Weaves With China Bangs

beginning of Week 29 - Back on the mainland

Thursday, 8 th 2008 , sunny
Jane and I Went To The Woolies to buy some stuff for my road trip. With The trip in the desert, I need to buy some extra water tank, 15 liters Already have weekends so I bought 50 more liters.

Wednesday, 9 January 2008 , sunny
's it, I leave my Australian family, I lived in a family with a daily rhythm typical Australian. So I took the road toward where Devonport is the port, Melbourne direction. After they had searched the car to check that I was carrying any fruits and plants, I'm on the boat. Indeed, in Australia, there are many areas where it is prohibited to transport animals or plants to prevent the importation of insects (especially flies). A beautiful sunset over the sea concludes my unforgettable stay in Tasmania. I lie on a bench, tomorrow, 43 ° C are prévus à Melbourne…

Now it’s time, I have to let my Aussie family, I would have lived in a family with the real Aussie rhythm. Now time for the BIG road trip, I take the road direction Devonport where stand the port direction Melbourne . After having passing the Tassie toll to check if I’m carrying neither fruits nor plants, I’m on the boat. In Australia , there are many areas where carrying animals, or plants is forbidden to avoid the transport of insects (and particularly flies). A beautiful sun set conclude my unforgettable trip in Tasmania . I sleep on a bank, tomorrow 43 ° C are forecast in Melbourne

Thursday, January 10, 2008, sunny
6am: I wake up, the boat docked in an hour.

Right to Melbourne ...

I go into the hold to take the car, it is 8:30 and he is already 28 ° C. Here I am finally on the mainland.
Ferry ...

I find a free place to park the car. I hope that I can leave it until 12 January until everyone joins me and we can start the beginning of our road trip. Tomorrow, PA and Michael join me tomorrow and we'll look after Floppy at the airport.
short, I decided to go downtown, I'm in shorts and flip flops as 95% of the people around me. The center of Melbourne is a perfect rectangle covered by a free tram. I go to the information center to pick up some leaflets on the city and know what to visit. I am interested in high-rise tower in Melbourne. It pays but I got a reduction in the boat can I earn with my student card.

Shorts and thongs ...

Chinatown ...

EXHIBITION The center ...

I go to a vendor of opal, this stone because more and more interested. I hear a lot about since I am in Australia. It is a gemstone whose prices vary greatly depending on its color and shine. A stone can be worth $ 50 and another of the same size blithely exceed $ 8,000. I talk a good hour with the salesman who told me that 97% of global opal is produced in Australia and 80% out of a mine located in the desert to Coober Pedy. It gives me pieces of stone in the rough.
then I head to the Victoria Market, the largest market in Melbourne where you can find everything has unbeatable prices. I climb on top of the tower from Melbourne to 253m from the ground and enjoy a breathtaking view over the city. It is 4pm and it's still 43.1 ° C according to the weather station tower. Finally it was 44 ° C in the heat of the day.

Not a cloud ...

Short Tennis on the roof of a building, remember that we are in the city of the Open ...

Sunset on Melbourne ...

the evening I decided to return to the top of the tower to take pictures at night.

I go back to the car under the oppressive heat, it is 22h and is still very hot ...

6 am, I Have to wake up, The Boat Landing in one IS hour. I "go to the ship's hold, it's 8:30 am and it's Already 28 ° C . I'm finally on the mainland. I find a free place to park the car, I hope I will let it here up to the 12 january, the time to wait everybody that are supposed to join me in order to launch the departure of our road trip. Tomorrow, PA and Mickael are coming and then the following day, we will pick up Floppy at the airport.
I decide to go in the town centre, I am wearing tongs like 95% of the people around me. Melbourne centre is a perfect rectangle surrounding by a tram railway. I go to the tourism office to take some leaflet of the city and in order to known what I have to visit, I’m interested in going at the top of the Melbourne tower which is not free but as I had a discount in the boat that I can add with my student concession, it worth it! I go to an opal shop because this stone interest me more and more, I have heard so much about it since I’m in Australia . It’s a precious stone which price varies a lot basically depending of its colour and its brilliance. A stone can worth $50 or more than $8000 for the same size. I speak one hour with the clerk who told me that 97% of the opal is produced in Australia and more precisely 80% of the of the world opal stand under the Coober Pedy ground. He gave me some raw opal.

I went to the Victoria Market, the huge market of Melbourne where we can find everything at every price. I Went At The Top Of The Melbourne high tower of 253m in order to Have a magnificent view. It's 4 pm and It Is Still 43.1 ° C According To The Weather Station, It Was finally 44 ° C At The hottest of the day.
For the evening I decided to come back to the tower to take Some nice shots of Melbourne at night. I Went back to the heavy heat as Under This, It Is 10 pm and very hot.

