Wanderlust Wonders: Vivian Journey Abroad (week 3)
Down Under Diaries- Week 3
This week we visit the “World’s Most Liveable City”: Melbourne. To my surprise, the weather is quite chilly. Because Australia is located in the Southern hemisphere, the further south you travel, the colder the weather is. Here, it is common to have four seasons in one day. Melbourne is a lovely city with unique architectural designs. Over the weekend, we embark on a bus tour of the Great Ocean Road and learn more about Melbourne’s history via a walking tour.
Highlight #1: The Great Ocean Road
We depart early in the morning to the Great Ocean Road. Along the way, we make stops at the Westgate Bridge, Apollo Bay, Twelve Apostles, and Loch Ard Gorge. As a Floridian, I firmly believed I’ve seen all forms of beaches possible… However, I was heavily mistaken. The 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge are truly remarkable sights- one of a kind. Ginormous rocks “float” sporadically in the blue ocean water. The bold waves crash into these rocks, producing a white foam that reminds me of whipped cream. The views from above are spectacular! I feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to expand my horizons and see how beautiful nature’s wonders are!
Highlight #2: Walking Tour of Melbourne
Our walking tour begins and ends at the Queen Victoria Library. Along the way, we pass by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, the Royal Exhibition Garden, Chinatown, and the 888 Tower (which symbolizes 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, and 8 hours of play in a day). Following our tour, we eat lunch with Jon Black ‘06, an accounting major. He recently moved to Australia to teach at Melbourne University. As he shares his story and career journey, my desire to move to Australia further increases. I’m inspired by his courage and bravery to move to a new country.
While I had a magnificent time immersing myself in Melbourne and its culture, I can confidently claim that I prefer Sydney. As mentioned by our walking tour guide, “Sydney is like the cooler older sister to little sister Melbourne”. I’m seriously considering moving to Sydney after Bucknell…
Vivian Kuang ’25
BSBA in Management and Organizations Freeman College of Management