Melbourne Cruise
The second biggest populous city in Australia and is referred to Australia's sporting and cultural capital. Located in Port Philip bay in the south of Victoria the city is the capital of the state. Known as a style setter, the city boasts many festivals, major art exhibitions and a home of major sporting events including the Australian F1 grand Prix. The local landscape also impresses, as even the coastal road is one of the more incredible sights of Australia. The region also boasts locations for many famous wines including Geelong and Macedon. For the more adventurously visitor the terrain offers many opportunities for skiing or surfing on one of the many beautiful beaches on the Victorian coast. To the south of Melbourne is Philip Island, which offers the visitors water sports on the backdrop of spectacular wildlife, such as penguins and pelicans. The port of Melbourne is a major hub of Australian trade as over 3500 ships call to port every year. The port oversees every year 700 cars, 500 tones of tea and coffee, 750 tones of timber, 1300 tones of chemicals and over 10,000 tones of petroleum. The port is a gateway to one of the most important cities in Australia which is home to many lifestyle activities.
Before European settlers occupied the area it was inhabited by the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung aboriginal tribe. The first Europeans to visit the area, settled around Sullivan bay. Due to lack of resources, however, thirty years later the Europeans moved location. The area of modern day Melbourne was first explored by John Batman who gained 600,000 acres from the Wurundjeri elders. In 1851, Victoria was a separate state and Melbourne was its capital. At this time the Victorian gold rush escalated and by the 1880s Melbourne became the biggest city in the British Empire and reputedly the richest in the world. Melbourne was the capital of Australia till government was moved to Canberra in 1927.