Melbourne, my last Ozzie stop

On monday I took yet another plane to Melbourne, the capital of Victoria. 

I was met almost instantly I landed by a friend's grandmother, who took me around town.  We went to Melbourne Port, and had a coffee looking out at the harbour, on what Im pretty sure is the Tasman Sea cost, as the boat that goes to Tasmania leaves from there.

It was a lovely and relaxed introduction to life in Melbourne, which is known as the cultural centre of Australia.  Melbourne was described to me as being quite European, and it is true that I did not have much time in the city, but it did not feel too European to me.

After that first day, I left the city, and headed out on a tour of the Great Ocean Rd.

Our first stop was at the Rockery, where we told we were going for a walk.  Now, given the previous walks I had been on, I decided it would be sensible to swap my flip flops for my trainers.  After doing this, and beginning the walk down the many steps to the beach, to look at these rock formations in the middle of the Southern Ocean, I realised that perhaps me flip flops would have been sufficient foot wear.  Nonetheless, I carried on my journey.

Now, those who know me will know that I cannot resist the feel of sand between my toes, and so, of course, I took off my shoes and socks and felt the sand in between my toes.  Now the Southern Ocean is a powerful ocean, and the tide seemed to be coming in.  A few times, we had to run up from the waters edge, but I generally managed to stay dry.  Until....

I put my shoes, with my socks, down on the sand to take a picture, when a big wave came up, and not only soaked me to my knees, but also almost washed my shoes out to sea.  I had a heart sinking moment when the water subsided and I could only see one shoe, but luckily, a moment on my hands and knees meant that I was able to see and grab the other shoe!  Need less to say, I didnt put my shoes down again!!!

We saw the 12 Apostles, more rock formations, that were once called the Sow and Piglets, London Bridge, another rock formation, although the bridge has now fallen down, went to the sight of many a ship wreck, and walked, in my sodden trainers through a rain forest...

We spent the night in a small town, the name of which I have forgotten, and started the following day feeding wild King parrots in a national park.  they are surpisingly gentle as they kling to your hands, hair, or head and eat the seeds we held.. we saw wild koala, which is much more satisfying than seeing them in a zoo. 

We drove the Great ocean rd, which was beautiful, with its green rolling hills that meet the blue ocean.. we spent the afternoon in a wildlife park, and then went to penguin island, which is the home of the smallest penguin in the world, known as the little penguin, which is only 17 cm tall.

On the way there, we saw wild wallabies, again, much nicer than seeing them in a zoo...  As night fell, we filled the stalls on the beach to watch the penguins come in from their 3/4 day journey to find food at sea... on some nights, over a thousand penguins come in, on this night, however, only about 50 came in, but nonetheless, it was a pretty remarkable sight.

we returned to melbourne at about 11.30pm, and after a quick drink at the casino, where i betted away someone else's money, (at his insistence), I called it a night, and went back to my room, to pack my bag yet again, for yet another airoplane!

As I leave australia, I contemplate what I learnt:
1) Perth is to Western Australia, what Sydney is to New South wales, and Melbourne is to Victoria, (capital cities)
2) Perth is by far the prettiest of those cities
3) I had to contend with more bugs in australia than I did in the african bush
4) australian vegetation seems to survive any disaster, including bush fires...