Good seasickness tablets, slept through all the turbulence and it dulled the pain of closing a door with my finger in it.
That we’ve left Tasmania is immediately apparent from departing the port. Busier highways, denser housing, people. The route took us out along a Vietnam Veterans avenue which commenerates the 600 Australians who died. I never realised Australia was involved, who knows what political favours were being sought.
Flat, flat, flat. Soon we can see the high-rise of Melbourne 30 miles away. New housing spreading out that far too. After a while we joined excellent bike paths for miles. Skeleton creek (lined with look at me housing), then Hobson’s Bay Coastal trail.
Creek is used often here, as is rivulet. With it being so flat on a coastal plain it mighty be flooding is an issue, never mind global warming and sea levels rising. The controlled burying we saw was to help native grasses germinate and re-establish themselves.
So from a State of 600000 to a city of 5 million. Industry, docks, beaches, trams. A bay protected by 1867 vintage artillery guns from Sir William Armstrong’s factory in the UK.
A two day stop here to stick a toe into Victoria’s state capital. Established in 1837 and named after the UK’s then Prime Minister. Thankfully this tradition has stopped and Johnson already exists: Truss, Sunak and Starmer will never get off the ground. A town called Truss?
Travelling reflections 