I absolutely fell in love with Melbourne during our city walking tour. We had a bubbly and entertaining guide, and I was amazed by Melbourne’s beauty, endless shopping “arcades,” and all of its unique street art. One thing I was impressed to learn was that Melbourne is considered the sporting capital of the world. Our guide explained that Melbourne has a rich sporting history and sport has become a major part of Melbourne everyday life. The city of Melbourne was officially founded in 1835, and sport has been a big part of the culture right from the start. The Melbourne Cricket Club was formed just three years later. By 1853, the Melbourne Cricket Ground opened, and it is now the largest sporting arena in Australia. The first Melbourne Cup horse racing event was held in 1861, and by 1905 Melbourne was home to the first Australian tennis championships. Today, while walking through the town, it was obvious that there is a dominance of sports in Melbourne. I noticed crowds of people young and old gathering to spectate and participate, whether it be cricket, tennis, footy, rugby, etc. Not to mention, the Australian Open was going on during our stay and the matches were telecasted everywhere you could imagine while crowds of people gathered to watch and cheer. I am personally very into sports myself, so I loved this unique aspect of Melbourne.
Another interesting thing I learned about Melbourne is that their minimum wage is $20. This was especially shocking because it differs so much from the United States. Our guide explained how the majority of all Australian employees are covered by one of two collectively determined standards – Modern Awards or Enterprise Agreements. Modern Awards set wages by industry or occupation and take into account levels of experience, skill and responsibility within the workplace. Additional pay is usually required for overtime and work on nights and weekends. I found this to be an intelligent idea because high minimum wages allow workers the chance of getting ahead financially and are greater for vulnerable groups, such as new migrants (which Australia has a lot of). As guaranteed minimum pay is high, there is very little of the undignified practice of relying on tips as a substitute for decent pay, which was another hard thing for me to get used to in Australia. I found it extremely difficult to not tip the waiters and bartenders because I know how important it is to tip well in America.
Overall, I absolutely loved the city of Melbourne. It’s an active and flourishing city; somewhere I would love to live!
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