Round the Bay (St)

Following on from this year's Bikefest, Port Melbourne once again provided (fleeting) hospitality to over 14,000 bicyclists (and unicyclists) today, with every one of the numerous routes for this year's mammoth Around the Bay charity ride passing through.

Although most people won't have witnessed the initial blur of Lycra; with start times for the full circuits of the bay kicking off before dawn. Not even Bay Street's three bike shops were open at that time.

A strong North-Westerly wind added to the challenge, and brought with it temperatures in the high twenties. Apparently the event passed off well, although one rider was injured on the opposite side of the bay. At the time of writing, just under a million dollars had been raised for The Smith Family.

Uniathalon

A brisk Southerly wind made for choppier conditions, and fewer sunbathing spectators, than last year's Port to Park swim. This annual event, organised by South Melbourne Life Saving club, is an epic 1100m open water swim parallel with the beach between Lagoon and Kerferd piers.

Despite the challenging conditions, there was still a strong turnout and, to the relief of the budgie smuggling minority at least, at 21.5c, the water temperature was slightly warmer than the air. This picture shows the 40+ male groups wading out to the starting buoy.

Gaps in the market?

The evolution of the imposing blue stone building at the end of Bay Street from coal depot to private gymasium seems rather representative of the evolution of Port Melbourne itself. Morley's depot was built in 1872 (the same year as the Royal Mail Hotel) and named after the first Mayor of Sandridge, one William Morley. Soon however it will open as the latest of Port Melbourne's gyms, operated by South Pacific Health Clubs (who also run the St Kilda sea baths). It joins Genesis Fitness, KX Pilates, Bodycare Pilates and a host of local personal trainers feeding the town's obsession with healthy and beauty.

Heading out to the shops on a weekday evening, it's easy to feel out of place not wearing compression leggings. It makes me think that someone's missing an opportunity to open a Lorna Jane or 2XU stockist here. And yet it does sit oddly with Bay Street's, and now Beach Street's, other obsession ... with pizza (although kudos to Crust Pizza for declaring the calorific content of their menu). Given the combination of disposable income and health interest, there's surely room for some more healthy eating-out options. The only one that really comes to mind is the legendary Hunky Dory, who surely sell much more rice than chips with their (mostly) grilled fish and, let's face it, do incredibly well for themselves as a result.

Old age envy

It's that time of year again when certain local roads get a brief respite from carbon emissions as, on Sunday mornings, a string of sporting events take over. This weekend Dow Street marked the U-turn point for runners doing the full marathon before setting off on the long slog up to Elwood. There was a small contingent of locals offering encouragement to the participants as they reached the 17km mark (whilst secretly feeling slightly inadequate as a number of pensioners sprinted by).

Next weekend will see both Beaconsfield Parade and Bay Street rammed with cyclists embarking on the Around the Bay in a Day ride. Despite a little inconvenience to motorists, having events like these swing through the town is a good reminder that Port Melburnians are fortunate to live in such an integral part of the inner city.