Day: May 9, 2026

THE RETIREES GO RACING – F1 MELBOURNE 2026

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Formula 1 Melbourne

5th March 2026 Thursday Day 1 – We had booked flights and accommodation so that we could attend the F1 race in Melbourne where we would catch up with my brother Greg, my cousin Sarah and her husband Mark who travelled over from the UK, Greg’s daughter and my niece Louise who also travelled from the UK as whilst she administers all the F1 races around the world lives in London and our friends David and Veronica with their daughters who travelled from Norman Park in Brisbane for the race. We stayed at the Sebel Hotel in Flinders Lane and took the tram out to Albert Park each day. 

As this was a first-time experience for Kerry and me, we did not know what to expect nor how to best manage seeing the event. After dropping our luggage at the hotel, we travelled to Gate 2 of Albert Park but could not find David and Veronica. They knew from experience that it was open slather on the first day so they had plonked themselves in one of the better grandstands. We were walking blindly on the inside of the track trying to locate them whilst they were comfortably seated in the grandstand on the opposite side of the track. After numerous phone calls and texts, they guided us to their seats in the grandstand where we were able to watch the super sports cars race. Tiffany, one of the daughters of David and Veronica has known one of the mechanics on the TGR Haas F1 Team for several years and Tiffany and her sister Amanda are regular race goers. As the shadows lengthened, we decided that was enough for the first day and we slowly fought through the fans to catch the tram back to the hotel. Before bed at the recommendation of the concierge of the hotel we dined across the road at an Indian/Nepalese restaurant. Good food and our hotel had an arrangement whereby we obtained a discount on our bill. Our eyes were too big for our bellies, and we went back to our hotel suite with two doggy boxes of food for later.

Photos the crowds building

Friday Day 2 – The next day promised to be busier and from our first days experience we returned to the track the following day, this time through Gate 5 which is on the opposite side of the track to Gate 2. On this day we brought with us the folding chairs which Veronica recommended we purchase as we would not have use of the grandstands. We had purchased entry tickets only and with our gained experience we would not do that again. The biggest difficulty was being able to see the race. Without the elevation provided by a grandstand every where we went, our view was obstructed by the two safety fences between us and the track. We tried several different spots. We learned that the speed of the cars was often so great that all we saw was a blur of the passing cars. Looking into a corner proved to be the second-best view as the drivers had to slow down to come into and out of the corners but the best view was the big screens showing the races – a bit like sitting in front of the tele at home. So, we found a spot under the trees amongst the food vans and near the toilets with a big screen to watch the race, Meanwhile David, Veronica, Tiffinay and Amanda had been given special passes by the TGR Haas team to lounge about in the Amex grandstand with catered food and sparkling wine for the day. I cannot recall what we had to eat and drink but it was not that.Saturday Day 3 – I think this was the day I telephoned my brother Greg about arrangements for Sunday after the big race. Greg and Mark had played golf on the Friday. He was staying with our UK cousins, and they planned to arrive by limousine around lunch time on Saturday at the pleasure of Formula 1. Louise had stumped up free tickets to the Amex grandstand where they (Louise, Greg, Sarah and Mark) were honoured guests. We had an arrangement to meet the 4 of them, and David and Veronica in Lygon St at one of two restaurants (Greg did not decide which one until he was sitting at the table in the restaurant of his choice only then remembering because of my enquiry that he had not cancelled the 2nd restaurant). As for us, this day we came in through Gate 8. We had got up and onto the tram much earlier than the day before and were surprised that a lot of people had done the same thing. We found what we thought was a superior spot than the previous day and settled in to watch the races. Within an hour of arrival, we decided that I would get some coffee. This was a lesson. On making my way to the coffee caravan, the line was 40 people deep and a second vendor the line was even longer. I waited in line and received a call from Kerry anxious that I may be lost. No, I was still in line and when I did get served the coffee, it was in a very small cup, cold and tasted like rat shit. Of course, this led to a visit to the toilets where the lines were even longer and the aroma was not as pleasant as waiting for coffee. We were joined by Veronica and David who had returned to the cheap seats. Even this spot was inferior to the big screen. We upped stumps and moved over to yesterday’s spot where we could at least watch the race. Kerry worked out that she could capture a bean bag to keep her leg up and at least be comfortable. Her fractured ankle was still giving her grief.

After racing had finished, the 4 of us tried to exit through Gate 8 but it had been closed for some reason, and we walked on to gate 9 and back to our hotel. Very slow progress due to the crowd. We bought 4 pizza slices and 4 ice creams and ate them at peace in our hotel room.

Photos Kerry and her bean bag,

Sunday Day 4 – I think we went to Gate 5 and ended up back at the big screen for the day. All the same problems, but we made ourselves comfortable for the day. During our trip we had made several excursions to the merchandise tents. The prices of the merchandise were outrageous, but people were buying it as though there was no cost-of-living crisis. We watch the finals of the sports cars and the F2 before the final heat of the F1 and after lunch the final of the F1 where the Queensland favourite Oscar Piastri spun out even before getting to the start line.

