Australia is a place of longing for many travelers. One reason for this may be Victoria, where Melbourne and penguin parades make you want more.
Whether you are a culture lover, adrenaline junkie or gourmet – whoever travels to Australia usually not only has a lot of luggage, but also has high expectations. The best way to do this is to start in Melbourne, the capital of Australia’s state of Victoria. Here art lovers meet curiosities, adventurers meet abysses and foodies meet fine dining. The view beyond the city limits leads us on the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles, egg-laying mammals and pink lakes in the north of the state. In short: Melbourne and Victoria make you want more!
It is no coincidence that Melbourne has been the “Economist” list of the world’s most livable cities cited. According to one, the fun-loving Aussies on the Yarra River are considered to be “Time Out” study even as the happiest in the world. One reason for this may be that residents and holidaymakers alike never get bored. With more than 130 galleries and museums as well as street art, Melbourne shows its artistic face. Major sporting events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Tennis Grand Slam tournament and the Melbourne Cup horse race dot the event calendar and physical well-being is also provided almost on every corner.
Melbourne: At the top down under
It is best to go on a discovery tour through the individual districts by bike or in the red and gold City Circle Tram from the 19th century. The designer and artists’ quarter Fitzroy and the newly designed docklands are particularly worth seeing. For a great view of Melbourne’s skyline, take a detour to Southbank on the south bank of the Yarra River. Those who prefer to hover over the city should try “The Edge”, a glass cube, which in the Eureka Tower at a height of 300 meters guarantees a fantastic view and – for those who do not suffer from vertigo – guarantees a rumbling stomach.
Food trucks and fine dining: this is what Melbourne tastes like
If you feel a little bit sick afterwards, you can fortify yourself at one of the more than 50 food trucks that are distributed all over the city. Melbourne’s foodies have made it their business to track down the locations of their favorite trucks over and over again – for example with the help of the “Where the Truck” website and app. Of course, there is more than just street food in the immigrant city with more than 180 nationalities. Above all, but not only in the alleys of the Laneways and in the Central Business District, star chefs like Ben Shewry let their creativity run free. His “Attica”, which is a bit outside, made it to number 84 of the San Pellegrino Top 120 restaurants worldwide with experimental menus.
Things get even crazier in the Om Nom Kitchen Dessert Bar, which is more like an aromatic laboratory than a normal bistro. Foodies who are particularly keen to experiment can try their hand at the “Secret Garden Infuser”. The ingredients: cucumber gin, edible earth and rubber worms made from chocolate absinthe. For the Otto-Normal-Foodie maybe a coffee, for which a real cult is practiced in Australia, will do the same. Every day, more than 30 tons of beans are loaded in the port of Melbourne, which corresponds to three million cups.
Out and about on the Great Ocean Road
So strengthened, we are ready to explore the rest of the state of Victoria – preferably by rental car on one of the most spectacular coastal roads in the world. As in the rest of Australia, there is left-hand traffic in Victoria and one is required to rent the car valid, international driver’s license needed and off you go: The Great Ocean Road meanders for almost 250 kilometers along the south coast. The starting point of the panoramic route is just behind the surfing town of Torquay, the destination is Warrnambool. Right at the beginning of the tour, it is worth making a stop in the Bells Beach region, where surfers throw themselves into the surf. Patrick Swayze raved about the place in the film “Dangerous Surf”.
Those who have not yet seen a koala, kookaburra or play type can do so on the Great Ocean Walk. There are overnight accommodations every ten to 15 kilometers, but hikers should reserve these in advance. We continue to the port town of Lorne, which is ideal for a little refreshment in the form of a delicious fish dish.
Shortly after Lorne, things get beastly again at the Kennett River campsite. There you can watch koalas during a night under the Australian stars as they relax and enjoy their eucalyptus feast around the pitches. And if you book a guided trip with Wildlife Wonders, with a little luck you can get to know even more regional animal species such as the Tasmanian brush rat kangaroo or the swamp wallaby.
No longer an insider tip, but still a must is a walk on the beach of the Twelve Apostles – a rock formation that juts out of the ocean between Princetown and Port Campbell. With a bit of luck you can spot whales gliding through the waves or a couple of little penguins waddling towards dusk. By the way: On Philip Island, about 120 kilometers south of Melbourne, lives the largest colony of little penguins in Australia, of which many animals return every evening from the beach to the caves in the sand dunes and offer a clumsy and sweet spectacle. For the more adventurous, it is worth taking a detour to the Otway Fly Treetop Walk, where you can conquer the rainforest by climbing or zipline through the branches.
See, hear, smell: between lakes, wallabies and wine
Victoria has surprises in store not only in the south. On the way north, huge red sandstone cliffs appear on the horizon. The just over 1,000 meter high Grampians are not only a paradise for outdoor sports enthusiasts, but also perfect for animal encounters with wallabies, wombats and kangaroos. In the hidden cave systems of the Grampians, the indigenous people who call themselves Koorie in South Australia immortalized themselves with hundreds of rock carvings thousands of years ago.
Last but not least: The pink lakes in Murray Sunset National Park. There four bodies of water shine in bright pink. This is due to algae that secrete carotene. Lake Becking, Crosbie, Hardy and Kenyon change color, especially after rainfall, when nutrients have stimulated the algae to grow. The pink is strongest from November to April.
Anyone traveling back to Melbourne should take one of the gourmet trails that run through the Yarra Valley to lead. The region is primarily known as a wine region, where over 55 family-owned wineries produce Chardonnay, Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons. Some producers also offer the opportunity to take a look behind the press processes. With one or two bottles of wine and lots of impressions and experiences in our luggage, we set off on our journey home. The 21 hours go by in a flash.