Dates
Saturday, June 18
Sunday, June 19
Monday, June 20
Tuesday, June 21
Wednesday, June 22
Saturday, June 18
Off to the Land Down Under!
Yes, it's early, but you'll be getting a 5 AM wake up call, so everyone can get their baggage down and check out. At 6 AM we leave the hotel, arrive at the airport, and check in for our flight to Melbourne. You'll get cash provided to purchase breakfast at the airport. At 8:30 AM, we leave Auckland and arrive in Melbourne at 10:30 AM. (Note - two hour time change enroute - it's actually about a 4-hour flight.) Once we arrive in Melbourne, we'll again go through customs, and then it's back on the buses and off to check in at our hotel.
Gateway Clarion Suites
1 William Street, Melbourne
Tel: 011-61-3-9296-8888 | Fax: 011-61-3-9296-8880
Today, lunch is on your own, as you're free until 2:30, when we head for the Iwaki Auditorium for a 3-5 PM rehearsal. Once we've returned to the hotel, the rest of the day and evening are free for you to explore Melbourne. There are sidewalk cafes, and Federation Square, across from the Flinders Street train station, is a main gathering spot for students and the "hip and happening".
Sunday, June 19
At 7:30 wake-up calls start, so that we've all eaten, grabbed concert clothes, and are ready to leave at 9:15 AM for the Dallas Brooks Centre, where we'll rehearse and present a joint concert with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra. We'll warm up first, then the MYO will arrive and we'll share lunch, then they'll warm up and we'll rehearse together for the combined pieces set for a 2:30 concert. After the concert, we'll pack up, change out of concert dress, and head for a 6:30 dinner at Feddish Restaurant in Federation Square. We had a great meal at Feddish on our site visit, joined by the officers of the MYO and you'll have a great time dining on the banks of the Yarra River, which runs through Melbourne to the ocean. The MYO folks and some of the choristers from our Verdi collaboration in Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne Philharmonia Chorus, will be joining us after dinner for some social time. We know you'll all get along as well as Jindong and Andrew Wailes, their conductor, did! Since FedSquare is only three blocks from our hotel, you can have the rest of the evening to get to know your Aussie counterparts, and make your way back to the hotel on your own.
Monday, June 20
Another early morning with a 7:30 wake-up call means we are all ready to be in the lobby at 9:15 AM to leave for the Melbourne Town Hall, where we'll set up for a 10:30 with the Requiem soloists. After the rehearsal, grab lunch at one of Melbourne's many cafes, and you'll have the afternoon free to learn more about this fascinating and lively city! Be back at the hotel at 4:30 PM. and we'll head for Young & Jacksons (across from the Flinder's Street Station) for an early dinner at Chloe's Restaurant before we return to Town Hall for our rehearsal with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonia Chorus. Once rehearsal ends, it's back to the hotel.
Tuesday, June 21
Your day is free until 2:15 PM, when we'll meet in the lobby - don't forget to bring full concert dress, as we won't return to the hotel until after this evening's concert! Once at Town Hall, we'll rehearse as needed, and then head to the nearby Alice's Restaurant for an early dinnner. Back at Town Hall, everyone arrives, we warm up, and then it's Verdi Time! We've invited the US Consul, David Hopper, to join us, and possibly extend a welcome - though that may be done by a Melbourne city official (details are still being worked out). After the concert, we pack everything up and return to the hotel.
Wednesday, June 22
At 8:45 AM, we meet in the lobby to depart for our Yarra Valley Tour, beginning at the Healesville Sanctuary, about an hour from Melbourne (yes, you can sleep on the bus!). There you can see and interact with Australian animals including kangaroos and koalas, and see the many noctural native species in a special nocturnal habitat. Then it's on to the Yering Station Vineyard and Winery for lunch and a winery tour. On the return trip to Melbourne, we may stop and explore another winery or two. Once back in town, dinner is on your own on our last night in Melbourne.
