5 March - Day 2 - Eden to Melbourne

Warnings about Kangaroos, Wallabies and Emus getting in your path on the drive came in from various sources during the planning phase of the expedition. I was specifically instructed not to drive between dusk and dawn when the chances of them being in your way would be the highest. The route ahead of me this day immediately was the Coopracambra National Park. Therefore, I waited for daybreak to avoid animals on the road. Nearing 7 am I thought there was enough light to start the day.

I had to fuel up before leaving as I was not sure where the next fueling facility would be. A few hundred meters from the hotel I turned into the Caltex fuel station. Fuel is expensive in Australia – not as much as in India, though (equivalent to about Rs. 70 per litre for the ordinary petrol) - and it varies from place to place and day to day. I was told that fuel is the cheapest on Thursdays and out of any city. In a drive such as this such fine tuning may not be possible. It is after reaching the fuel station that I realized I did not know which side of the car the tank is or how to open the tank cover. It took me a while before I figured it out and all the while the lady inside the station kept looking at me to fathom what I was up to. Once I opened the tank cover and put the nozzle in I ‘thought’ the fuel wasn’t filling in. I felt so embarrassed when the lady told me that she was puzzled about my antics and had turned the nozzle off! Later, after the tank was filled up, she wished me well for the rest of the day. Pleasant folks, these Australians are. Everywhere you are treated with smiles and a cheery “How are you mate?”

The northern boundary of the Coopracambra National Park defines the border between New South Wales and Victoria. The 100,000 acre park was once home to the aboriginals. The 200 km drive through the National Park was an experience. Sad though it was to find so many dead animals on the road, particularly Wallabies, the beautifully sealed road, two lane in most parts, was a beauty to drive on. The huge road trucks were a sight at 110 kph. None of them held back the rest of the traffic. Driving was very orderly and overtaking was done only in the designated lanes. I was extremely careful t stay within the speed limits mentioned. The maximum was 110 kph while the slowest was 40 at work spots and schools. Entry to towns was 60 kph and inside the city was 50. Pedestrians are treated with so much respect both by the facilities provided for them on the road as well as by users of the road. In contrast, the life and death experience pedestrians face on Indian roads is absolutely unbelievable. I discovered that the best way to keep within speed limits is to use cruise control, which takes away the stress of having to monitor the controls as well as road ahead.

I was out of the National Park at Nowa and I was a bit confused about the route to take from there. Google indicated ne route while the road sign showed another for the Princess Highway, A1. I saw some activity nearby and turned into the Nowa Caravan Park. I found a community centre close by and was greeted by a smiling lady. I asked her if I could use the toilet and she directed me to where it was. As I sat down for the big job I found posters on the door of the toilet that described how one should sit on the toilet to evacuate fully. There were warnings that 60% of all colon cancer cases in Australia were traced to poor bowel evacuation. The ‘proper’ method to facilitate the easy passage of feaces is to squat the Asian way. Footrests are available to mimic the Asian squat even while using the Western closet. Once the job was done – one of the posters said that it must be in a minute without a grunt – I asked the lady for directions to reach Melbourne via the Princess Highway. The second lady who was at the counter told me that the Google direction is via a bypass of the Lakes Entrance town. She insisted that I must go through the town and stop at a vantage point of the exit of the town to appreciate the beauty of the town.

I am indeed beholden to that lady for the suggestion. The town itself is a super ‘piece of painting’. I stopped for a while in the town and walked around to catch a few breaths of fresh air and the nippy air. The Lakes Entrance is where an artificial channel manages the connection between the Gippsland Lakes and the Bass Straits. That fishing and tourism is the main lifeline of the town was amply evident. Another factor I noticed was a large group of elderly and mentally challenged people in the town. Maybe the air of the town had a sanatorium effect. Jemmy’s Point on the drive out of town has numerous lookout points. I stopped at one and took in the breathtaking sights of the town.

On the way were typically English sounding towns of Trafalgar and Stratford On the River Avon. I stopped at the Billabong Roadhouse for a nap and coffee. I had passed through long stretches of road development. Work was done in an organized manner and mechanized. Safety and road warnings were give a lot of importance. I was booked to stay at a hostel in Melbourne. I sourced the facility as it was very close to the attractions. However, that would mean navigating a busy metropolis. I dreaded the thought as I was told that driving in a city that had trams is dicey. But, I had a smooth entry into Melbourne city and I did not encounter any trams on the route to the centrally located facility. This would be my first experience in a hostel and that too in a bunk bed. The hostel was neat and clean but a bit boxed in in the room. The attached bath and toilet was a plus, though.

I had a planned to meet up with a few people in Melbourne. First on the list was Janki, who was a student of Melbourne University. Her parents, Hetal and Rajiv Shah, ae extremely close friends. Hetal had been in Melbourne a couple of months back and she had prepped me about the must visit places. To them I added the MCG and the Rod Laver Arena, a must for a sports enthusiast. George Samuel was introduced to me by Anil Kingsley, who had hosted me in London on the drive there. I had met Tossy Thomas in London and he had relocated recently to Melbourne. Janki and her friend, Ruchit, came over to the hostel and suggested that we go for a cup of coffee to the Crown Casino, a short walk away from the hostel. While we were on the coffee and Tiramisu cake George and Tossy met us there. It was good to know how quickly Janki had adapted to her new surroundings and even making enough money to make her ends meet. The later part of the evening was spent walking alongside the Southbank of the Yarra River, with my companions pointing out the various sights and explaining them, such as the Crown facilities that belonged to James Paker, Eureka tower – the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere, it is claimed - Victoria University, Flinders Street Railway station, historic bridge across the river, parliament buildings, Federation Sq and the St Paul’s Cathedral. The resplendent lighting provided the perfect background for George to take some stunning photographs.

I also gathered enough information from them to finalise my plans for the morrow. While Tossy took leave of us at the Flinders railway station, Janki and Ruchit suggested dinner at the Desi Dhaba, a hugely popular India restaurant. The youngsters knew most of them who served there, even the chefs, and were familiar with the food served there.  Janki ordered Chandigarh chicken, rotis, paneer and dal. I had a bottle of VB beer, the Aussie national drink! The food was excellent and the crowds indicated how the fare was appreciated by the locals.

It was close to midnight by the time I got back to the hostel. I became paranoid about charging the phones and the laptop and spent the next hour and more doing that in the media centre of the hostel, as I did not want to disturb the others in the room.