The London Underground, or as it is known by the locals, “The Tube”, is the official subway system of London. It is also the oldest subway system in the world; it first opened to the public in 1863 under the reign of Queen Victoria. What began with a steam engine under the streets of London, has now evolved into one of the world’s busiest and best...
The Old Melbourne Gaol in downtown Melbourne is where famed bandit Ned Kelly spent his last few days before he was hung for robberies in 1880. For those who are unaware this outlaw icon, Ned Kelly was a famous, or rather infamous man who lived over 150 years ago (1855 to 1880 to be exact). He was the son of Irish settlers who lived in a rural part of the Victoria...
I walked inside the aptly named Philip Island Bakery, to find some sweet treats. What caught my eye were the rows of meat pies and sausage rolls. The woman behind the counter said she was just about to close, but I tried to finagle my way when I pleaded that I came all the way from America. With that, she smiled and I walked into an aroma of bread and fudge! She...
Situated on the northern coast of Philip Island, just about 85 miles from Melbourne, the town of Cowes looks like something out of 1960’s New England, only without the lighthouse or nasal accent. It was about as retro-cliché as a little town could be. To be more precise, Cowes looked eerily like the town of Montauk in eastern Long Island. Montauk is the last town...
Admittedly, I am not ashamed to say even as a grown man, I adore these “not bears”. There’s just something so universally appealing about an animal that looks like a real-life teddy bear. They are just about the same size, shape, and have the same level of fluffiness. How could you not stare at one, and be immersed in a feeling of utter joy? They also seem to set...
Situated on the grounds of the Warrook Cattle Farm is a small menagerie, featuring many excellent examples of Australian wildlife. Grey kangaroos are shorter than their taller red kangaroo cousins, who live mostly in the desert. Grey kangaroos live primarily in the bush, and are usually shy around humans, given that many can be found wandering around suburbs of...
If Old MacDonald had a farm in Australia, E-I-E-I-O, it would be at the Warrook Cattle Farm and Homestead in the town of Monomeith in the Victorian countryside, E-I-E-I-O! With a “baa-baa” here, and a “moo-moo” there, here a “baa”, there a “moo”, and everywhere are kangaroos! A rather quaint place, that thankfully...
“Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree. Merry, merry king of the bush is he!”, as the old song goes. There is no other avian creature that brings such joy, if not a smile to the denizens of the bush than the kookaburra. Some find its laugh to be quite jolly, while others find it to be downright shrill. Anyone who has ever watched any old cartoons that...
All aboard Puffing Billy! This is one of Australia oldest, surviving steam trains. First opened in 1900, this narrow gauge railway travels nearly 15 miles through the Dandenong Ranges, near Melbourne. Beginning from a depot near Belgrave station in the town of Belgrave, Australia, this is primarily a tourist attraction, but don’t let that turn you away from...
Many cities around the world have a mode of transportation they are famous for. London has its Underground, San Francisco has its cable cars, Chicago has the “L”, and Los Angeles has its labyrinth of freeway exits. Melbourne, Australia has the largest network of streetcar and tram lines in the world. What’s even cooler is that many of their...