Australia trip 2007
Australia 1 Dec 07 – 17 Dec 07
My first real view of Sydney after leaving the airport. From the train at Circular Quay. However, I was in Sydney just 3 days before embarking on my trip to Victoria.
I'm glad you asked. The path of my expedition:
- Sydney
- Tarcutta
- Holbrook
- Bonnie Doon/Lake Eildon
- Seville
- Melbourne
- Geelong
- Ballarat
- Creswick
- Bendigo
- Echuca
- Gundagai
- Canberra
- Fitzroy Falls (friend's farm)
The Hume Highway is the road connecting Australia's two largest cities. I was very surprised that perhaps 10% of its 800 km/500 miles is still not a divided road. Note the oncoming semi. I will admit though that there is little traffic out here and there is major road construction nearby.
Much of that 10% is actually a 3-lane road so each side takes turns in who gets the overtaking lane. Still 5 kms/3 miles can be a long time to wait if you are behind a slow vehicle.
Not only that but the highway still passes through a few towns where you have to slow down to 50 km/h (30 mph), or 40 km/h in a school zone. As compensation, there are train rides today. So the sign says.
Highway rest areas in Australia are simple by American standards but this really does take minimalism to extreme. Yes, you can pull off the road.
Water is available at the rest area. Just don't drink it!
Unlike the interstate highways in America where you are generally not allowed to ride bicycles, it is quite legal on the Hume. The government even posts friendly suggestions on where to cross with the least chance of being run over.
I stopped at Tarcutta to see the memorial to truck drivers killed on Australian roads. At the time I thought it an unusual thing to create a memorial about but in retrospect it is no different to those honoring police or fire fighters killed in the line of duty.
One thing I quickly learned about Tarcutta and everywhere in the country is that it has been a particularly good year for flies. As soon as I got out of the car, it seemed a dozen were buzzing around my head making it difficult to hold the camera steady and eager to get back in the car as soon as possible.
Now this is weird - a submarine a very long way from the ocean. The people of Germantown thought the name inappropriate after WW1 broke out so they renamed it to honor a local hero who commanded a submarine in the Dardanelles (Turkey). A more recent submarine was cut into pieces and reassembled to get passers-by to stop in the town now called Holbrook. It worked for me.
This is Lake Eildon at Bonnie Doon. Or where Lake Eildon would be if there was water.
There is water elsewhere in what is a huge lake when full. The site www.lakeeildon.com says that "As at December 20, 2007, Lake Eildon was sitting at 23.8% of full capacity" which according to lakeeildon.turbo.net.au/board/viewtopic.php?t=175, means it is 28.25m/82 ft down from the maximum level! At any rate, I suspect the Lakeside Resort on the other side of these bridges has been doing little business in the last few years.
If you've seen The Castle, you might remember that this is where the Kerrigan family came for their holidays.
This pedestrian/cycle bridge once carried the railway line; the road bridge runs in parallel to the right.
A track, that was once a railway line, near my aunt's house near Seville, north-east of Melbourne.
The cows look bored. I think we were the most exciting thing they had seen all day
What you can't see in this photo is how many flies were about. (A lot.)
A mile marker, presumably for the benefit of the rail passengers, when there were rail passengers—and when we measured distances in miles. Australia was largely on the metric system by 1974 and virtually fully converted by 1977.
My aunt and uncle took me to the "1000 steps" Kokoda Track Memorial Walk" which seeks to honor those who died fighting the Japanese in New Guinea. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoda_Track_campaign for more information.
Just like the real thing minus the heat, humidity, insects, leeches, thorns, neat path, heavy pack on your back and of course, people shooting at you. Still, it gave you a sense of the ruggedness of the terrain.
We are a long way up.
This remarkable art gallery is to my mind, in the middle of nowhere, although I'm sure the locals would disagree with that assessment. That's my aunt and uncle leaning against the wall.
I regret I've forgotten the name of the gallery. I thought it was “Tarawa” but I can't find it anywhere on the internet.
The view to the neighboring vineyard. My uncle stands in the opening.
Some ceramic work done by a cousin of mine.
Spencer St railway station in downtown Melbourne. I got off the #96 tram (light-rail) just outside here.
Next tp Spencer Street Station. Note the tram (US: streetcar) entering the intersection.
The guidebook suggested that I should start my tour by seeing Chloe. I'm headed in the right direction. I can't believe I didn't get the top of the sign in the photo.
This painting was supposed to hang in the Art Gallery of Victoria but was deemed too risqué at the time.
This landmark building serves as the central railway station for Melbourne with 110,000 commuters and 1,500 trains passing through each weekday. More on Wikipedia.
A fine-looking building.
When I originally put the photos on Flickr I said, "I'll look it up later". I lied.
The Chinese originally came during the 1850s gold rush but blatantly racist policies were introduced starting in 1855 to discourage and then finally prevent them coming.
A tax on Chinese arriving by ship in Victoria prompted two-thirds of the 30,000 headed to the gold fields to disembark in Robe, South Australia instead. This meant that they had to WALK 440km/275 miles, a journey that took a full month, rather than 120km/75 miles from Melbourne.
The last vestiges of the "White Australia Policy" were removed only after the Whitlam government took office in 1972.
The State Library
I wanted to visit the Library partly because it is a grand, historic building but also I was hoping for free internet access so I could email Lan and they did indeed have terminals available for public access.
Magnificent but old-fashioned—and poorly attended.
This looks too modern to be part of the original building.
Since trams have right-of-way over cars, Melbourne drivers exercise a bizarre manoeuver when turning right (across oncoming traffic - remember that Australians drive on the left/correct side of the road). First they get in to the far LEFT lane and then they sit there until no one is coming or the light changes to yellow then they shot across the intersection. At some places downtown, there is a marked lane to do this. I'm glad I was never anywhere where I had to attempt it
I was hoping for a plaque explaining what the poles are for and why they were placed there but I looked in vain. Actually it was quite hot and I wanted to be in the shade and avoid getting burned.
Arguably the most flamboyant street awning in Australia.
…unless it is this one
What a great name for a linen shop! Acland St in St Kilda.
The beach at St Kilda was it's original attraction making, what was then a separate town, a holiday destination for Melbourne residents.
It was a tad windy the day I visited. It was dangerous to look into the wind for fear of getting sand blown into your eyes.
Since there were tourists in St Kilda, developers figured they'd like to do something other than sit on the beach so they built an amusement park. Finding this was something of a surprise as I'd walked in this direction only to find the beach. I know that there is a Luna Park in Sydney but was blissfully unaware of a parallel version in Melbourne. The Sydney version has a happier face.
I stopped here for breakfast before leaving Melbourne.