From Adelaide to Melbourne by Car

Finally the day came to leave for Melbourne. This trip took us to see the unique places in the world. We will have the chance to try the Australian on the road with its unique landscapes! The first day of travel is from Adelaide to Naracoorte, 343 km from Adelaide Just outside is beginning to see how huge and beautiful is Australia, our view of the horizon is lost forever. In the section that goes up to that Keith is the first stop you only see sheep, cows, and farms here and there, between a country el 'more you travel many miles without seeing a house. The countries that we pass, are composed of a few houses a supermarket and petrol station for the collection of large grain silos. Keith, we stop in a small restaurant and then taste the local food, we order what is called pasty and pastry pies are stuffed with vegetables and meat are very good and cheap. In the room where we eat is a small museum with ancient objects of everyday use. After a quick lunch, we head to the "1894 Old Settlers Cottage" built by William Davis, this cottage is the oldest surviving house and built in local stone called "limestone" and is also in its original condition. The owner is the National Trust, founded in Australia in charge of preserving the original buildings of the period of the early pioneers. Inside are the original furnishings and all the objects that were used at the time. In the garden there are the original plants of 117 years ago that still bear fruit, especially a tree with blackberry and we tasted were very good, a pear, as well as many kinds of flowers and herbs. Back into the vehicle and so fast to Naracoorte where we stop for the night. During this stretch we pass the villages of Willalloka, Padthaway, Keppoch, surrounded by fields of wheat and some vineyards. We arrive at Naracoorte, located in tourist region called the Limestone Coast and is located in the southeastern state of South Australia. The site, in 1994 was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site and there are 26 caves in the district. We go now to see if we can see the caves, but the last tour (16.30) unfortunately is complete and we are very sorry because the pictures we saw on the internet seemed fine, so with regret we have to fall back on the museum. Inside recreated with robotic models, the megafauna of 200,000 years ago that let you see how they were the ancestors of kangaroos, koalas and other Australian marsupials animals. After the museum we see, as an alternative to other caves, the Wet Cave with a series of rooms decorated with impressive calcite formations, some are white some are green due to the different minerals of which they are composed. You can see huge holes in the dome of the cave, prehistoric animals in the holes they fell into the cave, and remain trapped with no way out, so there were many fossils of animals. This tour is quite nice is not like the other tour that is more famous, but we must be content and perhaps to other caves will be for next time. After leaving the tour we go in search of the motel where we have a place to stay. Once found, we deposit your bags and go downtown in search of a restaurant for dinner. Here as the area is agricultural and is also the area where they raise animals for meat, we decided to eat meat, this is a good flavor and tender, When back to the motel we all come together in a room to do some ' binge with appetizers and wine before going to sleep, tomorrow will be a busy day. The next morning at 9.00 we start with other 364 km to Port Campbell where we spend the second night. The landscape to Mount Gambier is dotted with many wineries in this region, called the Coonawarra, is produced most of the wine of this state.



