582. Day of travel
17.780 km
Although I was tired of cycling I did the Capital City Trail on the next day after my arrival. The weather was so nice, that I didn’t want to stay at home. It’s a 45 km bicycle trail around the city and it was very busy. Melbourne is a large city (7000 km², Berlin has 890 km²). The suburbs are spread out, it seems that everybody lives in their own house and not in apartments. I like the cute cottages they coin the cityscape in the suburbs. The center of Melbourne is very quirly, they are so much going on, so many people around. It’s like on a Friday evening, but everyday. You can see a lot of street art, not only in the famous Flinders Street, it’s covered over the whole city.
My host William and Sophie are living in little house, not that far from the center (if you go by bike). Will is working in a bike shop and Sophie as a french teacher, she is French Canadian. I was sleeping in Sophie’s office, which is full of french grammar books. I think that’s another sign that I have to learn french proper (je cherche une copine française pour voyager ensemble). Sophie and Will were very busy with work when I was there. I appreciate that they hosted me anyway for 4 days. Will helped me out with one of his cycles when my saddle was damaged. A bolt broken (probably I’m to heavy), I found a spare bolt in the warehouse. What a pity that I couldn’t stay longer with them.
When I left their place, I found out that my friends Pierre and Elodie are in town. We met us in the evening at Elwood beach, it’s on the east side of the bay. Then they took me with their van to west side of Melbourne, to Altona. We put my cycle on the roof of the van. They always gave me a lift to the supermarket when we worked together in Childers. Even in Melbourne they took care about me. We met another french couple in Altona, their have a realy big van, where we could sit alltogether inside. For dinner we had seashell, I’ve never eaten this before, it was delicate. On the next days Pierre and Elodie were busy to sell their van. I stayed two days longer in Altona and tryed to relax, before I hit the road again.
In Melbourne I decided that I will go on the Great Ocean Road and to the Grampians first. It’s still to cold in Tasmania at the moment. Also I want to fly back from Tasmania to Brisbane, so I would miss the Great Ocean Road if I’m not doing this before. I will return to Melbourne in two or three weeks and take the Spirit of Tasmania.
