Before heading to Melbourne, we have a few days in the Yarra Valley, another great wine region, renowned principally for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is also home to a number of national parks. Our Airbnb backs on to a vineyard and is in a very nice spot with a number of cellar doors within easy walking distance.
We visit the Yarra Ranges National Park and spend the morning hiking along the creeks. It’s home to platypus, although sightings are rare, and they certainly elude us. Beautiful nonetheless.
Towards the end of our hike, I tell Jenn that I can see a snake on the path in front of us. She either doesn’t hear me, thinks I’m kidding, or most likely ignores me! As a consequence, she nearly walks straight into it!
Fortunately, it’s more scared of Jenn than she is of it. It heads straight for the long grass, ironically in the same direction as Jenn is walking. At a guess it’s a little over a metre long. I get some fleeting shots of it and I’m intrigued to try and identify it once we get back home.
Back at base we find a local website that helps with snake IDs. Seems our particular snake is known to at least one Aussie as a ‘stay the f**k away from it snake’. To those of us less fluent in Australian colloquialisms – it’s an Eastern Tiger Snake.
Apparently it’s the 5th most venomous ground snake in the world! Untreated a bite can be lethal in anywhere between 30 minutes and 24 hours. They are particularly prevalent in the Yarra Valley! Not something you really want to step on by accident. Decide that I might not wear shorts during the rest of our time in the area.
We opt for a less active afternoon with a wine tasting at Dominique Portet. Great wine and nice location within a short stroll of the Airbnb. We are also the only people in the restaurant – seemingly people work during the week. Weird! 😉
Following day we hike Mount Riddell. It’s a circa two and half thousand feet climb. We start in sunshine surrounded by tropical trees, and finish at the top in much needed coats with clearly visible breath as a result of the cold. Vegetation very different at the end of the walk. The area is famed for Lyrebirds, which look very cool, but alas we fail to see any. Very nice walk regardless.
Next day en route to Melbourne we stop at what Jenn tells me is another renowned Lyrebird track. Sadly, this is one occasion where Jenn’s research skills fail us. The Lyrebird track is actually a fitness hike… 3 kilometre walk straight uphill. We should have been able to tell something wasn’t quite right by the amount of lycra on display in the carpark. By the end of the walk, no Lyrebirds, just two very, very tired Pommies! Feel very glad to be headed to the city for a rest!
Our Airbnb in Melbourne is in the CBD close to China Town, the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the western world. Got to be honest, it’s not a city that I immediately fall in love with. It’s very cosmopolitan, which is great, but as a consequence doesn’t feel very Aussie. Feels like we could be almost anywhere in the world.
We spend the next couple of days walking the city, including St Kilda, the Olympic Park and Fed Square. We take in the copious street art and enjoy the variety of food on offer. For some reason, known only to Jenn, we also visit the state library!
During our time in Melbourne we overlap with two friends from back home, Adam and Perrine. They are travelling for 4 months and have visited a number of the same locations. We compare notes over a few bottles of wine before heading out for ramen. The ramen is available in 4 spice options. Given that the food in this part of the world tends to lack any form of spice, we opt for level 3. What a mistake to make! It’s ferociously hot! Great evening nonetheless.
Having checked out of our Airbnb at 10am – we have over 12 hours before our ferry to Tasmania. We certainly get our step count up and are well and truly knackered by the time we board the Spirit of Tasmania and check-in to our overnight cabin.
With that it’s farewell mainland Australia. Very excited to visit Tas. I’m convinced that I’ve got my best chance of seeing a platypus there! Wish us luck…
That Eastern Tiger snake had an aura of danger about it. It didn’t look too happy either?
Good to be able to meet up with friends.