Melbourne This Way

I've been really behind on uploading these pictures. Here are the last of the bunch from our Australia trip that was...was it really a month ago? Time's a-flying. Here's Melbourne (pronounced mel-bUHn, ya god damned Yanks!).

Melbourne's architecture served as a stunning and eclectic backdrop for our stay there. It's such an odd and interesting mixture of varying architectural styles. If I were one of those architecture douches, I'd go on some more about it here, but I don't claim any expertise on the matter, so here are some pictures that hopefully just demonstrate what I mean.

Melbourne's laneways serve as the cultural heart of the city. Snaking arterially throughout the central business district, they deliver concentrated doses of eats, drinks, and even art. Melbourne's street art scene, in fact, is among the most spirited I've seen.

Different strokes...

Meat market at the Queen Victoria Market.

Netball, Australia's warped twist on basketball. If it looks silly, that's because it is. Mostly played by women, incidentally.

Partway through our stay, Roy and I took off for a 290-kilometer drive along the Great Ocean Road, a scenic highway that runs through vibrant beach towns, the shipwreck coast, and some of Australia's best vistas, all along Victoria's beautiful southern coastline.

Set of wheels.

Right side driving always takes some getting used to.

The morning leg of the trip saw weather of the paradisiacal variety.

Urquhart Bluff. One of the most peaceful beaches I've stepped foot on.

Stopover for lunch in the lovely town of Lorne.

The weather turned soon after we got back on the road. The scenery did too, as the road took us away from the beaches and slightly inland, where the landscape changed abruptly to a mix of rolling hills and rainforests.

Middle Earth-y.

Our destination was the Twelve Apostles, a rock formation by the sea, located in Port Campbell National Park. I think only eight of the eponymous twelve remain. It was rather dreary when we arrived, but as sunset came...

Light up.

Ed and Casey didn't go with us on the trip, so they stayed out the night before and got hammered. This is what we came home to the next night around 10 PM.

Don't sleep on the Chilli Chicken from 7-11. If you know, you know.

Ordering sushi over the phone while we were at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Because sometimes, that's just how we do.

And that's that. Helluva trip. I'll be back, Australia, so keep the lights on for me, yeah?