Maybe it is a connection formed in
this life or perhaps a lifetime ago, I don’t really know. But I must admit
it is inexplicable how ever since the very beginning of my career, I have only been
associated with Australia in one way or the other. I even ended up living in
Sydney for about a year but unfortunately the job was such that I couldn't find
time, much to my dismay, to discover the whole of Australia. Naturally
Melbourne too remained, for me, a city unseen. But now that I work for a client
whose offices are in Melbourne, it seems entirely possible that one day I too
get to live in, or maybe just visit, the
most livable city in the world.
A
few points about Melbourne before I proceed any further.
· It is the
capital of Victoria.
·
It is the
second most populous city in Australia.
·
It has
been named the most livable city in the world since 2011 and has been in the
top 3 since 2002.
I’m sure just a search in Google
will tell you about the hundreds and thousands of places in and around
Melbourne which make it an unforgettable city, an affair with which is sure to last for a lifetime. When I think about Melbourne, I think of a kaleidoscope of
colors, all vibrant and rich. I don’t know why, but that’s what I feel, and
strongly too.
I know a number of fascinating places
come to your mind when I talk about Melbourne. My friends there have always
spoken about the Eureka Skydeck, St.
Paul's Cathedral, Queen Victoria Market, Federation Square, the Great Ocean
Road, Philip Island and more. They have told me how just a typical day in
the city with its streets and laneways
can be spectacular. But of all the places that I have heard and read about, today
I’ll tell you about one that has been on my mind forever. The Dandenong Ranges.
Out of the many, many high talking
points of Melbourne, I am somehow spellbound by these set of low mountain
ranges about 35 kilometers from it. To say it is breathtakingly beautiful is a massive understatement. If you just do a Google search on the place to
look for its images, you'll know where I’m coming from.
Picture a canvas with shades of
green, auburn, yellow and blue, all masterfully stroked, basking in the sun.
That is the image that rushes to my mind whenever I think about the place. The magical
Puffing Billy Steam Railway again makes it hard not to fall
in love with its pristine beauty. In it you could take a ride on a century
old steam train which takes you through picturesque locales, full of colors in
summer and dressed in snow in winter. The views, I’ve read and heard too, are spectacular.
I don’t know about you but it certainly makes me want to get there one way or
another. When the city life gets too much or maybe just after a hard day’s work, you could drive up to Sky High Mount there.
Imagine watching the lights go up in the city, one by one, as
the sun goes down packing the night sky with stars. You could see
the sky transform from fiery orange to a stunning diamond-lit black velvet. And later watch the view mesmerized by stars, those in the sky and probably even those in the form of twinkling lights in the city at a distance. A
place to truly relax and reflect within reach of a bustling city. I think
that is the charm of Melbourne for me. that it is surrounded by such gems, perfect
for my soul. I have had friends who have gone there and they swear that what I
reckon is actually very close to reality.
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| Source Credit |
Learn more about Melbourne here : Tourism Victoria website
"Which of these places would
you want to visit in Melbourne and why?".
Go on. Take a look at the videos and tell me which place you want to go to.