23 January 2018

St. Kilda is an eastern suburb of Melbourne. We spent the day walking the beach and pier, watching the kitesurfers, and having lunch at a beachside café.

We were also surprised to find Luna Park. One month ago we visited Luna Park in North Sydney and had assumed it was the only one, it’s not. The original Luna Park was established on Coney Island, New York over 100 years ago. There have been amusement parks that borrowed the Luna Park name all over the world and several are still operating. At one time Australia had Luna Parks in Glenelg (Adelaide), Redcliffe (Brisbane) and Scarborough (Perth) in addition to Sydney and Melbourne, the only two still in operation. Luna Park Melbourne has a different but equally creepy face at the gate.

After spending much of December in Sydney and January in Melbourne, comparisons between these two rival cities are inevitable. We could not help but to compare St. Kilda Beach to Bondi. Both beaches are popular due to the proximity to their cities. Both communities are known for their artistic freedom and counterculture lifestyle. Which is better? My answer, does it matter? If you live in either city, you will want to visit their respective beaches. If you live outside them and want to enjoy the sand and surf, you have plenty of better options.