MELBOURNE Walking Tour on the Last Day

The city of Melbourne from the Shrine of Remembrance

Being a free day, we decided to do another walking tour. This time, to places we failed to cover on the first day,  and do a little souvenir shopping. 

Since our hotel is centrally located, we decided to visit this place first, the Parliament House, as it was just a stone's throw away from our hotel. It is the seat of Victoria's Parliament since 1855, located along Spring St .

Parliament House

Just a little across the Parliament House, you will see these two gorgeous buildings: The Princess Theater and Hotel Windsor. A throwback to anything European-looking.

Princess Theater - one of Melbourne's iconic landmark

Hotel Windsor established in 1883 is one of Melbourne's grandest luxury hotel

As you walk towards St. Patrick's Cathedral and Fitzroy Gardens, you will see this at a small triangle piece of  land called Gordon Reserve, between Spring St and MacArthur St. The monument carries the verse of Australia's, Adam Lindsay Gordon:

Life is mainly froth and bubble

Two things stand like stone —

Kindness in another’s trouble.

Courage in your own

An Australian poet, jockey and politician

Gothic-looking St Patrick's Cathedral -- the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne

A few meters away from St. Patrick's Cathedral is Fitzroy Gardens, a 26-hectare Victorian Era landscaped garden. Beautiful, peaceful, and calm atmosphere, it has several nooks and crannies worthy to take a seat, read a book, relax or just plain watch life pass you by.

Fitzroy Gardens

"Come have a sit". The Conservatory in the background

English Elm Trees lining a pathway "Autumn colors is love!"

A pathway at Fitzroy Gardens

Model Tudor Village

The Fairy Tree

MELBOURNE - Going on a Scenic Roadtrip

The Great Ocean Road

This is THE most awaited part of the whole trip. Researching and looking at photos fueled the fire.

Yes, on our 3rd day, we went on a road trip to Australia's most scenic coastal drive --- The Great Ocean Road.

A national heritage site, the 240+km stretch of road hugs the south-east coastline of Victoria. Passing through quaint towns, surfing beaches, historic ports, whale lookouts, shipwreck coasts,  breathtaking mountain ranges, majestic rainforests, scenic coastal towns and national parks.

We left Melbourne from the West Gate Bridge and visited charming towns, beautiful beaches and breathtaking wonders of nature:

*Torquay 

Our first stop for morning tea. We had time to check and take a photo of the beach. A surfers haven.  

Yes, we missed the surf shop outlets. Unfortunately, they were still closed and we have a long trip ahead of us.

Torquay Beach

Quaint Torquay

* Bells Beach 

Home to World Surfing Championships. This is where I thought the black specks I saw out on the sea where penguins, and quickly realized that those were surfers trying out the waves at such a cold and early morning! brrr... We were, after all, in one of Australia's best surfing beaches.

Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia

North view of Bells Beach

No, those are not penguins...

* Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot is 2000miles from the South Pole. So named because of the obvious shape of the beach.

Horseshoe Bay from a Lookout

* Great Ocean Road (GOR) welcome arch  or better known as a memorial arch, dedicated to those who built this road in World War I.

The Great Ocean Road welcome arch

MELBOURNE - Going for Gold!

Sovereign Hill town

Our 2nd day in Melbourne, and we are going for gold! Yes, we spent our day in an old mining town in Victoria, Australia. 

Ballarat has gained popularity during the gold rush period in 1851, being home to the richest alluvial goldfield in the world. Population boomed then, as people all over the world seek their fortune in this place.

Long after the gold has run out, the town has retained its rich gold heritage in the form of opulent buildings, fountains and tourist attractions.  

And if you want to experience how it was during the gold rush, Ballarat has Sovereign Hill. 

Old world appeal @ Sovereign Hill

An open museum recreated to look like the gold township in the 1850s. Costumed ladies and gents, venture underground to see and feel how it is to be a miner, tour the town in a horse-drawn coach, shop 1850s style, see how gold is melted and molded into bars, utensils, etc., and try your luck and pan for real gold. If you find one (or more), it's yours.

The farms during the 1850s

A typical gold panning site

Town's bulletin board

Marching along the streets of Sovereign Hill

The Church and the Fire station

From the medicine man

A typical vehicle back then

MELBOURNE - Of Wombats, Koalas and Penguins

Yarra River

After the long slow train ride  through New South Wales countryside from Sydney,  we arrived Melbourne early evening. We were hosted to a Persian dinner by the relatives of my former office mate in a quaint restaurant in one of Melbourne's streets. It was early to bed for us after the dinner as we have a full 1st day in Melbourne.

Awesome Day 1:
 

Yarra River from Southbank

Morning was free so we did a DIY rush tour of Melbourne. Walked to State Library, Tram ride around the City. Stroll towards Yarra River and Eureka Skydeck 88 and Federation Square. The beauty about exploring Melbourne (or any other 1st world city) is the availability of free (or almost free = cheap fares like $1/24hr) rides to major tourist sights. Boy,  are we glad to take in the sounds, sights, smell and hulaballoo of Central Melbourne at practically no costs!

Melbourne streets

View from the Southbank

Clockwise: Federation Square; Indian Festival @ Fed Square; Skydeck; NGV

View from Skydeck with the Olympic Complex and Melbourne's Art Centre with its "tutu" roof spire

St. Paul's Cathedral, Flinders St.