Melbourne CBD: of Trams and Hook Turns

I just felt like posting another picture of the Melbourne CBD. I must have taken a dozen photos of the trams there. This is something that really distinguishes the city over Sydney (which has only buses, aside from trains and ferries. It was also interesting to see a"calesa" with two manong drivers.

The trams are really attractive to look at especially the older ones. But there's one big negative in my book: We couldn't take them because they weren't pram friendly. This is one department where Sydney's buses are better.

I think it's great that Melbourne's transport system is unique from that of Sydney. It adds some variety for visitor to see the sights.

Oh and one thing more...on the picture to the left, notice the white arrow on the road? That;s for hook turns. Cars turning right on an intersection have to be on the leftmost lane. They go halfway across the intersection and then turn following this arrow. That really looks weird and it will probably take me many days before I get used to it.

Bike Share in Melbourne

I found the Bike Share in Melbourne to be one of the coolest things about the city. It's hard not to notice them because they're only 10 minutes away from each other. The design of the racks is also attractive so I'd like to give credit to Melbourne for hiring such great graphic designers (The Melbourne logo, not the one shown here, is comparable to the iconic "Welcome to Las Vegas" logo).
I did see a few people using the bike which means these Bike Share stops are not just for display...they're actually useful!
...one question though: do you have to bring your own helmets, or they're not required?