Time to head Out the Back
Trip Start
Jul 24, 2007
1
40
50
Trip End
Ongoing
Geelong,
Australia
Monday, April 14, 2008
First stop on the road was Canberra, capital of Oz and in it's own terrtory, Australian Capital Territory. So if you are rumbled doing anything here you could say you are caught in the ACT boom boom.
Canberra was selected as the site for the ozzie capital, because they couldn't decide between Sydney and Melbourne. So they basically picked a place, at mid point, and built a city via a competition. It was Blue Peter for grown ups, send in your design and we'll get the lads to throw it up for you. Think corn circles and straight lines and you have it.
The main attractions are the Parliament, no not that type, a government Parliament and the national war museum..........for tourists
4 wheels on our wagon
. For locals the relaxed drug laws are a why they call it home.Because the parliament is based here the place is full of public servants, nicknamed pubes by some wag ;-) So a bit of a home from home for us. We almost got trampled in the stampede at quitting time of the big house, even the massive fountain knocked off at five o clock.
After a brief pit stop in Canberra, it was back in the saddle of the greyhound and off to Melbourne. Magnificent place and constant rival of Sydney. We love both but lean toward old Sydney. If rugby league is the be all and end all in NSW then here in Victoria is is most certainly Aussie Rules football. Everyone talks about it, the news and papers are like me, full of it and it's hard to find someone who isn't expressing an opinion on it...... it's a bit like living in David Dunseiths programme in real life!! I went to a few games, including one at the famous MCG, 80,000 fans going mental at a game that should really be called aussie NO rules. I met some really nice people at the games, always keen to have a chat and ask what I thought of THEIR team.
The hostel was great, although the owner, let's call him Rigsby, was always just there..............you know a "only meeeee" type shadow
ANZAC Canberra
. We met a really sound bunch here and had a lot of great nights fun and frolics of the interational variety.It is alao a bit strange in this state because every type of architecture is ...............wait for it.................Victorian boom boom.
After the excitement of the footy we headed out to the goldfields of Ballarat and site of the infamous Eureka stockade battle, a forerunner for union and civil rights for the diggers. Loads of old fantastic buildings, displays of grandeur but alas nae gold :-( They also have a reconstructed gold rush town, a bit like the museum at Cultra, great fun for kiddies (yeah that does include us)
Next stop: the island state of Tasmania
