Australia Adventure Note 2

So after Sydney it was off to Melbourne. My hotel was right on the river and felt like I was in NY. The look and feel of the room and the lobby was a cool NY. Once pictures work, I'll post one. My room was huge (have to love the last minute deals) but the window was behind the bed and the glass was covered, very disconcernting. I actually had a hard time sleeping.

Once again I walked around loads. Anyone who tells you that Melbourne is a flat city is lying. The City Museum is in the old gold vaults which is really creepy when you are on your own. Each vault had a different theme and used sound and light to bring it to life. Standing over a stack of illuminated gold bars was cool though. Then I went to the Melbourne Museum and saw the famous racehorse Pharlap which had been stuffed. I remember the movie years ago but now no alot more about it. The city really was built by the gold rush and I felt a bit like I was studying California history as I went through the displays of stagecoaches and saloons. The artwork of the Pacific Islanders is extraordinary and very different from the Aboriginal pieces.

I should mention that it was freezing and had gale force winds whipping through the city. Luckily I had my brolly with me. I've used my trainers everyday so thank goodness I listened to everyone who told me to take them.

And then it was time for my first coach tour - off to feed kangaroos at a farm, then see Koala up in the trees at a sanctuary and the main attraction, the penguin parade. Little penguins no more than a foot high come waddling up in groups out of the ocean after sunset and make their way up the beach into the hills to their burrows. Hundreds of them. We were seated in roped off areas and they came right next to us. Everyone was quiet and you could hear them all talking to each other. It is the most southern point of the mainland and you could see thousands of stars including the Southern Cross. Strange not to see the Big Dipper or the Northern star.