N  72   Melbourne 4

around city….

        

 Frankston hot spring and Cranbourne Gardens…. On our last trip we were taken to a hot spring . It is a very nice place as all other places are , so pretty , so creative and good services everywhere. We also went to visit a botanical garden which is not far from there , in Cranbourne . It is a new garden and not yet completed. But still many projects are finished and we could not  resist taking photos because of the amazing sights.

  The Great Ocean Road….To experience the GOR is one important activity a tourist to Melbourne must do. So off we went on our first trip. Our 3 families in a rented van driven by Ko Sithu a PR of Melbourne. The round trip is about 200 klms and took a whole day. Not before long we took off  we reached Geelong town, and as it is a pretty seaside resort we stayed there , over an hour , eating, exploring and taking photos. So for the rest of the journey we did not have much time to leisure. Even then we reached Melbourne only after nightfall. It is needless to say about the amazing views as  the road runs along the ocean with it in and out of our views. And just imagine….it is the Great Pacific.

 

Ballarat…. is an old mining town 65 klms west of Melbourne. We drove there and when we reached the city   we went direct to Sovereign Hill, which gave us a glimpse of how it may looked like in the gold mining days of mid 19 century.This town was created in 1970 and is like an outdoor museum, drawing 2.2 mill tourists a year. We saw everything, the mining facilities, the dwellings, the stalls, shops, saloons, the Press, the workshops, as in the olden days. Even people going around were dressed in the 19^th  century fashion. I met an English lady there and after some small talks she asked me where I was from. When  I told her I was  from Myanmar she didn’t know, but when I said I was from Aung San Su Kyi’s country she got excited and exclaimed  Oh…. Aung San Su Kyi….I know her , you are from her country . See…. how much ASSK is popular and admired around the world.

 

Before we came back we visited the Gold Museum which extends the Sovereign Hill story of Ballarat and the Kryal  Castle ( not a real old one, but is good to take photos because of it’s nice surroundings. )

Now… back to the city

The Yarra…During our stays I didn’t want to miss interesting places and experiences. So I thought we should go cruising the most symbolic river, the Yarra while we were there. I  was taken to the South Gate where we can board a river craft.I saw the Yarra offers a multitude of picturesque settings as all places do. There are a number of barbecue and picnic facilities, fishing platforms, pleasant walkways, and bicycles lanes on the banks and jetties at some places. We heard from the guide that it is 242 kls long and that the water although it is the color of mud brown it is very clean. Festivals and rowing regattas are held according to seasons on the Yarra.

The Puffing Billy…. is an old train used in the olden days to carry people and their commodities around Melbourne. It is not used today, but like Sovereign Hill in Ballarat it is transformed into a train for leisure ride especially for children.  But at the end of the ride there is a  picnic spot where people can enjoy boat rides and the nice scenery.   One remarkable incident I noticed while going there  was that the trees growing  on the roadside are very big that they formed a real jungle and even the fern which are only small plants in our country grow into big trees.

I have to wrap up my going around Melbourne now even though I still have to relate more. But before doing so,  some short experience that cannot be left out. Once my daughter Lin and I boarded the sightseeing bus (it is free )to go to see the famous Melbourne University, which is top in the city. When we were not visiting any landmarks we usually went shopping as all of us like to shop. And I think there were not much shopping centres left that we haven’t been to.

Melbourne has a reputation as the world’s most liveable city and we really can see why. It is a city that offers a combination of arts and culture, festivals, shoppings public gardens and so on…And also the glorious parks, the tree lined boulevards, and excellent ways to get around makes it worth its reputation. If I have a chance to visit it again I would like to, But….