Melbourne

Last Friday, Becky and I left our apartments at 5:25 AM to head to Melbourne for the weekend. The next couple of days were jam packed. Friday we explored the city, Saturday we did a tour of the Great Ocean Road, and Sunday we tried to do anything we missed on Friday. By the time we got back Sunday night, we were both exhausted!

When we arrived Friday morning, the first place we visited was Federation Square. We went to the Ian Potter Center (part of the National Gallery of Victoria) where we saw some awesome Australian art. We also saw St. Paul's Cathedral and Flinder's Street Station. After that we walked up to the Botanical Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance, a memorial commemorating those who fought in WWI. Next we walked through Chinatown then went to check into our hostel. That night we had some delicious Italian food (including gelato) in Little Italy and walked around the University of Melbourne.

Saturday was the Great Ocean Road tour, definitely the hightlight of the trip. There was so much to see along the beautiful coastline of southern Australia. Our first couple of stops were Bell's Beach, Split Point Lighthouse, and the Memorial Arch for those who built the Great Ocean Road. After that, we stopped in a town called Lorne for some morning tea along the beach. Next we stopped to see some wild koalas and parrots. After that we did a short walk through the rainforest.


The next stop was the most famous landmark along the Great Ocean Road, the 12 Apostles. They are limestone rock formations out in the ocean. Due to erosion, only 8 are left standing, but they are still magnificent. After the 12 Apostles, we saw Loch Ard Gorge, the Razorback, and the fallen London Bridge. These were also beautiful sites to visit. After that we stopped for a quick dinner and headed back to the city.

Sunday we went up 88 floors to the top of Eureka Tower. There was an observation deck where we could see amazing views of the city. We also did "the edge experience" where we went out in a glass block that extended about 9 feet from the building. We even laid down on the glass so we could see straight down. It was scary but really fun!

Here is the link to some more of the pictures I took:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061797&id=15508380&l=7a796e777b

Finally, I need to make a correction to the address I posted in my blog originally. I had the wrong zip code! Here is the correct address:

Sydney University Village
90 Carillon Avenue
Newtown, NSW 2042
Australia