Friday, January 11, 2008, sunny
The heat woke up, it is not as hot this morning but still. I decide to go to the Shrine of Remembrance is a place worship of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). I also want to tell you that the ANZAC troops were trained in New Zealand and Australia who fought at Gallipoli in 1915 during an era World War against the Turks.
Then I took the free bus to go to the Art Gallery. During my visit Michael calls me to inform me of his arrival in Melbourne with PA. They rented a van wikEd. Van is a fully equipped for this kind of trip, usually have old Vans. I tell Michael where I parked and we rendezvous at the center. I continue my visit to Melbourne, I go to the Mall then I eat at Hungry Jacks (Burger King Europe) to 16h. Finally we get to the Mall. They return both of New Zealand. I am looking for a gift for Jane because her birthday is soon.

Then we go to Coles to buy food for our trip. We returned to the car to go to bed.

The heat woke me up, it's Cooler Than Yesterday But Still hot. I decided to "go to the Shrine of Remembrance Which Is A shrine in memory of The ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). I Take The Advantage Of The opportunity to say thats the ANZAC Composed WAS of New-Zealanders and Aussie troops which fought in 1915 for the World War I against the Turkish.

Then I took the free bus to go to the Art Gallery . While I was visiting, Mickael called me to tell me that there are arriving at Melbourne , they rent a Wicked Van which is a van fully equipped for the kind of trip that we are going to do. These kind of vans are generally quite old. I explained to Mickael where my car was parked, we fixed an appointment in the town centre. I continued my visit then at 4pm I went to the Hungry Jacks (the equivalent of the Burger King everywhere else except in Australia ). WE finally puts all at the Mall, They Were Previously in New Zealand. I Looked for a present for Jane Because Her birthday IS soon.
Then We Went At The Coles to buy basic food for o Some trip. We cam back at The Car to sleep.

Saturday, January 12, 2008, sunny Floppy
We must look at the airport. We hope to see you, then we're finally all in full.

The Falcon Adventure Mode ...

The great road trip can begin ...
few minutes later, after having filled the fuel tanks, we are on the road towards Great Ocean Road. This road is well known in Australia as it offers a panorama absolutely beautiful over the sea along the coast road along the sea We stop at some points of view to take pictures.

It is important to remember ...

top of eucalyptus, one can observe Koalas ...

We finally arrive at the Twelve Apostles which are calcareous rocks which are gradually separated from the coast due to erosion due to sea erosion occurs at a rate of 2cm a year at the base of each pinnacle, they gradually break down, the last in 2005 (the cluster of rocks in the lower left).

We continue our journey to Adelaide and we sleep in an area with 700km of Adelaide.

We Have to Pick Up At The Airport Floppy, week fixed a place to Meet and now we are all here, the BIG road trip begin Cdn. Few Minutes Later, after the Tank HAVING filled weekends drove Towards the Great Ocean Road . This Road Is Well Known for gorgeous scenic views icts. Along the road go the sea. We stopped at Some lookout to take Some pictures.
Eucalyptus are lining the road with koalas.
Finally we arrived at the Twelve Apostles which are limestone pinnacles wich have been separated from the coast due to the erosion. The progressive erosion at the base of each pinnacle has a rhythm of 2cm per year, the regularly collapse, last time it was in 2005. We continued our road toward Adelaide , we slept on a rest area at 700Km from Adelaide

Dimanche 13 janvier 2008 , ensoleillé
Nous continuons notre route vers Adelaide sur ces routes infiniment droites. Nous changeons donc d'état, nous sommes maintenant dans le SA (South Australia).
The big lobster...

We arrive in Adelaide in late afternoon. Adelaide is a city crisscrossed by wide streets.

With 1.1 million people, Adelaide is the 5 th city in Australia. It was founded in 1836 in honor of Queen Adelaide. She was also known as "The City of Churches". The city is famous for its many festivals. Besides, we can read license plates of cars "The SA Festival State". 70% of resident population of South Australia in Adelaide and the entire state has 1.6 inhabitants per km ² so imagine the density without Adelaide ...

We walk around the campus of the University of Adelaide, where not a blade of grass is greater than another.

We go to the botanical garden and then we end the evening with a card game in the van.

We take a quick shower in the garden, botanical ...

We Continued our road toward Adelaide on this infinite strait roads. We are in a other state now, the SA ( South Australia ). We arrived at Adelaide at the end of the afternoon. The streets are like a grid and very large. Adelaide counts 1,1 millions inhabitants which makes the city the 5 ^th biggest in Australia . Adelaide has been established in 1836, the city was also called “The city of churches”. The city is well known for its many festivals and on the car plates we can read “SA the festival State”. 70% of the population of the SA lives in Adelaide the density if the state is 1.6inhab/km², I let you calculate the density without Adelaide …
We walked in the Adelaide university campus with a real English garden. Then we went at the botanical garden where we ended the evening by a card game in the van. Then we took a shower in the botanical garden, a great moment…