The past three days I've had the pleasure of going on my second field trip for my class "Australian Cities and Regions". We went about 4 hours north of Melbourne to the rural towns of regional Victoria. I LOVED it. It was a glimpse of the mythic Australia I've read so much about, and also a stark reminder of the failures of rurality in modern times. I learned SO MUCH from locals, farmers, community advocates, and this sweet retired lady who makes amazing green tomatoes! It was better than a vacation for me because I actually learned information pertinent to my degree and about the culture I love so much. I'm actually really glad I didn't spend all my money going to the beach like the other American students--- this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'll never forget it!
Some pictures now for your viewing pleasure:
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| Hot air balloons seen from my train window on the way into Melbourne |
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| Marilyn Lanyon, creator of Simply Green Tomatoes, and her bird Cheeky! She made DELICIOUS pickled tomatoes and dips and used the niche market to recover from the horrible floods of the area of Boort. |
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| Marilyn's farm under water ( January). Prince William came to the area post-flood to survey the damage...and it was really, really bad. Especially for farmers |
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| Quambatook, the littlest, cutest country town. They're dealing with an aging population and, again, really bad devastation from the floods. |
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| Ibis Rookery in Kerang. The flooding actually helped bring more ibis to the area, which is good for eco tourism. |
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| Coffee cup at the cafe in New South Wales. It's a 'lifestyle destination' for people wanting to retire along the Murray River. |
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| These signs are all over Australian freeways. They really want you to pull over and nap! |
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| I made a point to visit every rural library I saw... this was the best! It's in Kerang, and they have my favorite kind of books (Australian!) |
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And there you have it. It's not glamourous or beachy blah blah blah, but it's exactly the kind of experience I wanted to have here. Take that, Surfer's Paradise!
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