work, it is comforting to come home to such an energetic atmosphere where the people are just as dynamic as the weather. I enjoy the quirky aspects of this neighbourhood and enjoy sharing all of these fantastic things with other people. I am very passionate about St Kilda and that’s why I have lived here for so long.  When I travel, I sometimes wish there was a similar type of blog or website that has been written by a local that would give me insight into the area from a perspective of somebody who actually lives there. Having insider information is valuable and this is what I aim to do. The overall purpose of wanting to write this blog is to share all the things that I love about my neighbourhood and by doing so, maybe I can help people get around, find where things are, or just help them to fall in love with all things that make up life in St Kilda.

 

 

Back to School in Victoria. Term 4, 2014 begins!

Term 4, 2014 begins!

 

Today is the first day back at school for most children, and parents are probably letting out a huge sigh of relief because they do not have to worry about keeping the offspring occupied every single day any more.  At least for the next 11 weeks, they will be back in class, back into their after school activities and parents will be engaging in their own school term activity: nagging the kids to put down their iPads and do their homework!

 

Being back at school also means that all the speed limits around schools, not only in the St Kilda area, but everywhere, will be 40 km per hour during certain times.  Most of us are used to this by now, although there are always the odd one or two who will ignore it. Sometimes, sadly, these are parents themselves which seems a little hypocritical.

 

Sometimes, however, one must wonder why the timing of these 40 zones need to be so stretched out and disrupt the flow of traffic when it would appear to be unnecessary.  There is one example in East St Kilda where the 40 signs are turned on from 2pm and will still be on after 6pm.  Is this a little bit of an overkill perhaps?  Considering that there are no parents or parents' cars anywhere near the school until closer to 3:30pm and then they are usually all gone by 4:30pm, and the school is clearly closed at 6pm. But if drivers were to ignore these 40 signs, they risk getting a speeding ticket. There is an interesting discussion forum on the Whirlpool site if anyone is interested in what others have to say about this.  

 

Another familiar sight around school drop-off and pick-up times are the number of SUV and 4-Wheel drive vehicles you see.  It doesn't help traffic flow at all when you have parents in these large cars double parked which essentially brings traffic to a complete stand still.

 

Despite some of these traffic and speed zones woes, it is probably common sense and wise to slow down around schools in the mornings and afternoons.  We can all agree that the safety of our children is important.

 

Have a fantastic Term 4!

 

 

 

Daylight Savings begins today.

You may have noticed that Daylight Savings began today (Sunday 5 October 2014), along the East Coast of Australia. This means for us folk in Melbourne that we need to put our clocks FORWARD one hour. 

 

Yes, it means that we lose a whole hour of our day today, but it also means that once Summer comes along, we all will be able to still enjoy a stroll, or a jog, or even a barbecue along the beach at 8pm and it will not be dark.

 

 

Roadworks in Balaclava / East St Kilda

There seems to be some construction / roadworks happening this morning on the corner of #CarlisleStreet and #NelsonStreet in #Balaclava / #EastStKilda. 

 

This is near #BalaclavaTrainStation. It seems to have something to do with #CitiPower since they have a couple of trucks parked in the vicinity.

 

There are some traffic detours in place around that area for local traffic, but you can still drive as usual along Carlisle St in both directions. Just be prepared to slow right down, or stop.

Luna Park for the last few days of School Holidays!

The School Holidays are drawing to a close and it will be back to school for Term 4 as of next Monday.  If you're in St Kilda, there's still some fun things to do with the kids right through until Sunday.  #LunaPark is always great fun for the whole family and during the school holidays it is open from 11am to 11pm.  Sunday they close at 8pm though, and that's probably because it's a school night!  So there's still plenty of time to enjoy this iconic St Kilda venue.

 

For more information you can check out their website: http://lunapark.com.au/