Last Saturday morning, we piled into a rental car: my Columbian bodyguard Manuel, my gorgeous sweetheart roommate Kerry, and me. I had taken the weekend off from work, and we were out to make an epic of it. I've been in Australia for four months and I haven't traveled more than 50 kms from my house. So at noon we headed south on Princes Highway towards Melbourne, and this is what (some of what) transpired:
Beyond the Adelaide Hills, the countryside is sparse and rolling. Every half hour or so we encountered signs, and slowed from 110 km/hr to 60 km/hr to accommodate someone's idea of a town. Maybe an intersection, maybe a house or two. At Tallem Bend, Duke's Highway heads sharply east, but we stayed on Princes Highway, hugging the coast and headed for the limestone cliffs of the Great Ocean Road.
Three hours into the trip, we stopped at a gas station in Meningie, "Australia's #1 Medium Size Town 2008," population 1,500. Admittedly, the BP served up the best meat pie I've ever had (best... and third...). Aside from the lovely woman at the gas station, we saw one other living creature:
Back on the road, we told dumb stories to keep the driver awake, perhaps learned more about each other than we originally intended to share... you know how roadtrips can be... and eventually rolled into the booming metropolis of Mount Gambier. At 7pm on a Saturday night, the central pub was fully dead. So we checked out the famous sinkhole in the center of town, then left.
We spent Saturday night in a Comfort Inn in Warrnambool, and thank heavens we arrived at 9:30, because the innkeeper was locking her door when we arrived, and clucked disapprovingly at the notion of traveling after dark. She even cut us a deal on the room and gave us three beds for the price of two... "Not that you need three beds," she said. I am not sure what she was implying. Dinner was surprisingly fantastic Italian fare served up at a spot called Bojangles. Great Shiraz from a Victoria winery called Pizzini.
Sunday morning dawned and we were already on the road. The Great Ocean Road beckoned, and the soft colors of early morning suit her well:
When I have more time to spare, there are at least 5 quaint coastal towns, 15 adorable brunch cafes, and 9 crazy cool surf breaks I want to check out along the Great Ocean Road. If the weather were warmer, there's a chance I'd still be sunbathing on one of those cliff-enclosed beaches. Sadly, this was a quick-and-dirty adventure... we were in Melbourne by midday.
Melbourne! What a cool town! They have sweet public art:
They have an Eiffel Tower (white... can you see it?):
They have an underground gym in a converted storehouse along the river:
They sell wine in their luxury clothing stores:
They have an amazing open air market, complete with the appropriately named "American Donuts" bus:
And, crucially, you can get a good curry at 9pm on a Sunday! I was in love. Kerry and I spent two days reveling in the the amenities that a big city can provide, and I -predictably- started planning my next move. Can I get a summer internship in Melbourne? What sort of income would it take to set up shop in a central penthouse? Surely Melbourne can't top New York and London's costs of livings... and it was every bit as cool, edgy, livable, and lively as those two great towns. And a river and gardens and theater and art and.... why can't I just stay in one place?
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