Dave Thornton with a passer-by at the entrance of Luna Park. Photo: Ken Irwin
Which doorway would you most like to go through?
It's the door to the Skydeck on Eureka Tower, because I'm very, very bad with heights. Every time I come back from the airport, I see Melbourne and think it's a very pretty city and I'd love to walk through that door, but my fear of heights has stopped me from doing it. I've seen photos of friends who have gone onto it and I can't even look at the photo. I see it and I get this weird feeling like vertigo.
The city's best piece of architecture?
The viewing cube at Eureka Tower. Photo: Craig Abraham
The Royal Exhibition Building, in Carlton. I used to go there when I was a kid. My father was into cars and we'd go to big exhibitions there. It always seemed so grand and big when I was a kid. I like looking up and seeing the dome and the windows. Growing up in Geelong, Melbourne was like the Emerald City. We probably went only a handful of times, but every time stood out because it was such a big trek.
What book has best captured your sense of Melbourne?
Characters, by Stephen Banham, is all about Melbourne, focusing on typography and all the different signage around Melbourne. I used to be a graphic designer and I like it because it's a photographic history of signage and things all around the city, a lot of which I didn't know existed. It covers old shopfronts and old buildings, gives a bit of history and explains why things are there. It sits on my bookshelf and I flick through it sometimes. Because I'm a demon for typography, it gives me a bit of a buzz.
The Espy. Photo: Cathryn Tremain
Where do you go to find inspiration?
I'm a meanderer and I meander around. Everywhere gives me a buzz and I like to get lost. I go to the river, to the bay, and get lost on shopping strips. It's an incredibly easy city to get lost in. I like the view as I walk along the banks of the Yarra and look back at the city.
The place that most surprised you?
The Royal Exhibition Building. Photo: Nicole Emanuel
There's a bar called Naked for Satan in Brunswick Street. A friend asked me to go upstairs to the rooftop bar. The view is incredible. What I could see from that vantage point knocked my socks off. I live on the other side of the city, so I don't get there very often. I've always loved the view down at the water, but I was really surprised at the view from Brunswick Street because I could see all the gardens and right over to the west.
Where do you take visitors?
Invariably, I take them to the Espy, in St Kilda. I go down there, get a drink near the water and it impresses whoever turns up. Often they're overseas comics and I'll take them to Degraves Street in the city. It seems very Melbourne-esque. They want all the cliche things - they want to go street shopping, they want a coffee and they want to check out all the laneways. A friend said Sydney is like someone you meet at a dinner party and you immediately go, ''Oh wow, they're really good-looking''. With Melbourne, it's almost like you need a good conversation and then you find out what it's worth.
The best people-watching spot?
St Kilda. Invariably there's a hodgepodge of people, backpackers, vagrants and everything in between. It's highly entertaining, especially in Acland Street. Even though it has been a bit gentrified of late, it feels like the city runs downhill until it meets the water.
■ Dave Thornton appears in This Week Live on Channel 10 and hosts Weekend Breakfast with Sophie Monk on Fox FM.
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