Neil S

We've been lucky enough to be accepted for STNI in Victoria and hope to make the actual move around August time this year - I know it's the winter but who cares! We were wondering about staying somewhere nice like a 4* or even 5* hotel (to give us a good early impression of Melbourne) initially, while we search for rented accommodation.

Has anyone had any BAD experiences of staying anywhere in Melbourne, for example; food, service, rude staff, dirty rooms/linen, bad decor, noisy rooms etc.

Many thanks in advance.

Peter Webb

<SNIP>

    > Has
    > anyone had any BAD experiences of staying anywhere in Melbourne, for
    > example; food, service, rude staff, dirty rooms/linen, bad decor, noisy
    > rooms etc.

All of the above. Avoid Melbourne wherever possible.

Raffi Balmanoukian

in article [email protected], Peter Webb at
[email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 11:06 AM:

    > <SNIP>
    >
    >> Has
    >> anyone had any BAD experiences of staying anywhere in Melbourne, for
    >> example; food, service, rude staff, dirty rooms/linen, bad decor, noisy
    >> rooms etc.
    >>
    >
    > All of the above. Avoid Melbourne wherever possible.
    >
    >
    >

Disagree entirely, with the exception of the astoundingly rude, unhelpful,
and obstreperous blob that served as a counter cluck at the McCafferty's
check-in. With that single exception, I've found Melbournians very open,
wonderful people as a whole. There is a notable distinction between east
and west-enders though and they really don't much care for each other!

Richard

Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
wrote in
news:BC4929E9.1FF0D%[email protected]:

    > in article [email protected], Peter Webb
    > at [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 11:06 AM:
    >
    >> <SNIP>
    >>
    >>> Has
    >>> anyone had any BAD experiences of staying anywhere in Melbourne, for
    >>> example; food, service, rude staff, dirty rooms/linen, bad decor,
    >>> noisy rooms etc.
    >>>
    >>
    >> All of the above. Avoid Melbourne wherever possible.
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >
    > Disagree entirely, with the exception of the astoundingly rude,
    > unhelpful, and obstreperous blob that served as a counter cluck at the
    > McCafferty's check-in. With that single exception, I've found
    > Melbournians very open, wonderful people as a whole. There is a
    > notable distinction between east and west-enders though and they
    > really don't much care for each other!

I find that vastly interesting.

Are you saying folks in Footscray detest those who reside in Box Hill,
and the people of Doncaster equally despise those of Essendon?

What would cause such a rift? How about North to South, do the good
people of Kew spit on those from Frankston? Am I going to encounter this
irrational behaviour all over the suburbs of Melbourne, or only in
localised pockets?

And, lastly, is this geographical animosity not found in Sydney,
Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth...?

Raffi Balmanoukian

in article [email protected], Richard at
[email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 11:43 AM:

    > Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
    > wrote in
    > news:BC4929E9.1FF0D%[email protected]:
    >
    >> in article [email protected], Peter Webb
    >> at [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 11:06 AM:
    >>
    >>> <SNIP>
    >>>
    >>>> Has
    >>>> anyone had any BAD experiences of staying anywhere in Melbourne, for
    >>>> example; food, service, rude staff, dirty rooms/linen, bad decor,
    >>>> noisy rooms etc.
    >>>>
    >>>
    >>> All of the above. Avoid Melbourne wherever possible.
    >>>
    >>>
    >>>
    >>
    >> Disagree entirely, with the exception of the astoundingly rude,
    >> unhelpful, and obstreperous blob that served as a counter cluck at the
    >> McCafferty's check-in. With that single exception, I've found
    >> Melbournians very open, wonderful people as a whole. There is a
    >> notable distinction between east and west-enders though and they
    >> really don't much care for each other!
    >
    > I find that vastly interesting.
    >
    > Are you saying folks in Footscray detest those who reside in Box Hill,
    > and the people of Doncaster equally despise those of Essendon?


Despise might be a mite strong (certainly not of the calibre of, say,
Montreal and Toronto 8-)). Blue collar v. white bread mostly.

