← PreviousChristmas in AdelaideWe arrived in Melbourne on 30 December and threw ourselves headlong into the city. We'd heard so many good things about it that we couldn't wait to explore. Our first impression, later confirmed, was how European the city felt. Very pedestrian-friendly, it had an old-fashioned-looking tram that was free throughout the city centre, which we made good use of. We walked around the museum with its Victorian architecture, then drifted through the CBD, the business district. The Yarra River runs right through it, and the superbly landscaped quays offer a magnificent route around the big modern buildings. The atmosphere was peaceful, as always in big Australian cities, and we walked slowly, stopping whenever we liked. We visited Hosier Lane, the street of street art and gigantic murals, with paintings more real than life.
One of them depicted an Aboriginal child, painted with the precision of a photograph. Shortly afterwards, we met a French friend in one of the concept restaurants that now exist by the dozen. In a converted old warehouse with very high ceilings, wooden furniture and brick walls, young restaurateurs sold burgers and locally brewed beer. Our mate Corentin, who'd been living in Melbourne for four years, introduced us to a few friends and invited us to spend New Year's Eve with them the next day. Having nothing planned, of course, we gladly accepted, happy not to be alone for the turn of the year.
Since childhood, we'd seen Australians celebrate the New Year first on TV and watched with amusement. Now it was our turn to experience being among the first humans to change year. After a boozy dinner among French people, we went to watch the fireworks from a good distance. Launched from the buildings in the business district, they lit up the city with an incredible halo. Everyone kissed and the milestone was passed. We carried on the night on Chapel Street, the party street, and realised how accepted drugs were in this country. Some people were in a pitiful state, and you could tell it wasn't down to alcohol.
The dress style was also much more carefree than in France; we applauded the freedom women had in Australia to dress as they pleased without ever being bothered. The following days were peaceful in Victoria; it was hot and sunny and life seemed to have taken on a pleasant slowness. We drove our 4x4 all over, trying to make the most of the time we had left before flying to New Zealand. We explored the towns of Ballarat and Bendigo, historic places in Australia's colonial development. There we found old buildings full of recent history and even relics of the Australian gold rush.
Our friend Corentin suggested doing the Great Ocean Road the other way with him and two friends, and we accepted, keen to see the part we hadn't done the week before. We met them on the road, and Coco, who knew all the best spots, took us to interesting places. Thanks to him, we discovered a parrot hideout where the curious birds, not the least bit afraid of humans, didn't hesitate to land on your shoulders. We also found koala trees along a very quiet road. It was a special sight that didn't seem to appeal to Sophie, the girlfriend of Thibaut, Coco's best friend.
She only cared about kangaroos and asked ten times a day, "When are we going to see kangaroos?", which managed to annoy everyone. Apart from questions like that, she said very little, and it even became a running joke between us and Corentin, who clearly couldn't take any more. After three days slowly exploring the coast at this perfect pace, our paths parted. They went back to Melbourne and we headed inland to the Grampians, a gigantic national park.
Full of rocky hikes, we spent two days there lost in nature, eating frugally and sleeping, as ever, in the car. This way of life may seem strange, but we found real pleasure and a feeling of complete freedom in it. The climate let us live a completely outdoor life apart from sleeping, with unmatched ease of movement. If we liked a place, we stayed longer than planned, and if we didn't, we left as soon as we'd arrived. It was sometimes a bit stifling, but the beauty of the adventure quickly erased the low points. When we got back into an area with phone coverage, we received a call for help from Coco: "You have to come and do Wilsons Promontory with us, or I'm going to shoot myself."
Once our walks in the park were done, we headed to the south of Victoria to visit another national park, this time by the sea. There's plenty of choice, but we agreed on a forest hike for a high viewpoint over the sea and then the path along the coast. The scenery was grand, as always in Australia. At the end of the day we prepared a surprise for Sophie, Thibault's girlfriend. We bought some drinks and nibbles and settled on a big plain where we knew, thanks to Coco, that kangaroos came at sunset. She went wild when she saw the first marsupials arrive, and her smile took us back a year to when we too were full of enthusiasm at the sight of them. After almost a year in Australia, we'd seen so many that they'd become part of our surroundings, and seeing her like that reminded us to savour every moment. We headed back to Melbourne the next day to fly to New Zealand.