Melbourne Maze

If there was one television show to describe our second day in Melbourne it would be Lost.

This photo put me a little behind the group

On multiple occasions I was left behind either because I was being slow, taking too many pictures, asking too many questions or waiting on others in the group to catch up. Luckily I was able to catch back up with our mob of people every time, but I did get a bit nervous on a few occasions.

The first time I got separated from the group was during some photo opportunities while we were in route to the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

At the first stop we met with the DPI of the State of Victoria where there were representatives from the livestock industry, including the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS). Tony Britt, Director of Animal Biosecurity and Welfare, was our many presenter and he gave an overview of NLIS.

Some of the swag I scored at DPI.

We learned from Tony that identification of all sheep and cattle is federally required to help detect and prevent the spread of disease outbreaks, such as foot and mouth.

Our first group picture.

Next the group rode around on a bus tour making stops at various gardens and architectural wonders of Melbourne. I managed not to get left behind during this part of the day.

To end our day of touring we ventured to the Carlton United Brewery, home of Australian beer mainstay Foster's. We learned about the brewing process and even got to do a little taste testing. However, before I could taste any grog I had to wait with five other K-Staters because we had been locked in the bottling side of the factory.

Some darn good grog.

After waiting five minutes we were rescued by a Canadian import who was nice enough to offer the whole tour group a round of beer. Then I spent a little bit of my Australian currency on a Foster's t-shirt and a cooler full of six different types of beers to taste test throughout the trip.

The final time I was lost in the labyrinth of Melbourne happened on the way to a casino buffet. My fellow wildcats had traveled all over the downtown area of Melbourne in search of a restaurant that could seat us. In the process we had lost our tour guide Graeme Mitchell and Michael Wimer. They were both engaged in a conversation about the American and Australian beef industries. I realized this so I hung back to help direct them to the Crown Casino, but little did I know that the casino would be a maze of confusion.

Blogging ain't easy, but somebody has got to do it.

A half-hour after journeying through the casino we finally were reunited with the group and I was able to dine on various types of cuisine to quince my hunger.

Well, our stay in Melbourne is over. Now it's time to see some wide open space between Melbourne and Sydney. Maybe we'll get a little gravel in our travel too.

Until next time, happy trails!