Overnight we crossed into Victoria and the bus pulled into Melbourne's Southern Cross station early in the morning. Heading outside there still wasn't much sign of activity or orientation information available. After tracking down a map, however, I got directions for my hostel and arrived just in time for a free pancake breakfast - perfect timing! Perhaps not up to the standard of Is's but, hey, backpackers can't be choosers. Fully replete after my breakfast I went and did a load of washing, and, spotting a clothes line outside went to hang it out, but when I tried to get back in I discovered the door was only operable from the inside. I realised I was trapped in a garden with no gate and surrounded by a 6 foot fence - a bit of a problem when you're 5 foot and can't see over the top. Fortunately I could see the outline of people passing and was able to shout through to a guy passing and got him to go to the reception and get someone to release me, otherwise it could have been a long dull visit to Melbourne. I was hardly back in the building though when the fire alarms went off and we were all shepherded out and away round the corner. It wasn't long before we were allowed back inside , but I reckoned I should head out and about before I got myself involved in any more escapades. Melbourne was proving a bit of a contrast to the slow and genteel last few days in Adelaide! Out in the city I went walking and realised it was hillier than I'd previously given it credit for but likeable. There was a nice vibe to the place - lots of workers and 'city suits' mingling with the visitors and tourists. It was busy but not with the frantic pace you get in some cities and although there were lots of high-rise buildings all around I didn't feel hemmed in. I walked up Collins Street past the glitzy high end stores and into a building which housed what the tourist leaflets called "glass sculptures that represent significant Melbourne landmarks". Well, I thought I was in the wrong place at first, then discovered there were a few blocks of glass set on the floor on which, if you screwed your eyes up and stared at them for a while, you could see were etched with shapes which I presume were the local landmarks. It wasn't impressive! I carried on and further on I ventured in to the much grander foyer of one ofice tower which is home to many of the big financial companies and enterprises. Two walls were completely covered in gold leaf, there were 4 water pools, marble columns, bronze statues, and a huge wall hanging also glittering with gold leaf. It was like something from a movie set and a bit jaw droppingly rich. I left the marble foyer behind (complete with two doorside pillars which looked at first sight to be artificial trees but on closer look were actually sculptured columns of interlocking bodies) and carried on. I meandered along little lanes, main streets, past theatres and parliament, chinatown and street sculpture before arriving at Melbourne 360: a towerblock which houses an observation deck on the 55th floor giving views all round the city. Its no longer the tallest building - that honour goes to the Eureka tower which is 88 storeys high with a 3metre glass cube perched on the edge for those brave enough to step into it for the ultimate viewing experience. For me I reckoned I could see the city just as well from the 55th floor as the 88th! With earlier grey skies clearing you could see for miles and I realised just how compact the area of high-rises is in the city and how low-rise the rest is in comparison.
As an alternative to the city I walked down to St Kilda beach an alledgedly up market part of town. I was surprised by how unyuppified it was - maybe I was at the wrong end. It had turned into a warmish but grey afternoon and with the palm trees and yellowed grass egding the esplanade it just looked a bit washed out and as if the colours should have been much brighter. At the beach, despite the grey sky there were a surprising number of people still lounging about and even swimming and mucking about in the sea. I suspect a good number were british backpackers going to enjoy the beach regardless. I could be wrong as I wasn't speaking to them but the skintones were mainly as short on colour as the grass! A boardwalk ran between the sand and esplanade and I joined the walkers, joggers, cyclists and skaters, strolling along before heading down the little pier. Iwas then I realised how strong the wind was as I really had to lean into it to stop it blowing me off my step. At the far end a rocky breakwater carries on a bit further and I read that a type of water rat and little peguins live and breed amongst the rocks leading to the area being declared a special reserve. The best time for seeing both is dusk so I was too early, but not overly concerned as I was going to look for more the next day. A few leisure boats were moored in the area and were bobbing about in the wind. The lanyards were clanking noisily against the masts, too, and with the wind, rocks, boats and noise it reminded me of walking by the harbour at Nairn. I sat there for a while and admired the view over to the skyscrapers of the city in the distance. Even on this grey day they seemed to sparkle so I could imagine on a bright sunny day with a blue sky behind they would really twinkle and be quite striking.
