Victoria’s Secret

I was 10 when I first heard about Australia. We performed a puppet show for the school annual day and Kookaburra was the song we sang. I thought it was quite an exotic name for a bird.
Yup that’s us and we have older kids as our ‘feet’ sitting behind us 🙂
I grew a tad bit older and chanced upon this song for the first time and got hooked onto it. Did not figure the lyrics, but loved the melody and the reference to the ‘land down under’. Moreover it had my city Bombay in the song too! Yeah me! ( have been listening to it all the time while writing this post…it is kinda addictive)
The year was 1992, grade 10 and Mel Gibson happened (in my life). Yes, he wasn’t Australian….duh! But he did live there and someday I was going to marry him.
MEL GIBSON…..what a woman really wants!
So my affiliation with sand and surf, as you can see has been a long standing one. Unfortunately, life does not always go the way you plan it. Kingfisher replaced Kookaburra back home. Mel Gibson is now what I call my sister-in-law Melita and the land down under is a dream yet unfulfilled. The cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra to be specific and in that order.
More recently, a dear friend KK visited Melbourne and was all praise for it. I, of course, was all ears. We decided to meet over coffee. He walked in looking his dashing self, as usual.
“G’day Mate” 

I glanced around to see if he saw some familiar face other than mine.
 
“Talkin to you Sheila” 

 
“You drunk in the middle of the afternoon?” I asked.

“That’s what they call a woman in Australian”, he grinned.

I was only too keen to start the conversation. “So how was Melbourne?”
 
“It was a ripper. Visited picturesque destinations, long drives, beautiful beaches, did some barbies….. 

 
You did what? I asked aghast… 

“Barbies……I mean barbecues” he said, much to my relief.
“I nearly thought you unveiled Victoria’s Secret”, I teased.

Undeterred, he went on to add. “Went fishing, golfing and almost bought an ocean view house, but was short for a couple of zeros,so let it be”, he said, mischievously.

I was star struck, sipping my cappuccino. He went on to the dedicated audience I was turning out to be.
TROUTful….
The green countryside
The beach house that he almost bought 😀


“Melbourne is where I’d like to relocate to someday. It is an amazing culmination of amenities, aesthetics and adventure.”

 
“Tell me more”, I told the pied piper. He played along. 

 
“Well you honestly can pretty much Google all the names of places to visit and things to do”, he said matter of fact. “Why hear it from an ol’ bloke like me?” 

 
“You broke? Ah, the vacation must have cost a bomb” I said sympathetically. For some reason he was laughing and I still could not get it. 

 
“Holy dooley, you are quite the dill, eh? N’er mind!” 

He was now annoying me with his ‘Australian Twang’ which I just couldn’t seem to follow and he’d been there just over a week, can you imagine? Fortunately for both of us, he continued his travelogue.
 
“Melbourne has one of the most stunning sea sides. The beauty is in abundance and your eyes can only feast so much on all the lustrous sun baking…..” 

 
“Yes, I’ve heard the water is a gorgeous azure blue and the sand like warm golden butter…..” 

 
“Yeah that too”, he said distractedly, until I figured this piece of information was solely for all alpha males.
He hurriedly added, “My other fav views were the 12 Apostles, Arthur’s Seat and the Moonah Links. In one word, Ace!”

 

The scenic 12 apostles
Arthur’s Seat View
Moonah Links

“SkyHigh Mount Dandenong is another must visit. You truly feel like the king of your castle, till of course you sit in the Giant’s chair”, he grinned.

High in the Sky….
The ChairMAN
“Sure there is so much more you can do, but I had a measly 7 days to cover it all. And between the Sheilas, barbies and coldies, it was a very difficult itinerary to steer through”. I think you must take a trip down under. It’s your time to visit Melbourne NOW!”
As I nodded, in an all knowing agreement at his cheekiness, this time I got the drift, more by the twinkle in his eyes. “I think I just might.” 

 
“You abso-bloody-lutely must, apples it’ll be! Besides, let the place speak to you. You will then weave your own story”, he said, very poetically. “Every destination has a history, when you visit it, you make it a part of your own. Don’t go with an agenda, but take an open mind. Don’t merely go sight seeing but peek into the soul of a nation’s culture and traditions”, he ended philosophically.
Sea and Surf
Bliss
Man, his machine and the covenant

As I mulled over his final words, my thoughts were in a whirlwind, urging me to take the plunge. Time runs when you are having a good one. As we were leaving the coffee shop, I turned to KK and said. “Thanks for today. But you know what experience I’d really like to bring back from Melbourne? I’d like to be able to speak Strine so I get all your waffle”.

 
“That’s gunna be bloody hard yakka to get to Victoria’s Secret”, he added, as we both burst out laughing. 

 

This post  is an entry for It’s your time to visit Melbourne NOW! contest on IndiBlogger in association with Tourism Victoria.
Do Visit http://www.visitmelbourne.com/in for more info.
If you have liked what’ve just read then be a darlin’ and vote for me here will ya?

A special thanks to KK for all the Melbourne pictures out here and for agreeing to be the star of this script.

