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Published: December 20th 2011
Travelling through Australia by train is neither quick nor particularly convenient, but it does provide an opportunity to understand more about the geography of this continent. From the sight of kangaroos hopping through the trees and desert scrubland of the Northern Territory, we journeyed into the arable farmlands and wineries of South Australia, the driest state. Here, and into Victoria to its east, rolling hills of thirsty crops were interspersed with smalls towns with strange names, like Mount Gambia, Warrnambool and Broken Hill.
As seems to be the way, most people in these two states live in their capitals, Adelaide and Melbourne. Partly due to the infrequency of interstate trains, that is where we found ourselves, with no real purpose other than to experience more of metropolitan Australia, its food, markets, attractions, architecture and people.
The memories of any briefly visited place are heavily influenced by the people, the weather and any particularly good or bad experiences had there. Whether fairly or not, they form the basis of the verdict that the travel writer (or humble blogger) passes upon it.
So, despite its slightly staid reputation, and the dispersed nature of the city and its suburbs, sunshine and
The famous Adelaide Central Market
Scene of the free wine bonanza, and good food wherever we turned.cycling make our memories of Adelaide happy ones.
Adelaide’s CBD, as Aussies call their city centres, is a small grid-like area surrounded by parkland. In the south sits a vibrant market, where we sampled local wines (for free!), including a crisp viognier and a surprisingly pleasant rose pinot noir.
The centre of Melbourne is dominated by the Yarra river, its brown water separating the main CBD from the south bank’s culture and a beautiful botanic garden. The colourful imposing skyline around the river reminded us that, for the first time since leaving London seven weeks earlier, we were in big modern city.
We were lucky enough to stay on the 21
st floor of a modern apartment block in Melbourne, with fantastic views and a terrace with a swimming pool and a jacuzzi.
We can’t recall if any building in Adelaide has 21 stories. What the city and its building lack in size, they make up for in an excellent arts and culture scene, with regular festivals throughout the year.
Melbourne’s nearest beach, at St.Kilda, feels like an extension of the city, which ends only as you feel the golden sand beneath your feet. Whereas Adelaide’s
beach is hidden behind sand dunes and inconsequential suburbs, providing a pleasant surprise for the intrepid traveller.
A year on from England’s impressive Ashes campaign, we paid homage at the scenes of two of their three innings victories – the picturesque Adelaide Oval and the gargantuan MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). Guess which of us was more interested in these pilgrimages.
For the first time on our trip, we were able to visit friends. Roz, a former workmate of Ben’s, lives with her Aussie husband Jamie and their two children on a farm in south Victoria, near Port Fairy and the famous Great Ocean Road.
We drove around the wave-battered bays of the “Shipwreck Coast” and came to what remains of the “Twelve Apostles”, five of these towering rocks having crumbled under the power of the sea. As we posed for the obligatory photos, Roz and Jamie’s children caught the eye of a group of Japanese tourists. The children’s blond hair proved too much to resist for the camera-laden visitors; the unwitting youngsters were elevated to celebrity status and passed around for numerous photographs like increasingly distressed dolls.
It was wonderful to relax at the Langley farm.
With bellies full with beer and barbequed food, we fell asleep, and dreamt of pioneers, convicts, gold prospectors, and the journey north, to the state of New South Wales.
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