Chapter 51: Australia IV
5:04 pm (USA time: 5:04 am) in Victoria.
Team Sonic is the plane flying, and Tikal said, "I'm glad we get to stay in Tasmania for a long time before we leafed."
"Hey, Ames. Tell us about Victoria," said Sonic.
Then Amy said as she reads her guidebook, "Victoria occupies the southeast corner of the continent between latitudes 34 and 39 south and longitudes 141 and 150 east. It covers 227 600 km2 – about the same area as England, Wales, and Scotland; three-fifths of Japan and slightly larger than the US State of Utah. Temperatures vary widely, but most of the State falls within the warm, temperate belt of the southeast corner of Australia, characterized by warm and dry summers and cool to mild, wet winters. Victoria produces almost a quarter of Australia's total rural output. Agricultural and pastoral products include wool, sheepmeat and beef, wheat, oats, barley, maize, tobacco, hops and fodder crops, citrus, grapes, apples, stone fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. Victoria is Australia's main producer of mutton and lamb, dairy products, dried vine fruits, and substantial amounts. Victoria is also an important producer of timber from its 8 million hectares of forests. This includes 223 000 hectares of forest plantations."
"They all sound delicious," said Sonic.
"Even the sheep meat? Gross," said Cream.
"Not if you have it in Shepard's Pie," said Knuckles.
"You don't put sheepmeat into a pie. Anyways, our first battery in Victoria is Melbourne Cricket Ground," said Tails.
"I heard about that. Isn't it a stadium," said Sonic.
Then Amy says, "the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is cricket and Australian Rules Football stadium in Melbourne, Australia. It has a capacity of around 100,000. It was used as the main stadium for the 1956 Summer Olympics. The Melbourne Cricket Club started to use the area for cricket in 1853. Their old ground, now Southbank, was often flooded by the Yarra River and was also in a new railway line. In 1859, the first game of Australian Rules Football was played on the ground. A trust runs the MCG. The first chairman of the trust was the first Premier of Victoria, William Haines."
"Finally! A place with sports. Football," said Knuckles, takes out a football.
"I see the stadium," said Cream, seeing it up ahead.
Team Sonic is in the field to look for a 4ft battery in a 4ft plug inside the stadium.
"The battery can be anywhere," said Amy.
"We just have to keep looking," said Sonic.
"Found it! It was in the middle of the field," said Tails, holding the battery and plug.
Then Team Sonic notices Zavok, covered in dirt and standing in the stands.
"What was the big idea? Bury me into the cold ground," said Zavok calmly.
"Zavok! How do you and the Deadly Six keep finding us," said Sonic.
"We have a list of the batteries could be and motion sensors on them."
Then Knuckles was about to pull out something from his backpack until Zavok says, "let me guess… you're going to pull out an anchor, a hand dyer or kitchen sink."
But then Knuckles pulls out a ship that looks like the Titanic from his back, and it lands on Zavok.
"Where did you get the Titanic, and how did you manage to fit a cruise in your back," said Sonic.
"Let's go before he gets out of there," said Knuckles, runs off with the rest of the team following him.
"Next stop: Eureka Stadium in Ballarat," said Tails.
6:25 pm, our heroes are in their jeep on the road.
Then Amy says, "The name of the city was unique. The Scottish squatter Archibald Yuille called it Ballarat. He was the first man who formed the first settlement in the area. In 1837, the name was taken from the word balla arat from the local Wathaurong Aboriginal words. The meaning of this word is resting place. In 1996, the spelling of this city was Ballarat. On 18 August 1851, the gold was discovered at Poverty Point. The news spread around Australia. Therefore, more than 2,000 people were rushed to reach the city to find gold. Eureka Stadium is an oval-shaped sports stadium located in the Ballarat Showgrounds at Wendouree, an outer suburb of Ballarat in Australia. The first oval was established in 1990 on a site formerly occupied by the Ballarat Showgrounds Harness Racing track (1952–1966) when the North Ballarat Football Club and North Ballarat Cricket Club relocated from their original club facilities that were located on the eastern side of the former harness racing track. The 1990-built oval was over 170 meters long and 140 meters wide and rotated on an East to West axis, and included a new pavilion (The North Ballarat Sports Club) built on private land adjacent to the northern flank of the oval."
"Another sports location?! Sweet," said Knuckles, happy.
Team Sonic is in the field to look for a 2ft battery in a 2ft plug inside the stadium.
"Like the first battery, always at the center of the field," said Tails, disables them.
"Hm? It looks like Zavok still hasn't escaped the Titanic yet," said Sonic, laughs.
"Once we find a hotel, I'm going to look for a souvenir," said Tikal.
6:30 pm (USA time: 6:30 am) at Mid City Hotel Ballarat, Team Sonic is having dinner in their rooms.
As Amy and Cream eat at the girls' room, Tikal says, " I got a small inflatable kangaroo."
"Great… Do you think we'll go to Antarctica," said Cream.
"I hope not. Why would Eggman put another ray and a few batteries in a cold Iceland," said Amy.
Knuckles plays with a football in the guys' room as Sonic eats a chilidog and Tails looks through Eggman's plan file.
"Ok, guys. We only have two more places to go in Australia… New South Wales and then Queensland," said Tails.
"Then the ray has got to be in Queensland," said Sonic.
"After Australia, we're going to Antarctica."
"Good, so we can get into the snow," said Knuckles.
"It will take 1 hour and 16 minutes. So, we'll get to sleep in late."