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31 responses to “Victoria’s Secret”

  1. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Thanks Ash, a dear friend loaned them to me 🙂

  2. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Farila, you are just too sweet. But no, I haven’t given up on Mel Gibson yet…… someday! 😀

  3. Ash avatar

    loved the post, and esp the pics!!

  4. Corinne @ Everyday Gyaan avatar
    Corinne @ Everyday Gyaan

    Loved the lingo, the sights and the sense of anticipation! Good on ya, mate!

  5. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Thanks Corrine….the Strine lingo/slang is quite elusive if you ask me 🙂

  6. Farila avatar

    You may not marry Mel Gibson.. but you are sure going to Melbourne. I can bet on it!

  7. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Janu tumhare mooh main ghee shakar…..:D Melbourne na sahi….par Mel Gibson…haan, bhai haan 😀

  8. JANU avatar

    You can have the cake..Mel and eat it too in Melbourne. Good one. Best wishes for the competition.

  9. Sudhagee avatar

    Really, really liked your post Blogwati Gee. All the best for getting Mel Gibson and Mel Bourne 🙂

  10. Ghazala Hossain avatar

    Hey, I thought Mel Gibson was for me. I love his eyes. Best of luck..!

    PS: I mentioned him too, on my post 🙂

  11. Chatty Wren avatar

    lovely turn of phrases! very creative, wish you luck!!

  12. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Sudhagee…..I am looking forward to at least one of them…..with blue eyes *wink*

  13. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Thanks Chatty 🙂

  14. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Roshan, nah, I don’t prefer the ones who howl at the moon. Blue eyes with a tinge of green work just fine for me 😀

  15. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Thanks Amit. Please tell me the title did not lure you to my blog *Wicked laugh*

    Yes the 12 Apostles is something else, or so I have heard… someday…:)

  16. Blogwati Gee avatar

    That is so gracious of you Raj. Well the country on a whole fascinates me and you can’t isolate a city from it’s roots just because of a competition 😀 And yes I was hoping Sydney would be the capital of Australia, as I had written the same in a geography paper once, lol.

    Couldn’t agree more with you about the twin cities. For me, to know about a city, I’d really like to walk around it…and explore. Yup the must do sight seeing too….but explore the daily life more like it.

    Someday I hope to make it there…..will take you up on your offer, mate!

  17. Roshan avatar

    You sure we cant interest you in Hugh Jackman.. he’s Australian and even acted in a movie called ‘Australia’ 🙂

    PLUS, he’s Wolverine 🙂

  18. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Ghazala…..tum Melbourne le lo….main Mel Gibson……fair? 😀

  19. amit ganguly avatar

    Pretty interesting way of story telling you got it over here.The 12 Apostles,I believe is a must see for whoever wants to visit Melbourne.
    Best wishes.

  20. Raj Mudaliar avatar

    Blogwati G I read with keen interest and began to be concerned why you were so heavily biased towards Melbourne, when you actually started off with Australia. Only in the end I knew the reason.

    Melbourne is very beautiful…famous for its international student community, food and cultural bonanza! However, since you are from Mumbai, you know the tale of the twin cities, if Pune is the cultural & educational capital, Mumbai is where the real action happens (I am from Mumbai). In the same way, if Melbourne is rich in culture & natural beauty, Sydney is the beautiful harbour city blessed with some breathtaking scenic views.

    Well the bottom line is, just wanted to let you know that you now have a friend in Sydney and you are most welcome for a barbie when you travel “down under”

  21. Bikramjit avatar
    Bikramjit

    🙂 so when u going then he he he he
    all the best for the contest .. australia is really a beautiful country 🙂

    Bikram’s

  22. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Bikram, ab dekho Tourism Victoria wale kab bulava dete hain 🙂

  23. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Nirvana, a tad bit biased aren’t ya? BTW I’d trade Melbourne for Mel Gibson any day 😀

  24. Nirvana avatar

    You are going there, dudette!! Very well written…. and the photos are just awesome. All the best – can’t wait to read the travelogue 😉

  25. Rukhsana Badar avatar

    lol! You sure know your slang. Great post and great taste in actors. Best of luck 🙂

  26. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Ha ha ha Rukhsana, not really. This is all Jai Baba Google ke badaulat. Thanks none the less!

  27. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Well Harisankar, I just might have to visit Melbourne now for a part two of this post 🙂

  28. Harisankar avatar

    Delicious Post!..Hungry for more!

  29. Arvind Passey avatar

    You write: ‘Don’t merely go sight-seeing but peek into the soul of a nation’s culture and traditions.’ Nicely put… though cities don’t generally want to take on the responsibility of an entire nation! 🙂

    All the best…

    Arvind Passey
    http://www.passey.info

  30. Blogwati Gee avatar

    Of all the people, you were the last I’d expect here Arvind.

    Cities as far as I remember contributed to the making of a nation. Every city speaks of nuances that make the mighty traditions of a country. Glad you liked it. 🙂

  31. Uma avatar

    My! Such a lovely post.I really liked when you sigh 😉 whenever your friend talks about the barbies, beaches and with that English accent…overall lively for me 🙂

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