I’m enjoying my first night in South Melbourne with a cup of tea and an amazing view. The neighborhood of South
Melbourne is located just on the other side of the Yarra River from the Flinders Street Station. The area is a mix of chic cafes, young professionals busily heading into the CBD each morning, some of the best shopping in Melbourne on Bridge Road, the South Melbourne market, and gorgeous gardens and parks.
Upon arriving in Melbourne, I stayed with a friend in a neighborhood called Glen Iris, located in the eastern suburbs. Glen Iris has lovely homes many parks, leafy green streets lined with trees and long stretches of bike path through green belts. It’s a lovely area to live, especially if you like jogging or biking. This was my home base for my job hunt. arrived in Australia on the US working holiday visa. This visa is good for contract work, but with the intention to stay in Australia longer I needed a more permanent visa – that means sponsorship. After 5 weeks of job hunting, I was hired by a nursing education company to work in their marketing department. They are interested in sponsoring me, which means I get to stay in Australia, as long as the government approves my application. That’s particularly good since I wasn’t planning on leaving any time soon. There’s so much of this region to explore, and I love living in Melbourne. In Australia, an individual only needs to be sponsored by a company for two years before they can apply for permanent residence.
I will also be spending my time here in Melbourne building my photography business, focusing on pet photography, travel photography, and interesting non-profit campaigns. Visit my photography at Genevieve Hathaway Photography.
With all the job hunting, I’ve been neglecting my ‘tourist’ hat. (Job hunting is a full time gig here, just like back in the States). So, I made it a point last weekend to do a few touristy things. I visited both the NGV Ian Potter Australia Museum, which displays aboriginal art and Australian modern art, and the NGV International, which displays art from all over the world. I particularly liked the NGV International. The museum is well laid out, they have an excellent cafe for tea, and the art is well displayed with history and explanations integrated into the art displays to provide context for the pieces. Currently, the NGV International was displaying archaeological and ethnographic art from India, Southeast Asia, China, Japan and Indonesia, in addition to Meso-American Art, international paintings by well known European painters and a temporary exhibit featuring Australian photographers. Hats off to the Victorian government, both museums are free.
Tomorrow I’ll be exploring, and photographing, the Royal Botanical Gardens, which is large, beautifully designed and also free. That means an early start. With my cup of tea done, the Full Moon looking less full as it shifts into its next phase, and an early start tomorrow it’s off to bed for this photographer.
