Walking Through Melbourne’s Green Heart
The morning began with a simple message on social media: “Let me show you around Australia.” That invitation set the course for the day.
Our first stop was the Botanical Garden in Melbourne. I had also visited the one in Adelaide, but each city’s garden carries its own colors and character.
Here, surrounded by deep greenery, I could feel the quiet approach of winter.
On a cycling journey, walking itself becomes a kind of luxury. To take slow steps through nature, without rushing, felt like a gift.
Meeting Animals Again
Next came a surprise—I was taken to the zoo. I realized it had probably been since my days in Tokyo, at Ueno Zoo, that I last visited such a place. The feeling of nostalgia touched me deeply.
The wombats and koalas especially stood out. One koala, sitting with its back turned, looked almost like a middle-aged man lost in thought. It made me laugh, though the scene carried a strange mix of humor and sadness.
Feeding the wallabies was another highlight. Though they resemble kangaroos, they are different. Taking food gently from my palm, they brought me a quiet comfort that eased the fatigue of travel.
An Unexpected Reunion
Then came something I never could have planned. At the zoo, I unexpectedly ran into the tour guide I had first met in Apollo Bay.
We had parted with a casual, “See you again someday,” but to meet again so soon, and in such an unlikely place, felt like more than chance. He was there for work, I was there by coincidence, yet the crossing of our paths again carried a sense of true connection.
By the Sea
Later, we shared a meal by the ocean. The horizon stretched endlessly, calming my heart as I looked out over the water.
It felt almost like the end of a journey, and at the same time, the quiet beginning of the next.
A Night at the Airport
That evening, I made my way to Melbourne Airport for a flight to Tasmania.
At the terminal, I met a young traveler from China, about nineteen or twenty years old. With just a little Chinese, I managed to start a conversation. Each time I speak even a few words in the local language, I notice how quickly distance disappears.
He soon smiled and said, “Let me buy you a coffee.”
I was surprised—being treated by someone so much younger than me—but deeply moved as well. On the road, kindness always comes unexpectedly, and perhaps that is why it stays unforgettable.
I spent the night in the airport, waiting for my 7 a.m. flight. Fighting off sleepiness, sipping the coffee he had given me, I welcomed the quiet of the night.