Phillip Island is probably famous for two things: motorbikes and penguins. It was the latter that I was most interested in. I caught the local train and bus service from Melbourne and headed down through a lot of nice rolling green farmland to the island. It was nice to see the cattle after being devoid of such farming landscapes for so long. Staying in Cowes, the main town and so named because one of the early european generals thought it reminded him of the Isle of Wight, I went down to the esplanade. Its a pretty little area - grass slopes running down to small sandy beaches and waves crashing onto the shore. Not huge waves but more than just a gentle lap. I walked along the beachfront a little before going to wait for my pick-up to the penguins. Daily the little penguins come ashore at sunset and make their way across the beach to their burrows on the dunes behind. Getting dropped of at the reserve, I'd a quick glance in the shop before going through to the viewing area. The bay looked stunning - round and sandy with a few rocks mainly at one end of the beach. It was a wee bit like a shrunken Dunnet Bay with the cliffs at either end. The waves were fierce and really crashed in with a ferocity. It was a shame that no photography was allowed as it really was scenic: I understand no photos when the penguins are around but before it gets dark it should have been ok but the rangers were keeping a watchful eye and stopping anyone they saw with a camera. Anyway, as the darkness came in an odd one or two of the little penguins appeared in the shallows. They are just about 30cm high, and the smallest of the various breeds, darky inky blue in colour with just a white chest and belly. The time when they cross the beach to the burrows is the most dangerous and stressful time for them as they can be picked off by birds of prey and harrassed by seagulls and terns so they tend to gather into groups and race across in numbers in the dark. They take a few attempts, humming and hawing and turning back, before taking all their courage in their wings and making the dash for their burrows. As the darkness fell a first group of about 12 pengins raced across, then another group had a couple of attemts before "crossing the divide", and anther and another and so on. An odd one or two braved it themselves and a few twos or threes but they were the exceptions - mostly it was larger rafts (the collective noun for penguins). Occasionally one seemed to get lost and would teeter back down the beach trying to find the right path. Later the rain came on really heavy, and with it being a really cold wind coming from the southern seas I started to make my way back for my lift back to Cowes. At the top of the viewing area I realised how many of the birds had their burrows just there and the noise they were making was surprisingly loud: "Trill, Trill" cries and "chatter chatter" calls. There were very distinct different tones aswell dependant, I suppose, on the ages and sexes of the birds. It was a great experience all round, but cold and wet I was quite happy to head back to my "burrow" at the hostel. Before heading back to Melbourne, the next day I went walking around the outskirts of town before crossing down to another beach. It still wasn't very warm but the sun was getting stronger and the sand was a golden tan colour with the water breaking gently in great "S" bends along the beach - a real wavy line! The arcs of the sand between the sea's reaches were rippled with puddles od sea infilling them slightly. Along the shore's edge were long bands of what I thought at first were tiny mussell shells, but which on closer inspection turned out to be thin leaves encrusted with a film of salt and starting to curl and shrivel up. Also dotted along the sands were logs and branches bleaching over time. The bushes and trees on the coast edge were being brought down onto the beach as the face was being eroded by wind and tide creating a real ribbon of green amongst the sand and stone. All in all it was very picturesque and with a few others out enjoying the walk I felt right at home. It'll surprise few of you I imagine that it confirmed to me that wherever I settle in future it'll always be near the sea or water. For all I love the big wide open spaces, the desert and so on, for me there is something magical and relaxing about water. I walked along to observation point where I had to turn back as the rest of the beach was a reserve for nesting hooded plovers. Arriving back in town I soon had to go for the bus back to the city, but having had a great weekend.
