Melbourne and its northern counterpart are like two long-lost brothers being forcefully separated since birth.
Melbourne turns out to be a
sophisticated man of tempestuous character, stuck in between the ancient 19th
century gentleman era and the modern liberalized generation. A classy, chivalrous
man who knows all about art and culture, coffee and wine, football and tennis;
Melbourne is at the apex of his life, rebellious yet restrained, attractive but
unpredictable.
Northern Territory, on the
other hand, is wild and adventurous. He is the fearless youngster that pats a
crocodile and swims against the tide. He is exotic, magical and knows no
boundary. He finds his brother to be overly rigid, lacking excitement in life,
materialistic and sad. He is unable to comprehend the turbulent emotional
roller coaster suffered by Melbourne: the sunny smile at one second and the
cold shoulder at the very next.
The rendezvous of the two
brothers occurred at Federation Square today. Northern Territory brought along
a few souvenirs, causing quite an uproar amongst the very urbanized
Melbournians.
1. The two camels
They are attractive, with
bushy eyebrows and beguiling eyelashes, bodies covered with beautiful fur of
beige and caramel brown. They are haughty, arrogant yet loveable. And most
importantly, you can't find them in Melbourne, not even in the zoo (I believe).
These gorgeous creatures survive well in the camel farms of Alice Springs and
continue to be an attraction of all lovers of nature.
2. The baby crocodile
The crocodiles prevalent at
the Northern part of Australia are aggressive, merciless and ruthless. The
saltwater crocodiles are being crowned as the largest species in the world. It is
believed that they kill on average one to two people per year. If a census of
wildlife is to be carried out in the Northern Territory, you might be surprised
to find that these violent creatures have a larger population than the human
residents at the north.
The NT brother brought along a
baby crocodile to Melbourne, just so that the city folks can have a taste of
the Australia’s outback and its exciting wildlife.
3. Mango Ice Cream
The Northern Territorians
are proud of its warm tropical climate, and their juicy mangoes. In fact,
Northern Territory is one of the major suppliers of Australian mangoes. You
might be tempted to carry out a mango planting experiment in Melbourne, but do
brace yourself in advance for any disappointment. After all, we can always
blame the insane weather.
4. Fish & Chips
The fishing destination in
the Northern Territory is unrivalled. You might bemoan and protest against the
statement, and tell me what a fun time you have had fishing at the Port Philip
and Birrarung Park, but the Northern Territory will just put Melbourne to real
shame with its scenic estuaries and dramatic coastline. The iconic barramundi,
an opportunistic predatory fish well known for its aggressiveness, is one of
the most popular fish at the Top End. The NT brother has brought its favourite
over to the South to share the joy of food with the Melbournians.
The “Do the NT” Expo at Federation
Square will stay until 3pm tomorrow. Apart from the highlights set out above,
there will also be a Waterhole pub where the curious Melbournians can enjoy a
mug of ice cold beer, feast on some uniquely tantalizing NT cuisine, and experience
the virtual journey to the exotic Kakadu and Katherine. Workshops on didgeridoo (a colourful wind instrument invented by the
indigenous) will be carried out to challenge your inherent musical talent.
Location:
Federation Square
Date & Time:
1 April, Friday: 8 am to 9 pm
2 April, Saturday: 9.30 am to 3 pm
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