Australia has many iconic sites that have become World Heritage Sites: the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, the Sydney Opera House; and then it has the much lesser known Royal Exhibition Hall in Melbourne. Had it not been inscribed as a World Heritage Site, I might not have heard about this building when I made plans to tour Australia in June 2012. I appreciate the audacity of the World Heritage committee to recognize the great international expositions of the late 1800s and early 1900s by choosing this site which held the first official World's Fair in the Southern Hemisphere -- quite a feat to pull off in the late 1800s, when international travel required significant time and planning. I've visited what remains of the sites of other great fairs, including those in Chicago, Paris, St. Louis, and San Francisco, so I was looking forward to seeing the inside of this hall. Unfortunately, school exams were in progress my one day in Melbourne, so I was relegated to appreciate the domed building from the outside -- and it was impressive. One day I'll have to return, especially since Michael Turtle's photos of the inside are so fascinating. As for the Carlton Gardens, which are also inscribed, I found them well kept, but rather ordinary.

Logistics: The Royal Exhibition Building is easily reached by the free City Circle Tram.