TravelMAY 24, 2019

My Road Trip Along The Australian East Coast Part Three - Victoria

PART III

Last winter (well… summer in Australia), I went on a road trip from Sydney to Cairns, then down to Melbourne and back to Sydney. This was an extraordinary experience and I hope anyone who sees these pictures will get inspired to pursue their own traveling dreams. And to anyone thinking about traveling to Australia but wondering whether is worth it, the answer is a big YES. It is a wonderful country where you will find great cities, amazing beaches, numerous waterfalls, breathtaking rainforests and impressive mountains. Don’t hold yourself back and go buy those plane tickets as soon as you can !

The Twelve Apostles - Great Ocean Road

Seeing this landscape in real life gives a big shock. It is one of those moments when you have to take a break, breathe in and thank life for the opportunity to see such wonders.

The Twelve Apostles - Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles - Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles - Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles - Great Ocean Road

The Twelve Apostles - Great Ocean Road

The Razorback - Great Ocean Road

Loch Ard Gorge - Great Ocean Road

Loch Ard Gorge - Great Ocean Road

Loch Ard Gorge - Great Ocean Road

Loch Ard Gorge - Great Ocean Road

London Bridge - Great Ocean Road

The Arch - Great Ocean Road

The Grotto - Great Ocean Road

Hopetoun Falls - Otway National Park

Eskrine Falls

Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

A friend made along the way

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center

To me, it was inconceivable to travel across Australia without learning about Aboriginal culture. It would have felt like a form of disrespect toward the people whose this land actually belonged to in the first place. This is not much but I think it was the least I could do. So this is Narana Aborginal Cultural Center, close to Melbourne. In this center, the very nice employees told me about Aboriginal culture and history, showed me art crafts and gave me the opportunity to eat Aboriginal food. The center includes an art gallery, a "mini zoo", a coffee shop and a gift shop.
For more informations: http://www.narana.com.au/

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center

One of the inhabitant of the Center.
http://www.narana.com.au/

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center

Another friendly inhabitant of the center.
http://www.narana.com.au/

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center

The roof, painted by Aboriginal Artists. Each of the pieces represent a part of Aboriginal history.
http://www.narana.com.au/

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center

The roof, painted by Aboriginal Artists. Each of the pieces represent a part of Aboriginal history.
http://www.narana.com.au/

Narana Aboriginal Cultural Center

The Apologies from the Australian Government:

"Prime Minister (Hon Kevin Rudd MP): Mr Speaker, I move:

That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations - this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."