Melbourne. Victoria Australia

The capital city of Victoria, Australia is Melbourne

Set on a bay that is 90 mile long and two rivers, the Yarra and the Maribynong, Melbourne's location is perfect with a deep sea port as well.

A very large city by any standards, Melbourne is a modern and cosmopolitan city of 3.5 million people.

The city is laid out in a grid pattern and is a mixture of modern and Victorian architecture.You can do a loop around the inner city on the free tram, or go around the Melbourne city centre on the underground railway loop.

There is an extensive train network of 760 kilometers of tracks in and around the city, and over 240 klms of tram tracks, 500 trams and even more buses.

Melbourne is one place you must see in Australia.

The beautiful Yarra River

The beautiful Yarra river runs throughout the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne and ends in the bay at the city centre. The lovely Maribyrnong river runs through the western suburbs of Melbourne and empties in to the Port area of the bay just North west of the city centre. You can go river or bay fishing without leaving town,

It is magnificent, day or night to walk along the river. Modern walking and cycle paths follow the Yarra river from the suburbs to the city, and many ride to work on bicycles.

Along the bay in the inner city there are miles of roller blading paths as well, and this is yet another place in Melbourne to see all the beautiful young things showing off their bodies and roller skills. The bay in the inner city is lined with massive palm trees, the city streets are all lined with trees, and the city is broken up by huge parks all over, even right in the heart of downtown Melbourne,

There are cycle paths all over this city, they go though bushland and parks complete with animals of all sorts, past farms with cows grazing quietly alongside the pathways, bird-life abounds! Yet this is a huge cosmopolitan City covering approx 45 klms X 120 klms in area it is one of the largest cities in the world in physical size.

The size of each block of land is generally very much larger than most world cities, and apart from the CBD (Central Business District) or right downtown the city has few houses over 2 or 3 levels, with most homes being fairly large.

For the animal lovers!

Kangaroos, wallabies, Platypus, lyre birds, Koalas, flying foxes, wild deer, all call Victoria home, you can see most in the wild if you are patient, or go to one of the many open style sanctuaries where you can get up close without getting hurt.
Tourists, beware kangaroos at all times. They are one of the most dangerous animals you will ever meet, and this is not an attempt at "Aussie" humor, I am serious!.

I know humans can get on OK with Kangaroos if they know a bit about them.

Like many country kids I have fathered a few :Joeys" or baby kangaroos, and lived in kangaroo rich parts of the state as a young man.

A Kangaroo can not only hit you with his front paw very very fast,He can hit so hard that it may knock you senseless like a punch from a boxer, and you can see this behavior from bucks who fight over females, but that is unfortunately not the worst of it! They also kick and grab !

Kangaroos have the strongest legs you can imagine, even stronger than they look, and they have been known to grab people by the shirt with there front paws, lean back on their tail and try to rip their guts open with the long sharp talon on their middle or 4th toe!

If you run across a big male (they grow to over 6ft) and he makes a coughing sound, get the hell out of there would be my advice.

Beaches Coastline and Snow fields all in one place!

The Victoria coastline is 2,512 klms long, (short by comparison to the other Australian states.). The coastline fronts the Southern Ocean, Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea. The landscape varies from dense greener than green forests to white or gold sand dunes, animals grazing in open farmland under pasture, huge cliffs falling to golden beaches, Mountains that come down to the sea, all mixed in with marine sanctuaries and parks, some reaching several klms out to the pristine sea.

The beauty and variety of this rich state is a sight to behold! The greens are greener in Victoria and Tasmania than anywhere else in Australia, as these two states have the coolest climate with four distinct seasons with a proper wet cold (ish) winter..
Snow fields.

The snow fields in Victoria are in the Alpine area that enjoys good winter snow. The mountains in the snow fields range are up to 6,500 ft. above sea level with wonderful views.

International standard facilities are provided along with comfortable restaurants and accommodation available in the winter months. There are plenty of open areas and top skiing for kids and the big name skiers as well..

When you come down from the Alpine area you will notice it is quite a bit warmer in the rest of the state, especially in the northern part where we grow a lot of fruit.

Phillip Island is a fascinating part of Victoria. here you will see unusual animals living in their natural habitats.

On Phillip Island we have Fairy Penguins, Seals, Koalas , Kangaroos and a varity of bird life.

Weather permitting there is a nightly parade of the Fairy Penguins as they return home from the sea after gathering food for their babies. You will not see this anywhere else in the world.

Also on the Island there is a world class motor race track, surf beaches for surf board riding and swimming. Safe swimming beaches and plenty of opportunities for the most keenest of fisherman.

For more details on Phillip Island pleas visit our Hub devoted to Phillip Island.:

http://hubpages.com/hub/vacation-phillip-island-vic

In the north of Victoria is the mighty Murray River, winding along as a boarder between Vic and NSW.

The Murray River is in danger of becoming a salt water river downstream because of drought.