Melbourne to Sydney

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In Melbourne I had some chillout time and explored the city. I went on a guided tour of the Rod Laver arena, home to the Australian Open. I also visited the Old Melbourne Gaol, where Ned Kelly was hanged.

Leaving Melbourne was a normal early start. My driver, Hoops, whom i had in the Blue Mountains, had to the rus through the city for the last pick up. There were only five of us on this tour, which was good. Means you get to talk to people. There were two Swiss Geman chicks and two Dutch Grannies of 73 and something else. Very ineresting.

We drove for a few hours to Wilson's Promontory, the most southerly poin of mainland Oz, but also somewhere that received considerable damage from the black saturday fires. As soon as we entered the park he evidence was obvious. The landscape was bare, but for the blackened and charred trees standing like matchsticks.

We did a walk round the windy headland. The bush here hadn't been effected and was stil thicks. Either side of the headland the waves crashed and pounded. The sweel was imense and angry, quite a sight!

We drove on to a place called Lakes Entrance for the night. There we had fish and chips and a few bevvies with the bus heading for Melbourne.

New day, another early start. We were hitting the Barry Way, an old dirt road, classified as a highway. Formally a cattle driving track, and now primarily sed only by vehicles, this rocky bumpy dusty road was built by farm hands and cattle herders. First we passed though flat farmlands, but the scenery dramtically changed and we were soon in what could easily have been the southern italien alps, the way the road clung to the mountain and the twisted trees, or the welsh mountains in the distance, rolling for miles and miles.

The Barry Way ended at Jindabyne, a town moved when the valley was flooded as part of on of the worlds biggest hydroelectric systems! After a brief lunch we continued to Thredbo, base camp of Kosciuzco, Australia higest mountain, at 2228m. We caught a ski lift part way up and then individually carried on on foot. I was the only one of the group to reach the summit, but was honestly disappointed. It was an easy wak, not challenging, all board walk, and not even a very steep incline. Much like climbing the latter part of Caerphilly Mountain, but even that may be a wee bit more difficult.

Me and the girls jumped in the hot tub after the walk, but like the rest of the snowy mountains it was cold. I was having to wear two t-shirts and two jumpers to stay warm. Dinner was stir fry and then, all night, drinks were on the house. We had Jagerbombs, did shots from a modified ski "shotski" and of course beer. The following morning there were a few sore heads.

After a leauirely brekkie we cruised on for a time, the main aim being Canberra, the nations Capital City. We had a tour of Parliament House, which means i have now been in four seats of power around the world. It was alot like westminster, red chairs for the senate, green chairs for the reps. The mace of power, he copy of the magna carter, but also some aussie stuff. The official apology to the indiginus peoples after years of abuse and racisim.

The City was very american, alot like Washington DC even. There was a straight line from Parliament house the war memorial. Like Washington DC. This is mainly because the city was designed by an american couple, so they would have used alot of American architectural influences.

From here it was a non stop drive back into Sydney, where we parted ways. I met Mat that night for a welcome home drink and some food. Since then I have been chilling with Anna and her family and have had a good come down from the business of travelling before i head off again.

Peace Out

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