Travel in Oceania: A Journey to Melbourne, Victoria (Photos)
Melbourne is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria and the cultural and industrial hub of Australia, renowned as one of the most famous cultural cities in the Southern Hemisphere. The third stop of the reporter's Australia-New Zealand tour was to explore this city.
Old train station in Melbourne (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
At 12:30 AM Sydney time on May 1, 2015, the reporter and the tour group boarded Australian airline JQ567 from Brisbane and, after a two-hour flight, arrived smoothly at Melbourne's Tullamarine International Airport.
Photo before leaving the hotel (Photo by Wang Libao)
That morning, after resting and sleeping for over six hours at the Quest Melbourne apartment hotel, everyone began their tour of Melbourne, Victoria. The city has a green coverage rate of up to 40%. Greater Melbourne covers an area of 3,400 square miles (8,806 square kilometers), making it one of the larger metropolitan areas in the Southern Hemisphere. Melbourne is exceptionally elegant and has won the United Nations Human Settlements Award, being rated by the UN-Habitat as the "world's most livable city" for many consecutive years.
Small boat on the Yarra River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Melbourne is also Australia's second-largest city, surrounding Port Phillip Bay. The city center is located in a rectangular area on the north bank of the Yarra River, about five kilometers from Port Phillip Bay. It is a city that developed due to gold mines. From 1901 to 1927, it served as the capital of the Commonwealth of Australia and has experienced over 200 years of European immigrant culture, making it a historic city with profound cultural heritage.
Gothic architecture (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Melbourne is also known as the "Cultural Capital of Australia" and is internationally renowned as a fashion capital. Its trends in clothing, art, music, television production, film, and dance are celebrated worldwide.
Bridge over the river (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Additionally, Melbourne was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host the Summer Olympics. International events such as the annual Australian Open tennis tournament, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, and the Melbourne Cup horse race have all been held here.
Group photo on the bridge (Photo by Wang Jue)
On the way from the hotel to the city center, the reporter reflected on the itinerary since the start of the Australia-New Zealand tour. Today was International Workers' Day (May 1), and the trip was nearly halfway through. So far, they had visited seven cities—Sydney, Liverpool, Wollongong, Gold Coast, Brisbane, and Melbourne—spanning the Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. Among them, Australia's three major cities—Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane—had all been explored.
Slanted bridge archway (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
While pondering the journey, the reporter suddenly noticed through the car's windshield that the archways of an upcoming bridge were slanted. Surprisingly, there were two such archways, one on each side of the bridge, both tilting.
Melbourne street view (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Curious about this unconventional architectural design, the reporter couldn't help but admire the designer's ingenuity. Since this was a thoroughfare for vehicles, it perfectly exemplified the Chinese idiom "歪门邪道" (literally "crooked doors and slanted paths," implying dishonest means). Unexpectedly, the tour guide, Xiao Li, also agreed.
Sailboats by the river (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Although the weather in Melbourne was sunny that day, perhaps due to the industrial nature of the city, the sky didn't feel entirely clear. Driving into the city, their Melbourne tour began with a scenic drive. They first arrived at the famous St. Patrick's Cathedral in the city center to admire its exterior.
St. Patrick's Cathedral (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
St. Patrick's Cathedral is located next to St. Patrick's Park in Melbourne. It is one of the most representative Gothic buildings of the 19th century. The cathedral houses a rich collection of craftworks, including exquisite stained glass windows, and masterful wood and stone carvings that highlight the grandeur and solemnity of the Catholic church.
Fountain inside the cathedral (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The cathedral was designed in 1863 by the renowned British architect William Wardell and officially opened in October 1897. The three spires were completed only in 1939 to commemorate the centenary of the Catholic Church in Victoria. The Gothic spires rise 103 meters high, fully showcasing the architectural style and splendor of the Renaissance.
Group photo at the cathedral (Photo by Wang Libao)
St. Patrick's Cathedral is the largest and tallest Catholic church in Melbourne and the Southern Hemisphere. It is mostly built with bluestone. Looking up from its base, one can truly feel the majesty of the structure. The surrounding streams, flowers, and trees also enhance the elegance of the cathedral and reflect the designer's ingenuity.
Entering Fitzroy Garden (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Leaving St. Patrick's Cathedral, the group's second stop was Melbourne's famous Fitzroy Garden. This is the largest park in downtown Melbourne and one of the city's five major gardens, covering 65 hectares. Located on Wellington Parade in East Melbourne, it is lush with greenery, filled with birdsong and floral scents, and exudes a romantic British countryside charm.
Children visiting the cottage (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The most famous attraction in the park is Captain Cook's Cottage. In 1933, Sir Russell, a prominent Australian industrialist, purchased Captain Cook's former home in England for £800. Each brick was numbered and shipped to Melbourne, where the cottage was rebuilt exactly as it was. It was presented as a gift to the people of Melbourne. Since then, Captain Cook's Cottage has remained in Fitzroy Garden, attracting tourists from home and abroad.
Captain Cook's Cottage (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Upon entering the park, visitors are greeted by a vast expanse of green lawns, offering a refreshing and vibrant sight.
Fitzroy Garden scenery (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Fitzroy Garden is filled with lush trees, beautifully planned flowerbeds, greenhouses, fountains, small lakes, pathways, and statues. There is also a 130-year-old ancient tree, which has become a popular spot for wedding photos.
Group photo at Cook's Cottage (Photo by Wang Jue)
In particular, a floral greenhouse built in 1930 is a garden worth savoring. When viewed from above, one might be surprised to find that the garden's paths form a giant pattern of the British Union Jack.
