My Passion for exploring new places is a never ending story; this time around I got a chance to holiday in Australia: “the land of Kangaroos”. My first visit to an international destination excited me to meet new friends and explore their culture that varies a lot from my homeland India. I had a wonderful time spending in Australia and the experiences are truly memorable.
My journey started by boarding a Thai Airways flight from Hyderabad, India with a changeover at Bangkok, Thailand. It was just a 3 and half hour flight time from India to Thailand, as the flight took off at half passed 1 AM Indian Time landed in Thailand’s capital at 4 AM local time, had to wait in the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok for nearly 5 hours for my onward journey to Melbourne, Australia. I would like to share some of the experiences I could noticed from this marvelous airport, It was huge in size than any other International Airport in India, has numerous travelators to help you shuttle between the terminals/gates at ease, Thai Airport officials were helpful most of the times (which is missing in Indian counterparts), the illuminations and wide Duty free shopping spaces left me speechless.
As time ticked 9 AM, I rushed towards the gate E6 to catch my next flight, a brand new Boeing 777-300 ER from Thai Airways waiting for its guests to leave for Melbourne, Australia. The flight time between Bangkok to Melbourne was around 9 hours; I chose a window seat in the aisle as the flight was nearly empty. After a 4 hours flight journey over the islands on Indian Ocean, I could finally trace out on my infotainment system the flight entering the Australian Airspace. Finally, the time has come, the flight touched down in Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport at 8 PM local time. My exploration of Australia has just begun.
Melbourne is the capital city of Victoria State and the second largest metropolis in Australia, Traditionally known as “The Cultural Capital” or “The Sporting Capital” of Australia boasting most number of theatres & stadiums, including the famous MCG. Melbourne is situated on the banks of Yarra River has evolved itself to be the most vibrant city on southern hemisphere with strong influence in finance, ICT, trade, telecom, mining, automobiles and food. Melbournians is what local denizens are called, are warm & welcoming to the visitors. Melbourne has the most picturesque skyline that boasts Australia’s tallest skyscraper The Eureka; I got a chance to climb atop 88th floor ‘the sky deck’ to have a bird’s eye view of Melbourne Central Business District and one can view as far as Suburbs located 20 miles away on a sunny day.
Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city has people from Asia, Americas, Africa, Europe and Australian nationals. Melbourne is also famous for its food and coffee, it’s a paradise for all taste buds. I couldn’t resist myself in trying authentic Australian food; Melbourne has both the options of casual dining and fine dining.
Melbourne host an exclusive luxury shopping arcade in Collins Street, it has all top international brands from the famous fashion houses across the World, Shoppers can shop till they drop in this shopping paradise. Melbourne is also widely known for its transportation system, it has the most extensive tram network than any other city on the planet Earth.
The cultural change was quite evident for an average Indian like me, but I appreciate the way Australians lead their day to day life. I’m even more amazed to see the way they treat each and every individual with a touch of politeness and dignity. Australians are known to be unique amongst the English Speaking World, with an accent that always ends with a mate. Australians boast their own film Industry that is based out of Melbourne, as Hollywood is from Los Angeles which is a globalized version of American film Industry. Many Australians tend to follow the films produced by both industries.
Interestingly, Australia is famous for its nature’s wonders like the great Outback (An isolated barren flat land), Sun-kissed Beaches, wildlife and hilly terrains. I’d a chance to visit the famous “The Great Ocean road” also known as “The Surf Coast Highway”, is a road that runs parallel across the coastline adjoining Pacific Ocean, leading to twelve apostles, the collection of limestone stacks sitting tall on the pacific coast, was indeed a breathtaking experience in my life.
Leaving Australia was a painful decision, but life is all about exploring new things and needs to carry along. If I get an opportunity to visit Australia again, I would surely land in “The Land Down Under”.
