Heading to VIC, otherwise known
as the state of Victoria? Melbourne is the capital and biggest city, but you can also drive down the
Great Ocean Road, see the Twelve Apostles (12 Apostles), visit the national park of the Grampians, drink wines
from the Yarra Valley,or see penguins on Phillip Island
"In the United States, the Garden
State is New Jersey, long regarded as the armpit of the country until
Tony Soprano and his thugs made it cool to live there again. New Jersey
never deserved its second tier reputation. Neither does the Garden State
in Australia, which comes in second -- in finances, in population, and
in tourist visits -- despite containing one of the most livable cities in the world."
Doug Knell,
Doug's Republic
Victorians really do have a chip on their shoulder, due to the
competitive nature of their capital, Melbourne, with Sydney. Each
of the state's respective capitals, like the capitals of all Australian
states, overshadows the rest of the state. 7-in-10 Victorians live
in Melbourne, so Melbourne is naturally the showpiece for Victoria.
Victorians, unfortunately, can't lay claim to enough grandiose and
universally desirable claims at #1 spots. There are the general
claims that, for example, Melbourne is the most sporting capital in
Australia, and it probably is, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the G), the
annual Melbourne Cup horse race, and its home to Australian rules
football. Ten of the sixteen clubs in the Australian
Football League are found in Victoria. In 2009,
Melbourne scored the #1 city spot on the Mercer's Quality of Living
Survey and Monocle's Most Livable Cities Index, and #3 on the the
Economist's World Most Livable Cities list. Recent stats show
Melbourne growing in population faster than Sydney and may surpass
Sydney's population by 2056, although who ever said having a more
congested city was a good thing?
But these boasts all rest on one city. Victoria
as a state cannot lay claim to a lot of #1's worth shouting
about. It doesn't have the country's largest economy.
It's the second wettest state after Tasmania, not that the
#1 ranking here is worth envying. In size, it ranks at
#6, but as the most densely populated state, not a great mix.
The Yarra Valley is home to some superb wines, yet it's
overshadowed by the more famous Swan Valley (Western
Australia), Barossa Valley (South Australia), and Hunter
Valley (New South Wales).
Immigrants, particularly Greeks and Italians, love
Victoria. The restaurant-cafe culture here has no
rival in Australia, but again, this culture only benefits
those who live in and around Melbourne. Look for good
food in Maryborough, Bendigo, or Castlemaine, and you're
talking about eggs and chips. Queensland and New South
Wales have a better distribution of quality eats scattered
throughout the state.
#1 doesn't
always mean something
A lot of visitors to Oz never make it to Victoria. The
Queensland-New South Wales east coast circuit occupies their time.
Of those that do come, Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road are all that
they sees. The Dandenongs, Phillip Island, and the Grampians may
as well be on the moon for all the interest they garner from overseas
visitors.
VIC or Victoria has the second largest population of any
Australian state. Melbourne has the second largest population. Compared to New South Wales, not many people drive the Great
Ocean Road or glimpse the Twelve Apostles (12 Apostles). Coming to hike the Grampians? Want to try grapes from the Yarra Valley?
Or see a race on Phillip Island?
