Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens to the east of the city contain an eclectic mix of stuff. There's James Cook's cottage: the oldest building in Australia. There's also an ancient tree from which the Aboriginies once used the wood to carve out canoes. There's also a rather odd miniature Tudor village. During the war the people of Victoria sent food aid to the people of Lambeth, London. After the war, Lambeth sent Victoria a miniature Tudor village - and we all thought ...

The sky is blue! Quick, run around and take as many photos as possible before it's back to the drizzle. I go to Eureka tower: "The Southern Hemisphere's Tallest Observation Gallery" where the lift propels me up 88 floors at 9 m/s. The view is indeed impressive, much better with the blue sky background. Eureka's big attraction is "The Edge Experience". You step into a cube which overhangs the building, the floor then changes from opaque to tra...

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 ...