The semester has officially come to an end. To give us enough time to prepare for final exams, students were given a week off to study and complete those last round of assessments. Of course, I doubt many of us stayed on campus during Study Week. I mean, what better time to travel! Despite the constant rainfall, a classmate and I visited Melbourne for three days. I even invested in a pair of gumboots (Translation: Rain boots) because heavy rainfall was expected during our tour of the Great Ocean Road. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Melbourne is known to have many seasons in one day, so the weather was never as poor as anticipated.
Melbourne is quite different from the Gold Coast: a beautiful skyline, reliable public transportation, sidewalks busy with corporate Australia, diverse dining options, and rich history. Coming from New York City, it seems like the norm - that is, until you live in a city that doesn't appreciate many things aside from surfing and Aussie burgers. Sad, isn't it? But after visiting Melbourne, I was reassured that this country has a lot more to offer and isn't all about soaking up the sun and hanging ten. Did I use that correctly?
Our first night in Melbourne, a friend of ours showed us around town. We walked along the Yarra River, snapped photos on the Spencer St. Bridge, under the clocks on Flinders Street, and in front of the enormous Christmas tree on Swanston Street. Ashleigh and I marveled at every Christmas decoration as if we were new to the holiday! That evening, we dined in the Crown Casino at the Automatic Restaurant. That peppered chicken pizza was heavenly, and the New Zealand wine wasn't a bad touch. Conversation flowed until our plates and glasses were empty. Definitely, a wonderful evening out!
The next day, we woke up at 6AM to prepare for our tour of the Great Ocean Road. Dave, our tour guide, was full of stories. Some interesting, others not so much. And yes, I will spare you. Allow me to just fill you in on what the Great Ocean Road is all about. Good thing I kept my journal handy as Dave shared his tales...
The Great Ocean Road is the largest war memorial dedicated to the WWI casualties and runs about 243km in length. (Note: We traveled about 215km). Soldiers who returned home built the road between 1919 and 1932, stopping for some brews in the interim! The official start to the road begins at Bells Beach, which is known as the Surf Coast; the middle portion, which runs through Apollo Bay, is known as the Green Coast; and the final part of the road is known as the Shipwreck Coast. However, the Great Ocean Road is well known for sites such as The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and London Bridge.
Which brings us to our final day in Melbourne. Luckily, our flight wasn't scheduled to depart until 6PM, so we were able to roam the city a bit more. We enjoyed brekky on Swanston St., watched Christmas displays on Bourke St., strolled down Lygon St., ventured through the Carlton Gardens, rode on the Free City Circle Tram, and had lunch in Waterfront City. A beautiful day to say the least, but Tiger Airways ruined it all! We took the bus shuttle to the Avalon Airport, which is an hour outside of Melbourne, only to find out that our flight had been diverted to depart from Tullamarine Airport. Not to mention, we would now be departing an hour later than scheduled. Oh, you guessed it. This airport was back in Melbourne. We waited about a half hour before another shuttle took us back to Melbourne. When we arrived at Tullamarine, chaos ensued and someone even threw up in front of us. It was an adventure to say the least. At that point, the Gold Coast never seemed better!
Now, a look through my lens.
Melbourne is quite different from the Gold Coast: a beautiful skyline, reliable public transportation, sidewalks busy with corporate Australia, diverse dining options, and rich history. Coming from New York City, it seems like the norm - that is, until you live in a city that doesn't appreciate many things aside from surfing and Aussie burgers. Sad, isn't it? But after visiting Melbourne, I was reassured that this country has a lot more to offer and isn't all about soaking up the sun and hanging ten. Did I use that correctly?
Our first night in Melbourne, a friend of ours showed us around town. We walked along the Yarra River, snapped photos on the Spencer St. Bridge, under the clocks on Flinders Street, and in front of the enormous Christmas tree on Swanston Street. Ashleigh and I marveled at every Christmas decoration as if we were new to the holiday! That evening, we dined in the Crown Casino at the Automatic Restaurant. That peppered chicken pizza was heavenly, and the New Zealand wine wasn't a bad touch. Conversation flowed until our plates and glasses were empty. Definitely, a wonderful evening out!
The next day, we woke up at 6AM to prepare for our tour of the Great Ocean Road. Dave, our tour guide, was full of stories. Some interesting, others not so much. And yes, I will spare you. Allow me to just fill you in on what the Great Ocean Road is all about. Good thing I kept my journal handy as Dave shared his tales...
The Great Ocean Road is the largest war memorial dedicated to the WWI casualties and runs about 243km in length. (Note: We traveled about 215km). Soldiers who returned home built the road between 1919 and 1932, stopping for some brews in the interim! The official start to the road begins at Bells Beach, which is known as the Surf Coast; the middle portion, which runs through Apollo Bay, is known as the Green Coast; and the final part of the road is known as the Shipwreck Coast. However, the Great Ocean Road is well known for sites such as The Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and London Bridge.
Which brings us to our final day in Melbourne. Luckily, our flight wasn't scheduled to depart until 6PM, so we were able to roam the city a bit more. We enjoyed brekky on Swanston St., watched Christmas displays on Bourke St., strolled down Lygon St., ventured through the Carlton Gardens, rode on the Free City Circle Tram, and had lunch in Waterfront City. A beautiful day to say the least, but Tiger Airways ruined it all! We took the bus shuttle to the Avalon Airport, which is an hour outside of Melbourne, only to find out that our flight had been diverted to depart from Tullamarine Airport. Not to mention, we would now be departing an hour later than scheduled. Oh, you guessed it. This airport was back in Melbourne. We waited about a half hour before another shuttle took us back to Melbourne. When we arrived at Tullamarine, chaos ensued and someone even threw up in front of us. It was an adventure to say the least. At that point, the Gold Coast never seemed better!
Now, a look through my lens.
[Ashleigh and I on the Yarra River.]
["Meet me under the clocks."]
Flinders Street
[Weird to see Christmas decorations and sleeveless dresses!]
Swanston Street
[SU pride knows no boundaries.]
Bells Beach, Surf Coast
[Ashleigh and I at some random lookout point.]
The Great Ocean Road
[King Parrots need love too!]
Kenneth River
["This is my good side."]
Apollo Bay, Green Coast
[Taking in my surroundings.]
Green Coast.
[The Twelve Apostles.]
Shipwreck Coast
[Another view of The Twelve Apostles.]
Shipwreck Coast
[Hello, from Loch Ard Gorge!]
Shipwreck Coast
[Another view of Loch Ard Gorge.]
Shipwreck Coast
[The second half of London Bridge after it collapsed in 1990.]
Shipwreck Coast
[City skyline.]
Yarra River
[Carlton Gardens.]
[Free City Circle Tram...Yes! It's actually free.]
Until another adventure...