Statue of Captain Cook (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Strolling to the front of the most famous Australian landmark, Captain Cook's Cottage, one can see a small house with a flag flying on its roof. Captain Cook was the first European to set foot on the Australian mainland and declare it British territory, and he is regarded as the founder of Australia. The blend of Australian history and beauty highlights the cultural characteristics of Fitzroy Garden.
Autumn colors in Fitzroy Garden (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Captain Cook was the greatest British explorer and navigator of the 18th century. He crossed the oceans three times to the Southern Hemisphere, discovering the Australian continent, as well as many Pacific islands such as New Zealand and Hawaii. He also drew the first chart of the South Pacific.
Group photo in Fitzroy Garden (Photo by Zhao Shuxin)
Melbourne's scenery is beautiful, with the city nestling in the gentle embrace of the Yarra River's banks. In the city center alone, there are five or six hundred parks. The streets are neatly laid out, bustling yet elegant, exuding a strong British atmosphere, making Melbourne the most Western-style city in Australia. Today, amidst the grid-like downtown, skyscrapers and quaint cottages are interspersed with ancient and magnificent Victorian buildings, with thriving flowers and greenery everywhere.
Melbourne graffiti street alley (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
However, the most interesting side of Melbourne is hidden in an ordinary street. This is the graffiti wall, which fully showcases the expression of individuality.
Group photo in front of graffiti (Photo by Zhao Shuxin)
The extraordinary creativity on the graffiti walls transforms into unforgettable artistic masterpieces. These graffiti works are not only highly creative but also tell interesting stories, worth savoring and leaving visitors reluctant to leave.
Selected graffiti works (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
In fact, Melbourne has some of the strictest anti-graffiti laws in the world. Artists or taggers caught in the act can face up to two years in prison and fines of up to 26,000 Australian dollars. However, to avoid the watchful eyes of authorities, young aspiring artists prefer to display their works in Rutledge Lane.
Group photo in graffiti street (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
In Melbourne's graffiti alleyways, the murals on the walls change faster than anywhere else in the city. Sometimes, after just one day, the entire alley's murals are completely renewed.
Melbourne street art (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
At 2:20 PM Sydney time, the slightly overcast weather from earlier in the morning suddenly brightened as the sun emerged, which was a great blessing for the group. The bright sunlight seemed to "illuminate and enhance everything," revealing the layered beauty of Melbourne's cityscape, making it exceptionally stunning. The next stop was a tour of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Founded in 1845, the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is located on Birdwood Avenue in South Yarra, about five kilometers south of the city center. The garden is arranged in the style of 19th-century landscape art, containing a large number of rare plants and native Australian species. Covering 40 hectares, it is one of the best-designed botanical gardens in the world, retaining some buildings and features from the last century.
Group photo at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Since its establishment, the Royal Botanic Gardens has gathered over 12,000 types and 30,000 species of plants and flowers from around the world, including all native Australian plants and flowers, as well as over 20,000 introduced species. Because Melbourne has no frost in winter, almost all species from tropical, subtropical, and temperate zones can grow here. The garden's herbarium is highly modern, housing over 1.5 million plant specimens.
Lake scenery in the botanic garden (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
One notable feature of the botanic garden is the many memorial trees planted by famous Australians and international historical figures, such as British detective novelist Arthur Conan Doyle, Victoria's Governor La Trobe, Prince Albert (consort of Queen Victoria), renowned Australian opera singer Nellie Melba, Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski, British Admiral John Jellicoe, former British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, Prince Philip (consort of Queen Elizabeth II), and King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
Rainforest in the botanic garden (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Due to the garden's vast size and time constraints, the group circled one of the lakes within the garden. The open-style landscape was truly delightful, and the beautiful scenery is hard to describe in words. Any snapshot looks like a natural painting. By the lakeside, some young people were quietly sketching, translating their understanding of the garden's beauty into vivid works of art.
Sketching at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
At 5:00 PM Sydney time, the group left the botanic garden and headed to Melbourne's bathing boxes by the bay, a famous local tourist attraction. It is said that Li Na often came here to relax during the Australian Open. Looking out, rows of colorful wooden huts lined up neatly by the sea, incredibly beautiful and full of romance.
Bathing boxes by the sea (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
These small wooden huts, called Bathing Boxes, are famous photography spots for wedding photos. Each Bathing Box has its own owner and is mainly used for shade in summer and storage for fishing and boating equipment. There are a total of 1,860 huts along this coastline, each expressing individuality through color.
Close-up of a bathing box (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The final activity of the Melbourne leg of the Australia-New Zealand tour was a stroll through Mornington Town. On a few narrow streets near the sea, shops lined up one after another, selling small goods, crafts, clothing, and offering dining, but there were very few customers. Occasionally, middle-aged people could be seen chatting leisurely in street-side bars. Here, one could truly experience a slow pace of life.
Mornington Town, Melbourne (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
Melbourne, a metropolis known to everyone on Earth, turned out to be much smaller than imagined. The so-called central area might be no larger than a district in Beijing. The city center adopts a perfect grid pattern with three horizontal and three vertical main streets, creating a neat and orderly layout.
Melbourne harbor at night (Photo by Feng Ganyong)
The reporter's tour of Melbourne, though only two days long, left a profound impression of this beautiful city, rich in cultural atmosphere, blending classic and modern landscapes in a uniquely memorable way.
Photo at the harbor (Photo by Zhao Shuxin)
On May 2, 2015, at 8:50 AM Sydney time, the reporter and the group concluded their Australian tour. Departing from Melbourne's Tullamarine International Airport, they took Jetstar flight JQ213 from Melbourne, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, embarking on a new journey. (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)
