A Bison Abroad| The Best Things to Do in Melbourne

Coming from Sydney, Australia I made my way to Melbourne, Victoria for four nights. This may not seem like enough time at one place, but we made sure to pack the best things to see and do in Melbourne into these four days.

If I had to pick the top three things to see in Melbourne it would definitely be the Great Ocean Road, the downtown city plus the graffiti walls and Brighton Beach and the bathing boxes. These are the “must see” items on my list for anyone who is traveling to Melbourne, Australia; each one brought a different aspect, but all were beautiful.

The Great Ocean Road is a must see when traveling, and it is a part of the Port Campbell National Park. It could take days to drive the entire road, but we saw the two most popular spots in one day. Driving from Melbourne, it takes about three hours to get to the first destination.

The first destination is the Twelve Apostles, which is made of stacks of limestone formed by erosion right in the ocean. There used to be twelve of them, but only eight remain. Others will soon disappear and that’s why I was so happy to see them when I did. It was unlike anything else I’ve seen before. After this we got to drive on a road that’s very close to the ocean, so we had a great view.

The Loch Ard Gorge was the final thing that we had planned to see, and it’s located about five minutes from the Twelve Apostles. It’s an opening

Payton Mark| THE SPECTRUM
Lookout above the Loch Ard Gorge along the Great Ocean Road.

to the ocean between two big limestone mountains. It has a great view from the top, but there were stairs that allowed us to get right on the beach. It’s hard to pick a favorite between these two famous landmarks.

One of my favorite things to do while in a new city is explore the downtown area. We spent a day downtown exploring and shopping. There are so many shops to look at and places to eat at. For dinner, we checked out Chinatown and tried some different foods. I love trying new foods and restaurants from around the world.

Melbourne has a lot of street art, and the best place to see it is on Hosier Lane. It is legal for graffiti artists to use this street as a canvas. Anyone can come

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Graffiti street art covering the walls of Hosier Lane.

and do their own art and because of this it’s constantly changing. This is a must see if you are in the area. It’s the most graffiti I’ve ever seen and most of the art is very intricate and unique.

When I thought of Melbourne, the Brighton Beach bathing boxes usually came to mind for me. This is a long stretch of little shacks along the ocean. Each of them is decorated in different colors and patterns. We spent time looking at each of them and, of course, getting some pictures along the way. People individually own them and can paint them however they want. Each person uses their house differently. Some use them for a gym by the ocean and some are just little shacks filled with beach things. This beach is a one of a

Payton Mark| THE SPECTRUM
Brighton Beach bathing boxes all lined up next to the ocean.

kind and a must see in Melbourne.

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