2nd stop – Melbourne

We wanted to see this city before leaving Australia. Our good friend, Guillaume, had encouraged us to take a bus tour of the Great Ocean Road. He was right. If you don’t have a lot of time to spare, take a tour. This one was a 12 hour tour starting at 8 AM. The scenery along the southern coast of Australia following the Great Ocean Road (as it is called) is magnificent. This road was built by the men returning from World War I in honor of the men that did not return from the War. One location worth mention is the 12 Apostles (see picture). The ocean with time has separated portions of the coast along an approximately 5 mile span of coastline. These are now 12 individual pieces like pieces from a chess set standing alone in front away from the coast. We took a helicopter ride and were able to see these spectacular natural structures from the air. The second day in Melbourne we visited the city. It is easy to tour downtown by taking a free bus ride which goes around the outskirts of the central business district. You can make stops many places and return to take the bus. Melbourne is a very diverse city. The Italian and Chinese neighborhoods are worth visiting. There are restaurants everywhere and the choice of food is huge. We stayed at the Urban St. Kilda hotel in St. Kilda Beach, located just southeast of the central city. It is easy to get there via train. The beach, as most in Australia, is beautiful, blue/turquoise water. People, dogs, kids playing on the beach, surfing, kayaking, sailing, parasailing; you name it, you will see it here. Great place to visit.