antithetical - adj. - directly opposite
Australia, the land down under, is a vast country of contrast. In Tasmania, an island unto itself off the southern coast, we were treated to the past; whereas, in Melbourne, a thriving, ultra-modern city a mere 653 km from Tasmania, we were reminded of the present and future. Together they compose a tale of antithetical ports.
Our ship docked in Burnie, a quiet port town similar to Picton, New Zealand. From there, a bus load of us departed for Devonport, a quaint hamlet where the trading of commodities, such as potatoes (for McDonalds, apparently) takes place. The jagged coastline reminded me of Maine's; the landscape was similar to Pennsylvania's. In the far distance were mountains similar to those found in Yosemite. Our first stop in Devonport was the Don River Railway, the branch line of which had closed in 1963. The last passenger train to run in Tasmania was in 1978. The station and yard have been meticulously maintained for the sake of visiting school children, brides and their grooms, as well as tour groups. As I enjoy stepping back into the past, I delighted in riding the preserved train ensconced in a first-class car for about twenty minutes, round trip. Many of the original train cars, including one meant for royalty (Edward) have been preserved so that onlookers can note the extremities of classism, which Australia inherited from Mother Britain. For example, the first class cars are richly carpeted and had comfortable, well-upholstered seats as opposed to the second class cars that have unfinished wooden floors and benches.
After a short ride on our first class coach bus (the modern equivalent of the train), we arrived at the home of Joseph Lyons and his wife Dame Enid Lyons. His claim to fame was that he was Australia's tenth prime minister (1932-39). Enid's was that she gave birth to twelve children, beginning at 19. Although she was a favorite of royalty at that time, she had no taste in wallpaper.
Our final destination on the tour was the Devonport Maritime Museum, a lovely museum dedicated to the history of ships in the area. As the place was small, I was able to take in the whole place, sneak out the back door, walk across the street, and spend awhile photographing the coastline, which included a lighthouse reminiscent of those scattered along the east coast of the U.S. The day was well spent.
The following morning, we woke up to a view of Melbourne's skyline. Given that the last port we saw was Burnie, Melbourne came as culture shock, for sure. It looked like the downtown portion of Manhattan except most of the buildings had been built within the last thirty years and many were constructed in the last ten. F.Y.I.: The tallest building is one hundred stories and is the newest to scrape the skies above it.
Our completely thorough tour started at 8:30 a.m. and concluded just shy of 1 p.m. Although we only stopped twice (at Fitzroy Gardens and the Shrine of Remembrance), we got a taste of the entire city while glued to the windows of yet another new coach bus. In between much coughing (the perils of cruising with an older set of passengers - I wore a mask as I'm no fool), the tour guide presented us with everything we wanted to know but were afraid to ask. I did ask a question myself and found out that the rents in Melbourne are just as expensive as what I am paying in L.A. What I couldn't help but dwell on was the sparkling newness and cleanliness of the city despite the fact that the original Tasmanian settlers had illegally established the town in 1851. The current, free tram system is the largest in the world, and the subway system is also vast. Surprisingly, despite the superb mass transit, there is still traffic, so it took us some time to negotiate the streets.
What has stayed with me is the image of a water skier on one ski being yanked down the clean Yarra River that separates the city like the Chicago River does in Chicago. Also, the gardens. Diversely colorful Fitzroy and the botanical gardens are perfectly designed and manicured. I could have spent the entire day at either location or just in the compact conservatory at the Fitzroy. What can I say? I dig beauty, especially natural.
Admittedly, I liked Melbourne a bit better than Sydney or the antithetical Tasmania due to its multifaceted nature. It has everything: Broadway-like theaters, art museums and complexes, Olympic sports facilities (the Gran Pix was being held while we were there), well-tended parks and gardens, historical monuments and museums, an aquarium, shopping malls, varied architecture (especially in the gold rush historic district), and even a classic amusement park, Luna, near the beach that made me think of Coney Island. Just before we were returned to the ship, our tour guide, a Jim Broadbent lookalike native to Melbourne said, "Sydney is the pretty girl you date; Melbourne is the girl you marry." Enough said.
Final Aussie stops? Adelaide and Perth. Stay tuned.
#Tasmania, #Melbourne, #Australia, #travel, #cruising, #blog, #blogger
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