Travel and Adventure by Various Travel Authors

By Robert Selwitz

Any way they fly it, North Americans heading to Australia face a very long trip. From California it's often a 14-hour flight. And from the East Coast — even with excellent service offered by Qantas, Australia's superb flag carrier out of New York — an Australian transit consumes nearly 24 hours.

Fortunately, the country offers multiple reasons that validate such a sojourn. And a great place to start is in Melbourne, capital of the state of Victoria. With a population approaching 4 million, it is the nation's second largest city, after Sydney.

Melbourne is both a fabulous destination and major transportation hub. From Melbourne, there are flights and excellent roads reaching everywhere Australian visitors tourists would want to visit.

But, Melbourne is much, much more than just a transit hub. Now 174 years old, and founded by free farmers and ranchers, its history was irrevocably turned in 1851. Within weeks, Victoria was declared a separate colony from New South Wales, and then gold was discovered. The resulting rush exploded the population and kicked off a decade when in flowed not just people, but riches too.

While the easy-to-find alluvial or surface-panned-gold couldn't outlast the decade (although some subterranean mining still continues) Melbourne steadily evolved into a major center of wealth and commerce.

Evidence of its transition stands proudly in the form of the elegant and magnificently appointed statehouse. But, even more intriguing are Melbourne's commercial lanes. Starting life as dividers between 19th century commercial emporiums, today they are at the heart of Melbourne's shopping and dining choices.

Extending between Flinders and Bourke streets, and between Swanston and Elizabeth streets, these covered passageways are festooned with restaurants, trendy shops, antique stores, and cafes. Best experienced weekdays from midmorning to midafternoon, serendipitous wending is the best way to explore the arcades and lanes. En route, visitors should particularly search out the Brick, Royal, and Centennial arcades.

Nearby, and directly opposite the main iconic entrance of Flinders Street Rail Station, is Federation Square. Just 7 years old, it is a cleverly designed, multiuse complex, whose Ian Potter Center: National Galleries of Victoria features an excellent collection of aboriginal, Koorie art. Works include paintings, plus silk on bark, batik and canvas from Arnhem Land in central Australia.

But perhaps most impressive are stunning, often elongated statues that visually exude — to those not familiar with Australian native culture — an intriguing aura of otherworldliness.

A five-minute walk and across the defining Yarra River, lies the heart of cultural Melbourne. One first encounters Hamer Hall, the spacious and airy underground home of the impressive Melbourne Symphony. Similarly impressive and subterranean is the Arts Centre, the main venue for Opera Australia's Melbourne season The company, which is the nation's top producer of opera and occasional major musicals, basically splits time between Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House.

Further up St. Kilda's Road lies the National Gallery of Victoria's museums housing the National Gallery Victoria's Australian Art collection, and the separate display area that is home to a world-class, permanent, old masters collection.

Beyond these mid-Melbourne draws are many more, including the Immigration Museum, detailing the rocky transition of those who peopled this amazingly underpopulated land; the Old Melbourne Gaol, where visitors learn about Australia's truly wild frontier days (and also hear tales of, and see the execution spot of, the country's most famous outlaw, Ned Kelly); wend through the circa 1870s Victoria Market, still a major source and purveyor of fresh meats, fish, fruits and vegetables; and wonderful neighborhoods for strolling, such as Brunswick Street.

Extending north from mid-city, Melbourne's "Greenwich Village" is a true phantasmagoria of intriguing shops, boutiques, quirky architecture, and enticing dining spots.

Typical is the Babka Bakery, where you can gorge on fabulous borscht, Siberian dumplings, and plenty of other Russian goodies. But Babka has plenty of company in Melbourne's fascinating dining sweepstakes, a phenomenon that never slows, virtually throughout the city.

Melbourne is a food lover's heaven, with no end to intriguing menus and venues, appealing to the ever-inquisitive pallets of its locals.