Richard

Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
wrote in news:BC493800.1FF12%
[email protected]:

    > in article [email protected], Richard at
    > [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 11:43 AM:
    >
    >> Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
    >> wrote in
    >> news:BC4929E9.1FF0D%[email protected]:
    >>
    >>> in article [email protected], Peter Webb
    >>> at [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 11:06 AM:
    >>>
    >>>> <SNIP>
    >>>>
    >>>>> Has
    >>>>> anyone had any BAD experiences of staying anywhere in Melbourne,
for
    >>>>> example; food, service, rude staff, dirty rooms/linen, bad decor,
    >>>>> noisy rooms etc.
    >>>>>
    >>>>
    >>>> All of the above. Avoid Melbourne wherever possible.
    >>>>
    >>>>
    >>>>
    >>>
    >>> Disagree entirely, with the exception of the astoundingly rude,
    >>> unhelpful, and obstreperous blob that served as a counter cluck at
the
    >>> McCafferty's check-in. With that single exception, I've found
    >>> Melbournians very open, wonderful people as a whole. There is a
    >>> notable distinction between east and west-enders though and they
    >>> really don't much care for each other!
    >>
    >> I find that vastly interesting.
    >>
    >> Are you saying folks in Footscray detest those who reside in Box Hill,
    >> and the people of Doncaster equally despise those of Essendon?
    >
    >
    > Despise might be a mite strong (certainly not of the calibre of, say,
    > Montreal and Toronto 8-)). Blue collar v. white bread mostly.
    >
    >

I thought it was blue collar that ate white bread?? We educated folk like
our five grain...

Hate? That's really strong. We loooove Montreal. Anyway, we'll be able to
assess your characterisation of the typical Melburnian quite soon.

I had always thought it was between Sydney and Melbourne, most
particularly Sydneysiders casting aspersions toward the Victorians, while
those from Melbourne basically just ignoring Sydney. Taking the high
road, as it were, a bit like Torontonians ignoring Maritimers :-)

Raffi Balmanoukian

in article [email protected], Richard at
[email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 2:03 PM:

Taking the high
    > road, as it were, a bit like Torontonians ignoring Maritimers :-)

That's sort of been the point all along 8-)

Anyway, to my thinkin' Melbourne's got it all over Sydney. One was built by
gold. The other was built by convicts. It shows.

Richard

Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
wrote in
news:BC495969.1FF30%[email protected]:

    > in article [email protected], Richard at
    > [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 2:03 PM:
    >
    > Taking the high
    >> road, as it were, a bit like Torontonians ignoring Maritimers :-)
    >
    > That's sort of been the point all along 8-)

Na, really? ;-)

    > Anyway, to my thinkin' Melbourne's got it all over Sydney. One was
    > built by gold. The other was built by convicts. It shows.

I've already decided I'm going to really enjoy the views, beaches, harbour,
etc. that Sydney offers, but I'm going to love the 'feeling' that Melbourne
delivers, with its various neighbourhoods and cultures. Interesting to find
out if it happens. (In a couple of months I'll let you know :-)

Almostbob

"Richard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    | Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
    | wrote in
    | news:BC495969.1FF30%[email protected]:
    |
    | > in article [email protected], Richard at
    | > [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 2:03 PM:
    | >
    | > Taking the high
    | >> road, as it were, a bit like Torontonians ignoring Maritimers :-)
    | >
    | > That's sort of been the point all along 8-)
    |
    | Na, really? ;-)
    |
    | > Anyway, to my thinkin' Melbourne's got it all over Sydney. One was
    | > built by gold. The other was built by convicts. It shows.
    |
    | I've already decided I'm going to really enjoy the views, beaches, harbour,
    | etc. that Sydney offers, but I'm going to love the 'feeling' that Melbourne
    | delivers, with its various neighbourhoods and cultures. Interesting to find
    | out if it happens. (In a couple of months I'll let you know :-)

As a Melbournian(ite ?) displaced into maritime Canada I can tell you for sure
the East/west/north/south enmity in Melbourne is far less than the
Torontonians ignoring the Maritimes, its more dated back to hating each others
football teams, incidentally on that note, even if you stay there, NEVER tell
anyone you live in Collingwood. Everyone hates Collingwood.

