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Travel Notes |
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Sat Apr 13 05:55:09 2002 (bchandler) Book: Australia Rough Guide Location: Victoria As a guest on the Australian leg of the journey, I was able to see many new and interesting things with my good friends. Since those two have covered well the highlights of the trip, I present: Random things Australian that were strange/beautiful/freaky - The contrast of stately Victorian cathedrals with stark, elegant modernism - pulled off with remarkable ease. Especially in the ANZ building where they appear to have completely engulfed a classic structure with their skyscraper. - One lone Venice-style gondola gracefully skimming down the Yarra river in the dusky evening. - Early but splendid fall foliage in what would have normally been spring to me. Especially apparent due to the wonderful saturation of the country with parks, gardens, courtyards and tree-lined avenues. - Walking down the streets and back alleys late at night in Melbourne and feeling little to no threat of physical harm. - Seeing a blazing fistfight break out in of all places a *supermarket*. Apparently the Aussies really do like their fightin'. Also in St. Kilda: reading an exquisitely designed book on the area concluding with the fact that 50,000 needles are exchanged there every month. This neighborhood would probably be the exception to the rule above, had I ventured there after dark... - The undisputedly most modern, geometric children's play area I've ever seen, behind the sleek new Melbourne Museum. No kids were on it, though. - Dodging hyper-aggressive restaurant hockers in the otherwise brilliant Italian cuisine area, Lygon street. - Lush urban sanctuary outside the Royal Botanic Gardens that took tranquility to another level. - Getting harassed by the waitstaff in Fitzroy for not finishing my salmon pile. - Inexplicably stylish, contemporary arm of the "Y" featuring a design store as well as cafe and hotel. - Seeing vibrant Aussie film Lantana at an art-house cinema in the city where they played Bjork in the lobby. - Sculpture of almost-buried library colonadde, ruined civilisation style, directly in front of the public library. - The almost universal proliferation of hip, European style cafe culture in even the tiniest towns. This applied to all but the most far-flung corners of our journey. - Visiting an innocuos-looking scenic waterfall to discover a placard anouncing that "it was an act of god one windless morning" that squashed five youths to death with a falling tree. Definitely something of a damper on one's spirits. - Giant Brolga bird at the Healesville sanctuary evincing an inexplicable and instantaneous hatred for Rachel (sorry Rach, it was pretty funny). Thank goodness for fences. Also at the sanctuary/zoo: watching portly german tourists try to wrangle runaway wallabies. - Rounding a blind harpin on a midnight drive to discover a gaggle of 30 or so teenagers choosing the middle of the road as thier hangout. Thanks goodness for anti-lock brakes! - The mostly incredibly crappy but occasionally brilliant Australian radio programming. Example of the latter: the majestic, sweeping strains of Icelandic group Sigur Ros greeting me with my first real ocean views on our driving tour. Example of the former: Aussie band "Crazy Penis". - Vicariously feeling like one was a part of the yearly Easter holiday tradition at the Erskine hotel. - Driving up to an average looking English style teahouse only to discover that it had a breathtaking, panoramic view of sweeping hills and valleys. Plus the best focaccia sandwich I've ever had and cool purple and red birds. - Anti-pirate cannon batteries at Port Fairy. OK so I'm not sure that's what they were for but it's my best theory. - The sunset in Seville. At least as stunning as those in the Spanish namesake, I figure. - Too many things to mention at the Alpine Retreat ( which I dubbed the Hotel California) but for starters potted plants and stuffed taxidermical animal heads with flowery hats and nametags, and the room at the very end of the purple hallway whose window is covered over in yellowed newspaper (which I remain convinced houses a demented grandma). The place was spooky I swear, but in a fun way. - Indescribable, dreamlike atmospherics in the town of Ballarat where the main avenue has a different statue at every intersection - all of which are lit up in weird colors at night. - After one scotch-and-philoshophy filled evening, awaking to discover the book "Mysteries of Life and Death" in our cottage amongst the fashion magazines and coffee table books. Should anyone ever find this volume in their travels, be advised - it turns out to be much more fixated on the death portion of "life and death". Trust me. - Historical display featuring incredibly freaky fake stuffed cat at the Heide modern art museum (which was more a tribute to the life and times of its founders than to the art). - Peaceful, zen-like water fountain pillars in front of the enormous Crown casino complex that are transformed for a minute each hour into fire belching pyrotechnics. Mostly unrelated to the above, my general closing thought would be that in Oz I found a culture of people who by all appearances simply know how to live. My thanks go out to my fine travel companions, and I wish them the best in the rest of their journey! |
nmcfarl.org email us email Rachel email Nathan See the pictures. Palau Pictures Yap Pictures Hawaii Pictures Taiwan Pictures View the original itinerary
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