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Exploring the known and unknown
17/17-02-2015
Melbourne and Port Philip Bay
Just south of Melbourne is anland area called the "Mornington Peninsula", a very attractive region. Melbournians are lucky that they have their beaches right at their doorstep. Not much of a surf though, but nevertheless nice clean beaches and although it is a Bay, the water is very clear and blue.
Leaving Frankston behind you enter an area with rolling hills and face the one and only hill or small mountain (300 m) called Arthur'ss Seat from where one has magnificent views over the bay with Melbourne to your right (you can’t see it because by now you are 75 km from the city) and Sorrento in the distance to the left. And that brings me to an interesting observation.
At the end of the Peninsula is a town called Sorrento. Interesting! Place names always interest me as I often think what made them give a place a certain name. Last year in South Africa I came across Alkmaar, Haarlem, Leeuwarden, Dordrecht etc. all named after Dutch cities as most likely the early settlers came from there. Many towns in Australia bear English names and are called after English cities, towns, villages or suburbs.
Back to Sorrento.
There are not many Italians there, so what is it then. Now if you have a look at the two pictures of the maps below. (sorry about the size , but if you adjust your screen it will give you a better view) One is of the “Bay of Melbourne”(Port Philip Bay) and the other of the “Bay of Naples”. I don’t need to go into further details as the resemblance in obvious. I had noticed this fact last year when I was in Pompeii and studied the map of the coastal area. Both Sorrento’s are present and in similar locations.
Melbourne has a lot to offer as the pictures show. Interesting architecture where old building are built right next to other building of ultra modern design. In front of the station there is an area called “Federation Square” where you can sit and relax, watch movies and the news using the beach chairs which are supplied and distributed across the square. The buildings are very modern as you can see. In sharp contrast, only a few streets away, there are some alleys which have not changed for a hundred years. If you are a graffiti artist, you are very welcome to do as you please because here you can let your creative urges loose and spray away! Some of the examples are pretty artistic.
Along the river an area has been created called “Southbank”, were people can relax and can choose to have lunch or dinner in one of the dozens or more restaurants. Melbourne City a great place –when the weather is fine. (For those who don’t know- in Melbourne it can not only be 36 degrees one day and 20 the next, but it can also happen to get these extremes on the same day.)
Half way down Elizabeth Street is an area I used to visit often as the Honda HQ was located just there. Across the road where little alleys similar to the Graffiti alleys. At the end of one of these alleys was a building where they made “shot” by use of a high tower in which molten lead was dropped from the top turning the droplets into small balls called “shot” during their fall down to the ground (for the Dutch: hagel voor hagel geweer)
Later the whole area was demolished but the shot tower preserved , it stand now in them middle of a new shopping centre with a dome over the top. (See Pics)
Melbourne and Port Philip Bay
Just south of Melbourne is anland area called the "Mornington Peninsula", a very attractive region. Melbournians are lucky that they have their beaches right at their doorstep. Not much of a surf though, but nevertheless nice clean beaches and although it is a Bay, the water is very clear and blue.
Leaving Frankston behind you enter an area with rolling hills and face the one and only hill or small mountain (300 m) called Arthur'ss Seat from where one has magnificent views over the bay with Melbourne to your right (you can’t see it because by now you are 75 km from the city) and Sorrento in the distance to the left. And that brings me to an interesting observation.
At the end of the Peninsula is a town called Sorrento. Interesting! Place names always interest me as I often think what made them give a place a certain name. Last year in South Africa I came across Alkmaar, Haarlem, Leeuwarden, Dordrecht etc. all named after Dutch cities as most likely the early settlers came from there. Many towns in Australia bear English names and are called after English cities, towns, villages or suburbs.
Back to Sorrento.
There are not many Italians there, so what is it then. Now if you have a look at the two pictures of the maps below. (sorry about the size , but if you adjust your screen it will give you a better view) One is of the “Bay of Melbourne”(Port Philip Bay) and the other of the “Bay of Naples”. I don’t need to go into further details as the resemblance in obvious. I had noticed this fact last year when I was in Pompeii and studied the map of the coastal area. Both Sorrento’s are present and in similar locations.
Melbourne has a lot to offer as the pictures show. Interesting architecture where old building are built right next to other building of ultra modern design. In front of the station there is an area called “Federation Square” where you can sit and relax, watch movies and the news using the beach chairs which are supplied and distributed across the square. The buildings are very modern as you can see. In sharp contrast, only a few streets away, there are some alleys which have not changed for a hundred years. If you are a graffiti artist, you are very welcome to do as you please because here you can let your creative urges loose and spray away! Some of the examples are pretty artistic.
Along the river an area has been created called “Southbank”, were people can relax and can choose to have lunch or dinner in one of the dozens or more restaurants. Melbourne City a great place –when the weather is fine. (For those who don’t know- in Melbourne it can not only be 36 degrees one day and 20 the next, but it can also happen to get these extremes on the same day.)
Half way down Elizabeth Street is an area I used to visit often as the Honda HQ was located just there. Across the road where little alleys similar to the Graffiti alleys. At the end of one of these alleys was a building where they made “shot” by use of a high tower in which molten lead was dropped from the top turning the droplets into small balls called “shot” during their fall down to the ground (for the Dutch: hagel voor hagel geweer)
Later the whole area was demolished but the shot tower preserved , it stand now in them middle of a new shopping centre with a dome over the top. (See Pics)
- comments
Anneke Volgens mij is die tramlijn al jaren opgeheven! Kan je lang wachten.
Rob Witzig! Mellie is een mooie stad, ik voelde mij daar thuis, erg europees, en die leuke Victoria Market, top!
gert prachtig strand, jammer dat het er zo druk is!
Lin We wonen op een mooi stukje hier op de Peninsula