The volume and variety of fascinating food — ranging from fine local beef to all manner of Asian offerings — keeps quality consistently high.

For another type of consistently high excitement, no Melbourne visit would be complete without taking in a round of Australian Rules Football. Action-packed, the game that dominates the country's sports pages offers an amazing display of unpadded toughness and extraordinary stamina. The modern Etihad Stadium is the prime city venue with matches also taking place at the historic and stately Melbourne Cricket Grounds, or MCG.

Outside the city are a raft of choices that can be experienced as day trips, or grouped as part of a several-days auto tour. While Melbourne is easily navigable solo, accessing Victoria's natural wonders requires self-driving, daytrips or extended tours.

Because Australians drive on the left, if this is worrisome to you, consider booking a well-regarded local specialist such as Swain Tours.

Wine tastings throughout the Yarra Valley are definitely among the region's top draws. Vintners, including Yering Station, Rochford Wines and Domaine Chandon, graciously welcome guests and offer moderate samplings of their offerings. While hoping you'll take more home, they are perfectly amenable to visitors who don't choose to buy.

Then there is Daylesford, a semi-restored 19th century town featuring The Convent, converted from its original use to become a fascinating hodgepodge of eateries, shops and multilevel grounds. Daylesford is also known for its spas.

Another favorite Yarra Valley activity, and worth rising before dawn, is ballooning. Floating aloft as the sun rises, Global Ballooning is a major provider of hour-long rides using 15-person compartments to scan the valley. Currently, that view is particularly poignant since you clearly observe the damage wreaked by this past February's forest fires that killed 173 residents.

Then there's Healesville, another well-restored town. Particularly good beef is available at the Healesville Hotel. You will also want to visit the nearby Healesville Sanctuary to see kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and even Tasmanian devils.

Further afield, two don't-miss Victoria attractions are Ballarat and the Great Ocean Road.

Quite near where extraordinary gold finds set off the great 1851 Australian gold rush, Ballarat is a beautifully preserved community with lovingly resorted original structures. Just five minutes away lies Sovereign Hill, a re-created town — complete with an intriguing, evening sound and light show, "Blood on the Southern Cross" — that brings the gold rush days to life. The show is best enjoyed after a day that should include visiting the structures, doing actual gold panning and touring a once-functioning gold mine.

Nearby lies another fine animal experience site, Ballarat Wildlife Park. Its repertoire includes Kangaroos Island kangaroos, koalas, wombats and emus.

The Great Ocean Road, which extends for 66 miles from Torquay west of Melbourne to Warrnambool, is best known for the Twelve Apostles. They are eight natural stone pillars and arches carved by the sea in Port Campbell National Park. Other musts include the Blowhole, which produces great water sprays, the uniquely carved Grotto rock formation, and the former London Bridge, the remnants of what actually resembled a bridge until 1990, when it's eroded arch crashed into the churning waters.

Eight miles west of Warrnambool lies Tower Hill Game Reserve, operated by aboriginal traditional owners and located in an extinct volcano crater. Cool, later afternoons are the best times to view emus, koalas and kangaroos. Aboriginal guides teach you about native culture, craft and herbal medicines.

IF YOU GO

Tourism Australia—www.tourism.Australia.com

Victoria Tourism—www.visitmelbourne.com

Lyall Hotel, Melbourne—www.thelyall.com

Park Hyatt Hotel, Melbourne—www.Melbourne.park.hyatt.com

Langham Hotel, Melbourne— melbourne.langhamhotels.com.au

Babka Bakery, 3658 Brunswick Street, (Tel: 9416 0091)

Opera Australia— www.opera-australia.org.au

Melbourne Symphony— www.mso.com.au

Swain Tours—www.swaintours.com

Lake House, Daylesford—www.lakehouse.com.au

Chateau Yering—www.chateauyering.com.au

Global Ballooning—Balloon@globalballooning.com.au

Australian Football League— www.afl.com.au

Robert Selwitz is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.