The idea was a simple one. 5 of us from the tour were dropped in Ballarat at around 5pm and given our bus tickets to Adelaide. The bus didn’t leave until 10pm, so we made our way to a nearby McDonalds, where we spent the next 4 hours or so waiting, eating, and using their internet. It didn’t appear that Ballarat had much else to do on a Sunday evening, but given the time, that wasn’t overly surprising. The rain and exhaustion from our 3 days of travel kept us pretty sedetary anyways.
Category Archives: Australia
The Grampians (Part 2)
While still enjoying our lunches, the clouds parted long enough for me to scamper back up to the top of the lookout and get a few nicer views of the surrounding area.
A proper panoramic of the view from The Pinnacle. It was a pretty great spot.
The Grampians (Part 1)
After finishing up the Great Ocean Road our tour headed inland, towards The Grampians National Park.
Admittedly, I didn’t know much about the Grampians when I signed up, other than it was a National Park and we got to do some enjoyable hiking. That was enough for me!
The Great Ocean Road (Part 2)
At the far end of the Great Ocean Road, the land starts to drop away suddenly into the ocean. For the majority of the drive, we are along hillsides that slope downwards into the sea. But once you get to the Twelve Apostles, the hills become sudden cliffs.
The Great Ocean Road (Part 1)
Melbourne has two major tours within easy driving distance. The first is the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. Hundreds of little blue penguins call Philip Island home and arrive in droves once the sun sets. Having already seen numerous little blues while I was over in New Zealand, I instead opted for the other option, which also worked to my advantage of taking me to my next major destination (Adelaide). I was going to explore the Great Ocean Road.
I was with Bunyip Tours once again, the same company that took me to Wilsons Prom. So I knew I was in good hands.
The Galleries
My days in Melbourne were coming to an end and the weather had turned rather sour. With that in mind I spent two of my final days indoors, exploring the dual National Galleries of Victoria (NGV).
Gold Rush
Melbourne and Victoria’s history is steeped in Gold. In 1851, gold was discovered in the surrounding areas and Melbourne was the nearest major city. In 3 years, the population of Melbourne went from 29,000 to over 120,000 people. It was absolute boom time, and the city prospered greatly. For this reason, they decided to build a new Treasury to hold all their lovely gold until it could be shipped off to England.
Last one, I promise!
I had one final walk in Melbourne I wanted to do before I left the city. This oneĀ encompassedĀ the crown jewel of Melbourne’s Parks, the Royal Botanic Gardens.
