Wilsons Promontory
This is the flagship of the Victoria! And for good reason, a mixture of turquoise beaches, rocks and mountainous massifs is not common in Australia. At 4am in Melbourne, to Phillip Island and Gippsland, and through the valleys verdoillantes, "The Prom" as he is known here, is a real playground for hikers or weekend family. Sometimes an air of the African landscape, a range of quartz which squeak squeak with each step (hence the name "Squeaky Beach"), a river of water ... A trail of orange 45kms/3jours goes around, I have to say that he would have tried much, but it was not on the agenda of a weekend "relaxing" away from the city ...
Park Grampians, Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula and Wilsons Promontory are the main sites of Victoria, 2, 3 or 4 hours from Melbourne: the disadvantage of a country as vast as Australia, is that once visited the next sites are remarkable for a day's drive or fly-... On this point Tasmania is an undeniable paradise! But failing to return, I flew for another destination: the East Coast ...
The Golden Nugget ...
Looking for opportunities, so I tried my luck time for a weekend in the old gold mines in Victoria Point ... nugget, but an experience out of time in that city which marked the history of Australia.
A 100 kms north-east of Melbourne, Ballarat has developed in the mid 19th century, attracting miners from Europe, Asia, and America: The Gold Rush! Happy was one who discovered the largest gold nugget in the world: 70kg of raw gold was trading that day for a few hundred million ... Ballarat has also a page of Australian history, marked by Eureka rebellion, revolt against the system of taxes, claiming the right to vote and the opportunity to purchase land, mining rebels were finally killed by British troops and accused of high treason by attacking the state . This major event gave rise to profound changes in the Australian political system, to the point that it is considered by some as the cause of democracy in Australia.
Ballarat offers the opportunity to relive his glory days at Sovereign Hill Historical Park in the city that puts you in the middle 1850s. Local products are manufactured to the old, the mine is open to intrepid, and the kids are at home walking the candy before the parade of military troops ... The next day I went to visit the Wildlife Park before joining the center city, jewel of Victorian architecture, which extends along Sturt Street to Lake Wendouree well ... dry!
