Australian Sojourn

Jack Holman holds the 10-kilogram hard cheese.[Photo by Yang Feiyue/ China Daily]

The homemade ice-cream is out of this world. Several young women traveling with us were bitten by an Australian ice-cream bug after they tried it. They were looking out for ice cream for the rest of our trip.

Our last stop at the Healesville Sanctuary turned out to be a great supplement to our wine-and-dine experiences.

Iconic Australian animals like koala, kangaroo, platypus, dingo, wombat and emu can be seen there.

"If you have limited time and just want to see Australian animals, the sanctuary is the place to go," a Victorian government official tells us.

We patted and fed the kangaroos, which were very friendly, and we looked at the cute koalas sleeping on a tree at close quarters.

Other highlights include letting parrots land on your arm to feed, and seeing platypus roll, dive and tumble in their tank.

Urban thrills

While the Yarra Valley offers a countryside experience, for those who long for the excitement of a modern city, Melbourne is just a one-hour drive away.

The Eureka Skydeck 88, the highest point locally, is a thrilling and fast way to take in the broad landscape scenery of the city.

We experienced altitude changes in our ears when taking the allegedly fastest lifts in the Southern Hemisphere.

It takes less than 40 seconds to get to the 88th floor, where visitors can see Melbourne from glass windows on all sides.

Myriad buildings are surrounded by the boundless blue sea. Great patches of green add vibrancy to the landscape.

For daredevils, an observation deck－literally a glass cube that projects 3 meters out of the building, provides the experience of walking on the air above Melbourne.

Those who love nightlife should definitely come out on Friday or Saturday nights. Many locals receive their salary on Thursdays, so they will go out and celebrate.

Restaurants, pubs and other entertainment facilities are usually packed, which makes it an ideal time to experience the vitality of the city's night life.

For Chinese visitors, the Chinatown in the CBD area is worth touring.