Once in Mount Gambier we pause and we look at the Blue Lake. Here is a mystery why the color of this lake which is located inside a volcanic crater. The volcano appears to have become extinct some say 28,000 years ago who said 4,300 years ago, had it right the second time, may be the most recent volcanic eruption in the Australian continent. From December to March, the lake is a vibrant cobalt blue, while from April to November it becomes a cold gray steel. Some studies say that the cause of color change is due to heating during the summer months the lake surface, the reverse mechanism in the winter months. However, we remained impressed with the color of the lake which we think is unique. We climb into the car and the road to the next stop, Nelson Ocean Beach, which is a beautiful overlooking the ocean and is within a natural park. Nelson between Ocean Beach and Portland we stopped to see the beautiful cliffs, the bay and the lighthouse. Broken down and given the time (12.45), we decide to stop in Portland to eat and visit the city which was founded in 1834 and has grown rapidly due to fishing, farming and agriculture.
  About 200 buildings in Portland have been classified by the National Trust and many of which were built in bluestone. From here we aim to Port Fairy has been described as one of the most beautiful seaside villages in Australia. Shortly after we take the legendary Port Fairy Great Ocean Road, which is about 243 km long along the south-east of Australia and is one of the world's most scenic roads. The road was built by soldiers between 1919 and 1932, dedicated to the victims of the First World War and is the largest war memorial in the world. It 's an important tourist attraction and runs alongside the coast and at every turn, offers unique views of the world. We stopped in a place where you have a view on a beautiful cliff called Bay of Islands (Kirrae Whurrong in Aboriginal language) gives us the magnificent colors and soon arrive at Port Campbell. Before going to the motel we immediately see one of the most famous photographs of "The Twelve Apostles".
 The feeling you get after a little walking and you start to see them you can not explain, you really realize how beautiful nature and is not a cliché, stay in the contemplation of those rocks that rise to majestic 65 meters and beautiful! The formations, which are made of limestone, are no longer 12 because the wind and sea erosion has dropped some, but this does not affect the beauty of the place. The next morning we expect the last part of the road from Port Campbell to Melbourne and 349 km are other. First stop are the cliffs that surround Port Cambell and its marina. Let's start and after 20 minutes it stops again Twelwe the Apostles, to buy some souvenirs, but we are empty-handed because the small shop at the entrance sells only waterproof, and so we look at the Twelve Apostles, illuminated by the sunlight in the morning and this is also a magnificent spectacle. Today is a day of many stops as the road offers magnificent landscapes. We will stop at Castle Cove, which offers stunning views of the ocean and we do band photographs, there seem to be machine guns, we are lucky to even see a peregrine falcon dive goes down to capture prey. For lunch we stop at Apollo Bay, here we take a tour of the shops to buy some souvenirs and then we go to eat. Before getting into the car we go two steps to the beach. From Apollo Bay the road runs along the coast and is a succession of curves and reverse curves with magnificent views, coves, beaches where you see lots of people sunbathing and a number of surfers riding the waves of the ocean. We stop at Cape Patton and Big Hill, two of the many places to take pictures and enjoy the view. Fairhaven Beach is located near a house, "The Pole House" sits on a concrete pier and reached by a wooden walkway, as seen from the street over there you should have a wonderful view of the 'area around. At Torquay the Great Ocean Road ends and we head to Portarlington. A Portarlington Port Phillip Bay can be seen in the distance across the bay to the skyscraper in Melbourne. Once back in the car waiting for us the 'last stretch of road that takes us in close proximity to Melbourne to stay. On arrival, we are a bit 'tired but happy with the trip: we did 1055 km in 3 days, but these days we have seen so many beautiful things and we realized how big Australia. The next day we take the train to visit the center of Melbourne. Arriving in Central Station (Flinders Street) go to visit Federation Square is the place of 'meeting of many cultures, in fact, Melbourne is a vibrant multicultural city with people of different cultures. Federation Square is also a place of bars, restaurants and clothing stores and various tours depart from there: By bus and boat in motion. Then take a bus that takes us to Rodlaver Arena which hosts the Australian Open, we look at the stage of Australian cricket with football is the national sport, like football on us. He then decides to go see the "Cook's Cottage" located in the Fitzroy Gardens. You may wonder why the house of Captain Cook is located in Melbourne and not in England? They explained that the British wanted to sell individual stones which had become home to obtain money, but in 1933 a prominent Australian Sir Russell Grimwade heard of it with a generous offer and bought the house and had him transported to Australia for celebrate the centenary of European settlement of Melbourne in 1934. The little house is composed of an entrance, where above the door are carved the letters "JGC", probably represent the initials of his father also called James Cook and his wife Grace and a date, 1755 is probably the year of ending the cottage.
 Then there is the small kitchen with a fireplace that was fed with coal and peat for heating, cooking el 'hot water. Upstairs is the master bedroom with mattresses stuffed with straw and feathers' goose. We go out into the garden and see the bronze statue of Captain Cook's natural height, is believed to have been one meter tall and 91 inches and holds in his hands the charts and the telescope useful tools to his job of navigator. The garden was also the garden with many species of medicinal plants.After the visit to Cook's house, take a tram that takes us back near the train station, then we decide to take a boat to take a cruise on the River Yarra River which runs through the city to the port. From the boat you have a beautiful view of the city with its skyscrapers.
 During the ride in a boat have to be careful with some bridges that have a low arch, so if you are standing outside and six filmed the opposite direction to take photos, you hit and there is a sailor who comes out and warns you in English "stay down" you have to down! (And who does not know the 'English....? is a dead man..... !!!). Once off the boat that we take the train back home and we are very tired. The next morning we go shopping in big shopping center and in the evening we go to eat in the neighborhood known as "Little Italy". Before coming to the neighborhood, past a strange monument, a piece of the roof of a library that comes out from the sidewalk, very original. Once at the top seems to be in Italy with all of local names in Italian. After dinner there were plans to go to the casino to watch the fireworks, but it started to rain so we decided to take a taxi for us back home. Our visit to Melbourne is over and the next morning take us to the airport in 1 hour flight we return to Adelaide. For our fellow adventurers instead, the return is in the car and then takes 10 hours to get to Adelaide, are the internal road is the shortest (about 750 km). The next day we decided to rest to recover some strength before you start to see other things ...................


Photo                                           Italian version


0 Responses

Posta un commento

abcs