susanna

Let me introduce myself

03/08/2021 By susanna

G’day, my name is Susanna Duffy, the Seniorista Tour Guide.

I’ve lived in a few places in Australia and Europe but I’m in love with Melbourne. It’s a terrific city. The people of multicultural Melbourne are from diverse and often astounding backgrounds, so as a result we’re the Foodie Capitol of Australia and indeed the first city to embrace good coffee. We say that we instigated the culture of the coffee bar. I run a number of Tours through Queen Victoria and South Melbourne Markets and follow up on the Farmer’s Markets held around the city and regional areas.

Have a look at this Sugar Cane being juiced!

I love to share my city. The food of course, the festivals dedicated to food and the makers of good food and wine. But I also like to share other aspects of Melbourne, like Puffing Billy, our tranquil gardens and Cruises along the Birrarung. Plus a fruitbat ot two, the occasional koala and the Little Penguins of St Kilda.

Find my tours at https://www.heygo.com/susanna

How to do Reviews

27/07/2021 By susanna

I’m going to leave a Review for Monica

So I’ll click that blue link called ‘Leave review’ and this page opens up

I click ‘Start’ and the next step appears

Everything worked well, so I’ll choose ‘Excellent’. I’m not going to write anything else here, I’ll move on. I’ll click on ‘Next’ for the next step

I’ll click on ‘Next’. This brings me to a question about the Guide, Mojca.

How would I rate Mojca’s tour? I enjoyed it, so I’ll say that. First I choose ‘Excellent’ from the drop-down menu

Then I’ll write a couple of lines about the tour. As soon as something is written, the ‘Submit your review’ button deepens in colour, and becomes a link

There, I’ve submitted a review.

Why tips?

17/07/2021 By susanna

It pays my fares! Heygo don’t pay me a salary, what I get is your tips and I want to thank everyone who’s ever given me a tip (- yes, you paid my tram fare).

But I like to take cruises on the river, steam train trips, cable cars and I’m keen to jump on a huge Ferris wheel. And then there’s the cuddlies. The koalas, kangaroos and penguins. Most times, there’s the cost of a ticket and your tips can go toward my entrance fees. Plus the bonus of buying me a donut at Queen Victoria Market. You can always kick in a little here too to help me plan my tours.

Festival Feedback

15/05/2021 By susanna

Another tour today at the Sri Lankan New Year Festival. A number of these events and celebrations are held in the Queen Victoria Market, I’d like to find a list of them somewhere!

You know my style of interview? I ask the interviewee questions, starting with basic questions. Then they tell me and the audience the answers, they describe what they’re doing and why they’re doing it – that’s how an interview works. No one wants to hear my views on, say, Indian Coffee, when I have an expert to tell us. I’ve been doing this for radio productions since 1985. Alas! One of the virtual tourists wrote a dreadful review about my ignorance. And, because I laugh a lot in my tours, she took that as disrespect to the Sri Lankans. Sigh.

Ah well, I’ll have to ignore that review. I’m not going to stop asking questions and I won’t stop laughing (I’d find that one hard).

Here’s a surprise that cheered me up! One of the virtual travellers, Chris Mentzer snapped a pic of the old man and our youngest grandson.

Sri Lankan New Year Festival

15/05/2021 By susanna

Queen Victorian Market honours Avurudu Pola, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Celebration. Australia is home to roughly 60,000 people who were originally from Sri Lanka and 49% of them choose to live in Melbourne. Sri Lanka is often called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ but a more accurate name would be the ‘Island of Fish and Curry’. The cooking style fits well in Melbourne with the emphasis on fresh seafood, an abundance of spices, and fruit such as jackfruit, rose apple and soursop.

Come along for a stroll through the Queen Victoria Market precinct and experience Sri Lankan culture with dance performances, cooking demonstrations, live music and of course, traditional street eats.

This is a celebration of culture, heritage and arts from Sri Lanka, giving you a chance to enjoy it right here in the middle of multicultural Melbourne.

Book Here – it’s free

Queen Victoria Night Market

15/05/2021 By susanna

Had a good tour of Queen Victoria Market tonight!

It’s Autumn and time for the FoodFest again. Loads of food trucks and pop-up kitchens. Food everywhere. What a choice!

I was hanging out for some lamb from the ‘Cypriot Kitchen’, I could smell it roasting through all of the tour but, by the time I finished the tour and could get around to buying a meal, the queue snaked all the way to the top of the market!

Another day.

Queen Victoria Night Market