From beautiful landscape to awe-inspiring modern architecture, Melbourne has it all
Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities of Australia.
A trip to Melbourne sounded too good to be true. I was very excited. My knowledge of the place was limited to the MCG ground, thanks to my passion for cricket. So I decided to do a bit of reading and find out a little more about the place.
Australia, a continent, holds an aura of mystery and charm. A continent which has gained popularity for a variety of reasons over the last couple of years. A place of infinite beauty, quite a bit of it is still untapped and much of it still unspoilt by man. It is the sixth largest country in the world with the lowest population.
Australia is made up of six states and territories namely, Darwin (the capital of Northern Territory), Brisbane (the capital of Queensland), Perth (the capital of Western Australia), Adelaide (the capital of Southern Australia), Canberra (Australian Capital Territory), Sydney (the capital of New South Wales), Melbourne (the capital of Victoria), and Hobart (the capital of Tasmania). Each state and territory has its own parliament, flag and floral emblem.
It is a continent which celebrated its centenary of federation in 2001.
I was a bit wary because of the horror stories I had heard from friends and relatives regarding the treatment meted out to us, the green passport holders, at immigration and customs counters. The fact that we were being screened and harassed after the 9/11 incident made me a little tense.
I decided to prepare myself for the worst so that nothing would dampen my spirit or spoil my trip in any way.
I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly everything went. I did not feel victimized at all, and all my apprehensions were laid to rest ... may be we were just lucky.
We were welcomed by a very friendly, informal and smiling immigration staff at the Brisbane airport. I was quite amused to see them in shorts and cowboy hats. Were we in the outback? It is summer there in December. Welcome to Down Under.
From there we had a connecting flight to Melbourne, our final destination.
I had envisioned Melbourne to be a very modem city with tall, high-rise buildings and very modern architecture. I was wrong to a certain extent. It is a unique blend of the ancient and the modern.
Melbourne still retains most of its European architecture with quaint old houses, beautiful old railings and balconies overflowing with the most exotic flowers. It was love at first sight for me.
Melbourne is in the state of Victoria and has been awarded the title of the second most livable city in the world — Vancouver being the first.
For more than 50,000 years the aboriginal people who formed the world’s oldest civilization lived here until 1170, when Captain James Cook arrived in Botany Bay and European settlement of Victoria began in 1834 after the gold rush in the Ballarat region.
The people of Melbourne are really proud of their multi-cultural background and ethnicity. You’ll see people of all colour, race and countries there and feel really comfortable. I could not sense any racial prejudice or discrimination throughout my trip. May be it’s different when you are visiting a place than actually living there. Nonetheless, I found the people to be very friendly, helpful and kind.
Melbourne also has the world’s best colleges and universities and boasts of an education system which is on a par with England and America.
So, you will definitely see a lot of students, especially from East Asia, studying here. I was surprised to know that the mayor of Melbourne was originally an immigrant from Hong Kong.
Making your way around the city and its suburbs has been made very simple by the loads of tourist information centres where volunteers are available to guide you according to your interests. The best part is that all the volunteers are above 60 and it was lovely to see how they had been made to feel so useful and had been encompassed in something which they cherished, that is, their city. They were known as Greeters and you could find them in every nook and corner in case you got lost.
Maps, brochures and booklets are readily available far tourists’ convenience.
I was told that the best way to get oriented to the main city was to take the city circle tram. It’s a free ride which takes you around the city, telling you about the main tourist places. I really enjoyed the ride as I had never sat on a tram before. You can hop on and off at whichever spot you want. A tram comes through on this route every 10 minutes, which makes it extremely convenient.
Trams are the most commonly used mode of transport here. Most people prefer to travel by it to avoid the traffic.
Victoria is also known as the Garden State and prides itself for its beautiful parks and gardens which hold hundreds of years old trees. Each garden was very well-kept. Australia is a continent which supports 25,000 species of plants. The kind of flora and fauna found here are not present anywhere else in the world. Some of the gardens not to be missed are the Treasury Gardens, the Fitzroy Gardens, Carlton and the Queen Victoria Gardens. I could not see any litter throughout. Clean toilets and plenty of drinking water were easily accessible. To give you some idea of its raw natural beauty let me add to readers’ knowledge that Australia is home to 14 world heritage listed wilderness areas.
Eight hundred species of birds including the boisterous laugh of the Cookabura, the Kingfisher, Crimson Rosella and Lorikeets to name a few are found here.
As far as weather is concerned, it is quite similar to ours except that Australia has it the other way round. It is peak summer there in December which is why so many tourists come here in December, especially from Europe, to avoid the harsh winters in their own countries.