Photos: at the starting line, and on the podium

With the race over we made our way home showered and got changed to go to dinner in Lygon St. Dinner was at a popular Italian restaurant and was very enjoyable. We were joined by Sarah, Sarah’s husband Mark (we had met my cousin Sarah in Brighton when visiting my cousin Terri and her husband Mick). Greg and Greg’s friend Kath – and Greg’s daughter/my niece Louise (the F1 International Race General Manager) also was there together with Louise’s friend. David and Veronica couldn’t make it which was a shame.

Louise looked very tired and Greg explained the demands of her job just for this event and all worldwide events. After dinner we walked done Lygon St which had been closed for the race so that all the Ferraris in Melbourne could be put on show.

I am too old to be tempted by fast cars so Kerry and I caught an Uber to the hotel bidding everyone farewell. We would have another 3 days before returning to Brisbane. Read on as to the rest of our adventure in THE RETIREES SIGHT SEEING IN MELBOURNE 2026

THE RETIREES SIGHT SEEING IN MELBOURNE 2026

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Monday 10th March Day 5 – Kerry visited a showing of Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons Exhibition at the National Gallery whilst I visited the Shrine of Remembrance.

The exhibition paired British designer Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022) and Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo (b. 1942) of Comme des Garçons. A display of more than 140 ground-breaking designs, the exhibition brought together fashion from international museums and private collections –alongside 100+ works from the National Gallery Collection. Kerry was excited by the promise of something special.

The Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial located in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road. It was built to honour the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I but now functions as a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war. It is a site of annual observances for Anzac Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November) and is one of the largest war memorials in Australia.

Designed by architects Phillip Hudson and James Wardrop, both World War I veterans, the Shrine is in classical style, based on the Tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus and the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Built from Tynong granite, the Shrine originally consisted only of the central sanctuary surrounded by the ambulatory. The sanctuary contains the marble Stone of Remembrance, upon which is engraved the words “Greater love hath no man” Once per year, on 11 November at 11 a.m. (Remembrance Day), a ray of sunlight shines through an aperture in the roof to light up the word “Love” in the inscription. Beneath the sanctuary lies the crypt, which contains a bronze statue of two soldiers, father and son, and panels listing every unit of the Australian Imperial Force.

The Shrine went through a prolonged process of development, which began in 1918 with an initial proposal to build a Victorian memorial. General Sir John Monash used the 1927 Anzac Day march to garner support for the Shrine and finally won the support of the Victorian government later that year. The foundation stone was laid on 11 November 1927, and the Shrine was officially dedicated on 11 November 1934.

Photos, The Shrine, Opening Day, the crypt – ANZAC cove landing craft, the Sanctuary and the Stone, and the view to the city.

2026.03.27 Shrine of Remembrance MelbourneDownload

Kerry was disappointed with the show at the National Gallery as many of the designs were impractical and impossible to be worn.

We spent the remainder of the day relaxing. Today’s events and the previous 4 days had been quite tiring.

Tuesday Day 6 – We decided to see Melbourne from the Yarra, so we booked a boat trip from Southgate Docks. We boarded the boat and headed to the mouth of the Yarra River. We passed the modern Melbourne through the Southbank Arts and Leisure precinct, the Sea Life Aquarium, Crown Casino, Melbourne convention Centre, then the historic “SS. Polly Woodside” under the Bolte Bridge into the harbour district turning around at Westgate Bridge and returning to the dock. The cruise offered trips to the docks and to the parks and gardens upriver, so we stayed aboard for the 2nd part of our cruise passing the National Tennis centre, Botanic Gardens, Sporting Arenas, historic Cosmo House & Gardens up to Herring Island where the boat about faced and went back to the start.

Photo: copy of the map of the Yarra cruise

cruise map of YarraDownload

After a spot of gaming at the Casino, we headed home to the hotel and rested as we were going to the Comics Lounge at North Melbourne for dinner and a laugh. Trams are the best way around Melbourne proven again by our travelling to the venue without a hitch in the mid-week evening rush from work for Melbournians. We arrived early and whilst Kerry rested her foot (it had been playing up due to the exercise it had endured for the week) I inspected the architecture of North Melbourne – I found a few buildings of interest. Unfortunately, the Comics Lounge did not impress us. The comics thought it necessary to be rude and crude and dinner lacked anything exciting. We pulled up stumps at half time and went home.

Wednesday Day 7 – Kerry had spotted a balloons festival at the Convention Centre and for our last day in Melbourne it struck us as an easy visit to undertake without really knowing what to expect. Well, it was spectacular (funny how the unexpected can be UNEXPECTED). Tens of thousands of ballons twisted into shapes I thought impossible. It delighted the kids attending including these big kids. The most surprising was a little shy girl who was possessed with having to play the drums (no not made from balloons) in one of the sets – no idea what to do but beat the drum.

Photos

It only took an hour to go through the multiple setting from Africa to Australia to the Moon and Space. We both enjoyed the festival and after a coffee we made our way home. Our time in Melbourne was coming to an end. Suitcases to fill and planes to catch as we were due in Perth in 7 days. Next time we will be THE RETIREES AT A CELESTIAL EVENT – PERTH 2026.