Partly because of the rivalry between the two, we were told, is also part of the reason that neither is the capital of Australia and that Canberra was conceived and built to serve that purpose. We had a shaky start with Melbourne, as the flight schedule had been changed and it took some extra time to get into town from the airport as a result, but we weren't too long at taking a liking to it.
It is a sports-minded city with a rich background in tennis, cricket, Australian rules football and rugby. The 1956 Olympic Summer Games were held here and it is the 8th city we have passed through on this trip that has been (or will be) the site for the Olympics.
After spending what was left of the first evening getting something to eat and heading for bed, the next day was spent visiting the Queen Victoria Market in the morning:
and going on a tour out to Phillips Island for the rest of the day and well into the evening. The island is about an hour and a half southeast of Melbourne and the tour included a stop at a wild life sanctuary that specializes in koalas. It is also home to the Little Penguins. These critters are noted for their return to their burrows in the sand dunes every evening just after sunset. It was an incredible sight to see but photographs were not allowed. Here are a few shots of some other parts of the tour:
The second day was spent going out to the southwest and spotting koalas and kangaroos in the wild at You Yangs Regional Park. The tour included a nice lunch of huge sandwiches, fresh fruit and swagman's tea.
The chocolate shop next to hotel was selling chocolate in the shape of a fish to support the preservation of the Murray Cod, so we did our part:
If only the shop also sold Nestlé Toll House morsels, we could have had chocolate fish and chips.
We leave Melbourne tomorrow and so ends our journey through OZ.
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