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Published: October 15th 2007
Melbourne was my last stop in Australia. The two main touristy things to do in Melbourne are The Great Ocean Road and a visit to Philip Island to see the penguins. I didn’t get to Philip Island, but I did see The Great Ocean Road. For the first 2 hours, it looks eerily similar to the Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a beautiful drive along the coastline meandering through sea-side towns and sheep farms along the way. That morning, the ocean waves were crashing angrily against the shore and the wind was fiercely blowing around everything in sight. Annually, 7 million people make the trek across this stunning stretch of road that was built by soldiers after World War I.
Bells Beach is a mecca for surfers across the globe and the birthplace of Rip Curl. The peninsula around Loch Ard Gorge is the location of many fateful shipwrecks - over 80 ships crashed here in just 40 years. The most famous is the story of the ship Loch Ard, which sailed from England in 1878. Of the 55 people onboard, only two 18-year olds survived. Everyone thought the two would live happily ever after together seeing as he had rescued
her from the chicken coop she was using as a flotation device. How romantic is that? But nothing ever came of it and she returned to Ireland a few months later. The 12 Apostles are the most famous rock formations in Victoria. Today, only 9 Apostles remain standing; the other three have collapsed into the sea. London Bridge is the last of the scenic stops and sadly, London Bridge has fallen down. It used to be connected to the shore; the rock bridge closest to the shore collapsed into the sea in the 1990s.
Of the big cities in Australia, Melbourne is said to be the most liberal and a lot of people say it is similar to San Francisco. As I was walking around the city, it did remind me of SF. There are little ethnic neighborhoods, plenty of art galleries and museums, and tons of restaurants and pubs. I had dim sum with some friends in Chinatown one night and it is like a smaller version of the Chinatown in SF 😊
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