Perambulations, Piers and Penguins - Day 7

FWoke up at stupid o'clock again and played Candy Crush until it was late enough to pack my bags and shower. Left the car in the hotel car park and set off to get the tram to S'Kilda - first tram had two large steps at each door and no easy disabled access - checked the map and reworked it and success with our second tram. Got off at Ackland St and found a cool place for brunch (we lost quite a bit of time pfaffing with the trams). Another awesome offering. Then walked past Luna Park to the Esplanade and then down the Pier. Weather was a mix between warm sunshine, cold wind and short sharp showers. Small reserve at end of pier for Little Penguin (not a description of their size but an actual type of Pingu - they are however cute and diminutive!!), went down on the off chance - certainly smells of Penguin (guano and fish reeking rocks) - and was rewarded but a sneak peek of one of the diddy darlings. Sadly no wheelchair access so a photo had to do. Back to the main road and watched a small troop of quarrelling rainbow lorikeets whilst we waited for the tram back to Melbourne. Four attempts to catch a tram out to Queen Vic Markets and was just about to give up - found a wheelchair accessible tram (one out of the three I could see went that way) but none of the platforms for the accessible tram were raised leaving a good foot gap that I'm not game enough to try - when we checked. Bus stop and found it was the very one for QVM!! Lovely driver helped us get on the bus and we were soon arrived and raring to stroll around the markets. Sadly the stall holders had all but shut down and there was nothing to see. We walked around the outside of QVM and then found another accessible tram headed back for the city centre- the first was too full to get on (it being Friday evening and heading home/to the bar from work time) but the second proved more successful. We got off on Collins still too early to head to airport so had coffee and cake - not the best and too cold for me in the air conditioning. Back to The Sebel, picked up the car and drove, with slow to update Google Maps, to the Airport. Flight delayed til 2am, not able to check and no room at the Inn (literally no tables at the Irish pub), ended up with Maccas for dinner and then given $20 each for food at check in because of the delay but now feel to full and too sick to cash it in!!!! Waiting for boarding (still 2hrs to go) watching Adrian twitch and wriggle between being startled awake by the fire exit door alarm on the neighbouring gate. First time I had to explain what was happening as he woke up with a start and started to try to jump off the seat into his wheelchair- eventually understood what I was trying to tell him before launching himself into his chair but almost stacking it and hitting the deck! Trying to keep myself awake so one of us keeps an eye out on our hand luggage. Finally the inbound flight with the crew pitched up from Auckland, they'd had to get the windscreen changed after something hit it. We finally took off at 02:45, having spent the delay chatting to a couple of old dinks waiting for assistance onto the plane