If you stick to the main streets of Melbourne it appears to be a fairly average city with the same shops and offices you'd get anywhere else. BUT (using grammatical incorrectness for dramatic effect here), wandering into the little alleys and 'laneways' you really get a feel for the soul of the place. Dozens of miniature independent espresso bars and cafes line the narrow alleys, with customers and tables spilling onto the streets. The chilly air is filled with t...

The Royal Botanical Gardens were set up by early British settlers fed up with the monotony of the bush looking for reminders of a nice English country garden. There are probably a few more palm trees and tropical ferns than you'd ordinarily get in the Cotswolds, though it provides a peaceful morning's walk. The nearby ANZAC shrine fittingly looks down upon the whole city and is visible at all points along Swanston Street. The MCG, Melbourne's home of cricket an...

I'm in The Grampians, the weather's cold and wet, the sky is grey, there are mountains and valleys...but where's the haggis? And there's a kangaroo! Ah yes, I am still in Australia, although it is easy to see why the bloke who named this place got his inspiration from Scotland. Some pleasant views are to be had at the lookout points at the end of the trails. We coast back down the mountain since the car had pretty much run out of fuel, but find a petrol station ...

Heading out of the city today to see some of Victoria's other sights. The Great Ocean Road along the south coast traces the very bottom edge of the Australian continent. With nothing but ocean until Antarctica the surf is up and we pull over to see some Australian surfing, although we appear to be watching Victoria's Worst Surfers. I get some excellent video of people falling over a lot before moving on. The road is windy and hilly so progress is quite slow and...

Mostly just flying today. After my first lie in for over a week, I watch a bit of Aboriginal dancing going on in Darwin town centre. Getting to the airport is more stressful than it should be as the 20 minute shuttle bus goes to every other hotel, hostel, restaurant, and backstreet in the town before taking 45 minutes to get to the airport. Fortunately Darwin airport is a very small airport, and the same bloke who checks my bags is later opening the door to the ...