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General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: Drewbie on January 08, 2020, 12:12:30 pm

Title: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: Drewbie on January 08, 2020, 12:12:30 pm

In Melbourne for 7 days. Any pointers for tech places to visit much appreciated.

If anyone finds a dumpster full of TE and needs help, I"m an expert diver, and have a bag weight limit on the way back to Christchurch of 23kg, so won't be greedy at all!

Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: station240 on January 08, 2020, 12:23:02 pm
Australian Synchrotron (I think dave did a video on it)
https://www.ansto.gov.au/about/coming-to-visit/melbourne (https://www.ansto.gov.au/about/coming-to-visit/melbourne)

I'm sure there are other places, I just don't Melbourne that well.
Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: ANTALIFE on January 09, 2020, 10:17:21 pm
revs
Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: SL4P on January 09, 2020, 11:08:49 pm
Don’t go out of your way, but if you’re at the Synchrotron, drop by Rockby, about 2km away - and don’t miss the manufacturer surplus components room on the left - outside.
Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: VK3DRB on January 10, 2020, 01:19:19 am
Don’t go out of your way, but if you’re at the Synchrotron, drop by Rockby, about 2km away - and don’t miss the manufacturer surplus components room on the left - outside.

I was at Rockby on Tuesday. I think the surplus room on the left is closed, but they have a surplus room at the back beyond their counter. Still worth visiting, though.

Other things to visit:

The Nobbies on Phillip Island
Eagle's Nest near Inverloch
Churchill Island (If you are an Oz don't bother about the tourist entrance - you can still walk around the island which is well worth the effort. Foreign visitors should go through the tourist part)
The Melbourne Museum
State Library of Victoria
Victoria Market
The Melbourne Aquatic Centre
Scienceworks
Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: Drewbie on January 13, 2020, 01:15:00 am

Yeah, will try to get to Rocky and have a ferret around.

Took the kids to Scienceworks yesterday and they stopped whining for the entire visit so that was a win - thanks for that!

Trying to drag them kicking and screaming to the museum right now.

Picked up lots of brushless Ryobi tools at some of the local Cash Converters at good prices so that make the trip slightly more worthwhile for me. :^)

Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: wilfred on January 13, 2020, 02:21:04 am

Yeah, will try to get to Rocky and have a ferret around.

Took the kids to Scienceworks yesterday and they stopped whining for the entire visit so that was a win - thanks for that!

Trying to drag them kicking and screaming to the museum right now.

Picked up lots of brushless Ryobi tools at some of the local Cash Converters at good prices so that make the trip slightly more worthwhile for me. :^)

I hope you noticed the CSIRAC computer tucked discreetly next to the entrance.
https://museumsvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/learning/school-programs-and-resources/csirac-the-worlds-oldest-intact-first-generation-electronic-computer/

Scienceworks is well worth a visit. The kids I saw there seemed to love the interactive displays. From the City you take the first turnoff (well signposted) as you come down off the Westgate bridge. It is built on the site of the old sewerage pumping station and you can also go and see what they were like because some of the old buildings and steam pump equipment is preserved there.

The Rockby clearance room which had the entrance "on the left" is still there but the outside entrance has been closed off. It has been a few months since I went and last time I was there the clearance area was filled up with shelves and other stuff moved aside during works on the main store area. So it wasn't really accessible for the most part. But it has been a few months so I may be unaware of recent changes.
Title: Re: In Melbourne for 7 days
Post by: Drewbie on January 20, 2020, 11:29:50 am

Yes! Certainly noticed the CSIRAC! It was the first thing we looked at. I remember reading about it in a book about early computers.

Didn't make it to Rockby. We didn't have a car, just MyKi's with zone 1 & 2 so that visit looked like a bit of a mission.

Back in CHCH, had lots of fun in Melbourne apart form the smoke!

Cheers!