The thing which fascinated me a lot was to see many wedding ceremonies taking place at all scenic spots. It was so nice to see the bride and the groom reading their vows against a scenic backdrop.
As I am a fan of old architecture, I wanted to explore the old myriad of arcades and laneways found in abundance on the Collins street and also visit some of the old sites which had been restored to its old glory.
One such example is the Royal Exhibition building. It has been chosen amongst the worlds 10 most beautiful buildings, side by side with the Taj Mahal and has been placed on the world heritage list. Free guided tours are available and provide tourists with every detail.
Many old buildings have been restored and their interiors have all the modern facilities. The old GPO building on the Swanston Street is one such example whose glory has been restored. Old theatres including the Capitol and Princess theatres, are worth looking at. The St Patricks Cathedral and St Foul’s Cathedral are also spectacular.
The Town Hall and Parliament buildings are also worth seeing. It was really ironic to be able to see the working of another countries parliament whereas you cannot even flutter near your own. Australia has been a pretty stable democracy, proof of which is the fact that their Prime Minister, John Howard, has been re-elected four times and will complete his 16 years of rule.
From a tourist point of view, one should also see the Melbourne Museum. One mustn’t miss visiting the Aborigine’s section where one can learn about the first people of Austria. The videos and documentaries etc., are heart-wrenching and it really saddened me to see what they had gone through and the kind of treatment meted out to them. Their culture, tradition and customs I found to be truly fast.
Also, not to be missed are the Melbourne Aquarium, Imax Theatre, Casino, the Observation Deck from where you can see the whole of Melbourne and the modern, cube-like blocks of the Federation Square which is the hub of cultural activities in the heart of the city.
Australia is the world’s largest exporter of beef and produces 70 per cent of the world’s wool. Ninety five per cent of the world’s best opals are also produced here.
Melbourne is known as the food capital of Australia too, and is recognized by all the chefs world over. Its major influences are derived from Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia, resulting in large areas devoted to this style. Popular eating areas include, Chinatown where one can have quality Chinese food.
The Lygon Street is also known as “Little Italy” and is famous for the best pizzas and pasta.
South Bank, overlooking the Yarra River, has one of the most breathtaking views of the city skyline and offers a wide range of cafes and bars.
St Kilda’s, a beach resort, a popular place for tourist and locals alike, offers the best cake shops.
Melbourne is also known as the sporting capital of Australia. From the Australian Open Tennis, to the Grand Prix, to Australian football to the cricket season in summer, 500cc motorcycle grand prix tournament to horse racing and golf, it has been host to all events.
I found the Australian people to be very fit and health conscious.
Another thing which was really nice to see was the health drink shops. Visit any small or shopping area and you will find fresh juice and vegetable combos, energy drinks for each and every category and age with the weirdest combos, but healthy and better than the useless calories of soft drinks.
On the outskirts of Melbourne, about an hour’s drive away, are some of the most beautiful natural landscapes. There are a variety of bus tours which take tourists to some of these memorable places.
The first tour took us to the Philip Island Nature Park, home to the world famous Penguin Parade. Each night during the sunset one can see the world’s smallest penguins waddle ashore to their sand dune burrows. Grand stands, boardwalks and close viewing areas along with interactive, educational and computerized displays in the visitors centre, ensure this magical procession is a treat never to be forgotten. It was an experience of a lifetime to see them walk out in a group.
The drive to the Mornington Peninsula boasts of Australia’s oldest hedge maze including a circular rose maze with more than 1,200 roses. It also has the most beautiful lavender farm, where the fragrance of the purple lavender flowers sweeps one right off one’s feet. One has the choice to go towards the Dandenong Ranges, also known as Melbourne Garden of Eden. On the way, one passes through the Yarra Valley and the Healsville Sanctuary where one can find more than 200 rare species of Australian wildlife. Kangaroos, Koalas, Emus, Dingo and Wombats are just a few examples. These animals are native only to Australia and not found anywhere else in the world.
The Great Ocean Road Drive which is about 400 metre-long offers some of Austria’s most beautiful coastal scenery. The most amazing is the walk on the Otway Ranges. One can walk 25 metres above ground level on top of the trees and have a spectacular aerial view.
Then there is Geelong famous for its beautiful waterfront and the Macedonan Ranges, famous for their Hepburn springs, which are Australia’s largest concentration of mineral springs.
The list is endless. These are only some of the places we were able to visit.There were still several other sites to be explored and uncovered. We had to leave something for next time.
Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities of Australia.
We were welcomed by a very friendly, informal and smiling immigration staff at the Brisbane airport. I was quite amused to see them in shorts and cowboy hats. Were we in the outback? It is summer there in December. Welcome to Down Under.