Next up was a day trip along the Great Ocean Road - the highway which winds its way along the spectacular south coast of Victoria. Starting from Melbourne, and picking up some more people in the town of Geelong en route, our first stop was at Bells Beach - a world famous surfing spot in the town of Torquay. The surf was high and there were a couple of groups of 5 or 6 hardy souls having a go. It wasn't the warmest of days, and the water is cooler on the south coast anyway, so even with their wet suits it must have been chilly. I certainly wouldn't have been tempted. From there we went to Spit Head Lighthouse complete with nice views of the rocky coastline (hence the original need for the lighthouse being built in 1891) including one outcrop called Eagle rock. It looked more like a castle to me and there were no signs of large birds overhead so I've no idea why it was so named! Continuing on our way it was a lovely drive: twisty and undulating as it clung to the forrested hillsides and coastline in and around all the coves and bays. Sometimes at the water's edge, othertimes high above it with a sheer drop at the side of the bus. All the while the waves were crashing onto the rocks and beaches, white breaking the grey-blue-green seas. Our next stop was at Kennet River where (yipee!) I finally saw my first koalas in the wild! The hillsides there are particularly thick with gum trees and a sizeable colony still live in the area. I was delighted to spot one clinging to a branch as soon as we turned onto a little side-track. Stopping and getting out I then saw three or four more. Its taken a while but it was great to finally find them and now I can say I've spotted just about every kind of native australian animal! Leaving there we carried on to our lunch stop at Apollo Bay. The sand was still surprisingly warm given the grey day - nice on the toes- and the semi-circular bay, complete with little stone harbour at one end seemed to be held in place by the green hills rising behind. On a clear sunny day it would be really stunning. After lunch we stopped in an area of sub-tropical rainforest called Mait's Rest and had a super walk amongst some ferns and Myrtle Beech trees. The ferns in particular were lovely as the sun had started to appear and was shining through the canopy creating a real mass of different shades of green from really dark to almost yellow. Real picture book stuff. Leaving there the road continued to twist and turn through the rolling Otway hills and plain, leaving the ocean for a while as we passed through lush green dairy farming land. It was great to enjoy that rolling green countryside for a change. Gradually snatches of coastline came back into view and we reached The Twelve Apostles (even though there are now only 9 as 3 have already crumbled into the sea - the last one in 2005). With the sun now fully out and blue sky it was stunning: the towering yellow sandstone stacks standing out proudly from the foaming, thundering turquoise sea below. The stacks are lagely sheer but with huge fissures evident in many and ragged sharp corners. It was fantastic to see them looking just as magnificent as the publicity photos show them. From the apostles we went to Loch Ard Gorge and if anything it was even more spectacular. One huge long stack was understandably called the Razorback and stood just apart from the main body of the cliff creating a wild foaming channel between the two. Just round from it is the gorge itself which was named after a ship of that name which crashed into the cliffs in an early morning mist in May 1896, just hours from its destination and killing 54 of the 56 people on board. Thr gorge walls were again of sheer golden sandstone glimmering in the sun. The walls tapered in at the back with stalagtytes hanging over the head of the beach. The little rounded beach had golden sand to match the walls which, after widening a little narrowed again at the entrance to the cove forming a trap that the waves crashed into wildly. I risked a paddle but don't think the water covered my ankles before I was back out trying to warm my feet in the sand! Moving on we had our last stop of the day at London Bridge. And before you say it, no, not that one, another one! Originally two archways connected to the mainland, only one now remains adrift from the shore. The other collapsed in 1990 as a result of the tide and weather's eating away at the stone. Two people who had been walking on the bridge were stranded there and lucky not to have been on the wrong arch else they would have been killed, however for one of them it opened up a whole can of worms: obviously it was a big news story and the media came running filmimng their plight and subsequent rescue, but wondering why the guy was trying so hard to avoid the cameras it soon transpired he was out with his girlfriend having told his wife he was on a business trip!! Talk about your sins finding you out. We turned back towards Melbourne, travelling the inland road this time, having had a fantastic day.
My last couple of days in Melbourne were spent quietly, just wandering and walking as the mood took me. I went back to the pier at St. Kilda and saw a few more of my penguins, and strolled past Albert Park (but, Jill, there were no spare F1 cars or tickets to be seen!!), and spent a nice afternoon in the botanic gardens. They were a real haven within the city and sitting in the aromatic herb garden or contemplating the meaning of life beside a pond full of beautiful water lillies was as strenuous as it got!
As if to ensure my departure from the city was as memorable as my arrival, we had a bit of a performance with the trams as I made my way to the bus for Benalla: about to pull away from the stop at the interchange, a tram appeared on the same line but coming towards us, and with another behind us we could go nowhere! The approaching driver was less than impressed at ours having "encroached" onto his line and made it clear we should reverse a bit (there is a manual system with drivers doing their own points changing at some stops. Our driver was a bit hesitant and didn't go back far enough much to the disgust of the other driver. Meanwhile ours was on the phone to his supervisor to find out what was going on, while the first one just wanted him to move. Finally we all got shuffled around and carried on our separate ways, but I'll definitely remember my first and last days in Melbourne!
Arriving safely at Benalla (one time home range of Ned Kelly) I had a nice couple of days staying with Hank's cousin Maryleith, Robert and Brylie the dog. We chatted, window shopped and had a nice walk round the park and lakeside in Benalla itself, and a trip to nearby Shepparton which is a major centre for the fruit growing and canning industries. They spoilt me rotten basically - I got another super roast dinner, wasn't allowed to do anything to help them round the house, and even got a lift to my bus at midnight despite Robert having to be up again for work about 4 o'clock. Safely aboard we soon crossed out of Victoria and I said goodbye to yet another of the states of Australia.