And a Big Hello to the Customs people at Pearson, thanks for the coffee while
we had to wait for connecting flights

For sure Melbourne's lifestyle eats Sydney's and the roads in Melbourne
actually go somewhere. There was all these freeways in Sydney leading to the
coat hanger, that the whole road actually changes direction in the middle of
the day, 8lanes <<< in the morning 8lanes >>> in the evening, ya should see
all the blokes trying to get their parked cars turned around and reparkd at
3pm. funny as hell

Richard

"AlmostBob" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    >
    > "Richard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >| Raffi Balmanoukian <[email protected] a>
    >| wrote in
    >| news:BC495969.1FF30%[email protected]:
    >|
    >| > in article [email protected], Richard at
    >| > [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 2:03 PM:
    >| >
    >| > Taking the high
    >| >> road, as it were, a bit like Torontonians ignoring Maritimers :-)
    >| >
    >| > That's sort of been the point all along 8-)
    >|
    >| Na, really? ;-)
    >|
    >| > Anyway, to my thinkin' Melbourne's got it all over Sydney. One was
    >| > built by gold. The other was built by convicts. It shows.
    >|
    >| I've already decided I'm going to really enjoy the views, beaches,
    >| harbour, etc. that Sydney offers, but I'm going to love the 'feeling'
    >| that Melbourne delivers, with its various neighbourhoods and
    >| cultures. Interesting to find out if it happens. (In a couple of
    >| months I'll let you know :-)
    >
    > As a Melbournian(ite ?) displaced into maritime Canada I can tell you
    > for sure the East/west/north/south enmity in Melbourne is far less
    > than the Torontonians ignoring the Maritimes, its more dated back to
    > hating each others football teams, incidentally on that note, even if
    > you stay there, NEVER tell anyone you live in Collingwood. Everyone
    > hates Collingwood.

Everybody hates Collingwood like everyone here hates the Yankees, too
damn good. Although they haven't won for a few years. (Again like the
Yankees.) I was 'barracking' for Carlton for a year until I saw how
absolutely awful they were, got the Wooden Spoon that year.

As a matter of fact, I was going to try to see a match or two, but it
seems that when we're in Victoria, March, the season hasn't even started.
We'll have to catch the game in Subiaco, between Port Adelaide and the
locals.

    > And a Big Hello to the Customs people at Pearson, thanks for the
    > coffee while we had to wait for connecting flights
    >
    > For sure Melbourne's lifestyle eats Sydney's and the roads in
    > Melbourne actually go somewhere. There was all these freeways in
    > Sydney leading to the coat hanger, that the whole road actually
    > changes direction in the middle of the day, 8lanes <<< in the morning
    > 8lanes >>> in the evening, ya should see all the blokes trying to get
    > their parked cars turned around and reparkd at 3pm. funny as hell

Sounds like I imagine Sydney to be, just a lot of heavy traffic mostly
going toward what you affectionately call 'the coat hanger'. And away
from the harbour it could be anywhere else... But I'll have plenty of
opportunity to explore the place very shortly.

(Apologise if this is repeated, can't seem to get a good connection.)

Raffi Balmanoukian

in article [email protected], AlmostBob at
[email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 5:36 PM:

    > As a Melbournian(ite ?) displaced into maritime Canada

Hey, are you the bloke who shouted me a beer a few years back at Settler's
trivia night because nobody else knew what a 'matilda' was?

(and do you know Joe from Perth?)

Almostbob

Strewth If Id been shouting, then there'd be no way I'd remember, I'd have to
been pissed as a parrot to buy a drink,
30million Aussies, sorry mate I dunno everyone
--

"Raffi Balmanoukian" <[email protected] a> wrote
in message
news:BC498A18.1FF56%[email protected]...
    | in article [email protected], AlmostBob at
    | [email protected] wrote on 2/6/04 5:36 PM:
    |
    | > As a Melbournian(ite ?) displaced into maritime Canada
    |
    | Hey, are you the bloke who shouted me a beer a few years back at Settler's
    | trivia night because nobody else knew what a 'matilda' was?
    |
    | (and do you know Joe from Perth?)
    |

Tony Bailey

"AlmostBob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:yNTUb.15754
    > As a Melbournian(ite ?) displaced into maritime Canada I can tell you for
sure
    > the East/west/north/south enmity in Melbourne is far less than the
    > Torontonians ignoring the Maritimes, its more dated back to hating each
others
    > football teams, incidentally on that note, even if you stay there, NEVER
tell
    > anyone you live in Collingwood. Everyone hates Collingwood.


However, you can always demonstrate your great knowledge of Australian
Literature by telling people you support Carringbush.


--
Tony Bailey
Mercury Travel Books