Before I'd gotten on the plane for AU I was fascinated by this guy because it seems he was not a mere common criminal.
Bonnie and Clyde robbed banks for kicks, but Ned Kelly robbed banks and BURNED BANK RECORDS so poor people didn't have to pay back their debts.
(Dang, son!)
To this day, there is still a lot of debate as to whether he was a Robin Hood-Style Freedom Fighter or Trouble-Making Bushranger/Terrorist; and although there is probably a bit of truth to both, I'm convinced that he felt he was doing the right thing.
We were fortunate enough to stay in a motel across the street from the Melbourne Gaol (an old prison-turned-museum) where Ned Kelly was imprisoned, tried and executed.
(That's the gaol behind me, across the street.)
It was extraordinary: the interior is a long hallway with three storeys. Prison cells lined each side of the hallway, and inside nearly every cell is a display: typically consisting of a death mask and a plaque along with copies of documents related to the incarceration of the inmate in question.
Pretty much the first thing I started doing was taking pictures (because the sign said it was aloud as long as its not for commercial purposes). I even saw (from a distance) the area where people were executed (I know I shouldn't be so thrilled about that but I was stoked!)
Unfortunately the room was really long and Red was still outside. I figured since I, you know, didn't have a cell phone I should probably stay close by...so I went back outside.
Red was sitting outside and when she learned where I'd been she informed me that I'd just been freeloading off a museum.
(You're supposed to PAY to get inside the building...OOPS!)
I knew a "free tour" simply wasn't going to do it for me this time. I did go back on a subsequent visit, and paid that time.
The rest of the first day, we spent getting situated, and we did a bit of exploring of the city with one of Red's friends.
She was really nice and took us to a lot of really neat places like a war memorial, the China Town, a HUGE department store with a whole bunch of levels on it (it was so cool taking the escalators!), and tried a "Chocolate Shake" (which is basically just what American's would call "Chocolate Milk") and Creme Brule. Later we went to a vietnamese restaurant (I had a chicken dish that was very good).
We crossed the Yarra River and went to a place called "Crown", its a Hotel/Casino but it doesn't smell bad like the one's in Las Vegas.
There was a room with dark-ambient lighting and waterfalls that was really relaxing and a restaurant with a huge-ish chocolate fountain with three types of chocolate flowing down and lots and lots of toppings (AKA heaven).
Then we went to a Japanese 99 cent store where all the merchandise is $2.80 (and "Made in China").
I love baking, so I got some really cool chocolate molds, silicone cupcake cups, and a pretty oven mitt.
I saw an extremely bling Iphone case but unfortunately I don't have an Iphone.
Everything was within walking distance and we didn't get lost! (awesome!)
In our hotel I watched Australian Drama TV for the first time. The show was about a respectable Polynesian Family. Actually it was polynesian parents and mixed race kids... because they were adopted...or maybe they just couldn't find actors who looked enough like the parents...
Anyway, this highly respectable family lives on an island and just happens to run a drug cartel. It was weird and not worth watching at all.
The news was OK, but just like the news in the US there's always a bias...at least on the channels we watched.
The next day, Red and I took a bus tour of the great ocean road, which was really pretty.
Melbourne is a bit drier then sydney, but it was still pretty tempurate compared to the desert.
We got to stop hike a temprate rainforest,
walk on the beach
see wild Koala
see parrots
see the 12 apostles
(no, not those twelve apostles. . .)
and hear stories about secret coves, shipwrecks and lost love, sightseeing and infidelity (all of which were actually true and happened along the great ocean road).And we also got to sing songs with our trusty australian guide.
I also got to try ginger-beer (kinda like root-beer) and honeycomb icecream. Both were very good, tho Red thinks the ginger-beer tastes quite strong.
The next day we explored the city some more.
We went to St Paul's cathedral, the Queen Victoria Market (Which is kind of like a Farmer's Market that's really a Supermarket), and the treasury building. (That was actually a really cool place, it wasn't just a treasury building, it was a whole district of government buildings, we passed by a mint, there was a church and a bunch of other old buildings, if I ever get to go back I'm going to investigate that area more)
As we were walking about the city I saw what looked like a man working in a manhole. His hands were splayed out on either side of his torso to support his body weight.
I figured, "maybe he's working on electricity lines inderground or pipes, but it
sure looks like he doesn't have any legs" As we got closer I realized there wad no manhole, and this gentleman was standing on his hands because he didn't have legs.
I felt really bad and I was so glad I didn't remark about how funny it looked when I first saw him.
And I got to finish seeing the Melbourne Gaol and even though it costs $25 dollars to get in its worth every penny because they let you re-inact stuff!
I'm serious! They give you these props and a script and you get to act. out. a. part. in the trial of Ned Kelly.
It was so much fun! The whole group I was with seemed to have a really great time, there was a mom, a dad, and a son that played parts and they did a really good job.
The judge guy was really cool and posed for photos afterwards, and the guy who portrayed Ned Kelly seemed really stoked to be there: he was beaming this beautiful smile the whole time (really out of character for Ned Kelly considering he was tried unfairly, but still awesome...especially when he finally got to talk and gave a powerful and chilling closing speech).
I also got to take part in the watch house experience. I got arrested by "Sargent" (who looked a lot like a younger Jane Lynch with black hair), booked, and put in a dirty-ickky cell for the night, and let out to an activity room in the morning.
(It only took about 20 minutes.)
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