A New Year - Down Under

City Bath House - Melbourne

A New Year - Down Under

We left for Melbourne on Dec. 30 to get ready for our trip to Tasmania on Jan. 1. En route we stopped at an 1860s gold rush town, Castlemaine, which has been turned into an art and writers' village.  

The visitor's center at Castlemaine

From Castlemaine we went to Hanging Rock, a steep climb to a view point overlooking the surrounding countryside. 

Hanging Rock - featured in the movie - Picnic at Hanging Rock

Looks a lot like the Needles in the Black Hills, South Dakota

Who knew the dementors were waiting for us at the top

Countryside in north of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia

The next day we went to Queen Victoria's Market, out to a Vietnamese restaurant and to a fireworks program to celebrate the new year.

Louisa checking out the wares at the Queen Victoria Market

Noodle soup at its most exquisite! 

Farmers waiting for the family-friendly 9:30 pm fireworks show

Many others joined us

Gideon loved his new hair right up until this picture was taken

On our last day in Melbourne we spent touring the Shrine of Remembrance, the Royale Botonical Gardens, and various sites in downtown Melbourne before boarding our ferry for an all night trip to Tasmania.  Here are the highlight of our stay in Melbourne: 

Australia came together as a country with so many soldiers fighting and dying during World War I

Impressive words to inspire and remember

Oriental tourists love to photograph Gideon - his father is amused

The Royale Botonical Gardens - a national treasure

The Queensland Bottle Tree - our favorite

As we waited for our ferry ride to Tasmania, we explored downtown Melbourne much to our delight.

Even the Graffitti has class

The architects are not afraid to mix the old with the new

A big Chinatown - vestige of the Gold Rush days of the 1860s

St. Paul's Cathedral

Lincoln's contemplative moment

Flinders Street Train and Metro Station