Going outdoors in Melbourne

July 25, 2016

'Baby it's cold outside' which surprisingly makes it the perfect weather for ice skating (apart from the 80% chance of rain) and not staying at home!

Federation square has been for the past few years been home to Melbourne's only outdoor ice rink and I adore ice skating.


It has been something that I've always loved to do. I used to watch Madeline orphan as she went ice skating on a frozen lake in the Swiss Alps. It always looked so graceful and lovely that I wanted to give it a try on a frozen lake, obviously however coming from a country like Australia that combination was always somewhat challenging.
My first chance to skate was when I was probably about 10. The Melbourne Docklands had a winter wonderland during the school holidays, equipped with 'real' snow and a very large ice rink. My first somewhat wobbly skating experience lead to many more trips each year back to the winter wonderland and all other rinks in metropolitan Melbourne.
I should take this moment to thank my friend Bek for taking the photos, even of the FOOD! Which requires much talent when I'm involved.
Whilst compared to other outdoor rinks I've seen it really is quite small and very slushy *note the watery knee* but the laughter and joy very much out does that.
I'm a very coordinated soul
How exciting can skating around in the same square for 45 minutes when you're nowhere near the most talented person on the ice?
You'd be surprised...
Navigating the ice midday in Melbourne could almost be considered a sport. Maybe it's the lack of ice present in our lifetime or maybe we were a gathering of particularly uncoordinated people at the time, but nevertheless the amount of spills was incredible and yet 90% of them ended in laughter.
There really isn't many things nicer than the freedom of a somewhat wobbly glide along the ice, Disney music playing, the chilly winter wind blowing in your face and the promise of something warm and lovely afterwards from the riverside stalls.
The food really was a delicous experience. All the smells of hot chocolates and cider and foods from pretzels to the raclette!
My goodness!!! *Drools with the memory of our plate of raclette*

So that was my day, how was yours?

xx

Caitlin

You Might Also Like

0 comments

Popular Posts

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images

Subscribe