QLD & NSW suck! 10 reasons I’m moving to VIC


I am DONE with State of Origin and done with QLD and NSW. If you’re new to this saga – hi. My name is Cassie, I’m half Queenslander, half New South Welshman, and over the past month I’ve been trying to decide who to cheer for in Australia’s most important (as far as QLD and NSW are concerned) sports series. First, Maroon Cassie argued the 10 reasons QLD is better than NSW. She made a convincing case. But then Blue Cassie rebutted with 10 reasons NSW is better than QLD and changed my mind.

Now we’re two games into State of Origin 2017, and like the series, I’m still undecided. Am I a chilled-out Queenslander or an exciting New South Welshman? Or am I someone else entirely? Hipster Cassie thinks I might be a cool Victorian. And she’s here with 10 reasons why VIC is better than both QLD and NSW combined.

  1. Awesome coffeeI don’t drink coffee myself, because apparently I have the tastebuds of an 8-year-old. But my friends who do (ie: all of them) swear that Melbourne has the world’s best coffee. Melbs even tries to take credit for inventing the flat white – now famous all over the world as the ultimate Aussie coffee.
  2. City penguins

    QLD and NSW have dugongs, penguins, and fur seals, all of which you can (responsibly) visit in the wild. And I think I’ve made clear just how I feel about that (positively. Passionately positively. Perhaps a little too passionately positively). But for sheer ease of access, you can’t beat St Kilda’s little penguins. They hang out at the St Kilda Breakwater – just a 20min tram ride from the CBD. So cute!
  3. The Yarra ValleyCraft beer, handmade chocolate, boutique cider, Australia’s best wine… If it tastes amazing, you’ll find it in the Yarra Valley. Make the most of the gorgeous scenery with a hot air balloon ride and raise your complimentary glass of bubbles in celebration of not being stuck in some other, less delicious state.
  4. The Great Ocean RoadTwo words: 12 Apostles. A few more: Bells Beach; Loch Ard Gorge; Bay of Islands; Erskine Falls; Lorne Beach. The Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s best scenic drives and home to some of Oz’s most iconic natural wonders. But, hey, QLD and NSW have roads too! They’re nice… sort of.
  5. Trams

    Sydney traffic will make you cry. Brisbane public transport is an expensive myth. But Melbourne’s trams are magic. In fact, they make up the world’s largest tram network and service almost every part of the city. Between them and Melbs’ grid-like layout, getting around is a breeze.
  6. The GrampiansAs a national park, the Grampians are pretty spectacular. Their rugged sandstone mountains, cascading waterfalls, and jaw-dropping views have put them on many Aussie travellers’ 2017 to-do lists. But because this is VIC, the state that never settles, the Grampians are also home to one of Australia’s longest running food and wine festivals.And as far as I’m concerned, that makes it the best national park.
  7. CheeseSo you might be noticing a bit of a trend in this list. VIC loves its food, and one of its faves is cheese. From the Yarra Valley Dairy in (surprisingly enough) the Yarra Valley and Red Hill Cheese on the Mornington Peninsula, to Prom Country Cheese, Jindi Cheese, and Maffra Cheese (to name a few) in Gippsland, VIC is a cheese-lovers dream. NSW and QLD… you’ve got some catching up to do.
  8. Mount HothamA must-do for ski fans, Mount Hotham has earned the title ‘The Powder Capital of Australia’ because it holds the record for VIC’s heaviest annual snowfall (as opposed to QLD, the state that’s still trying to figure out what “snow” is). It’s also home to one of Oz’s steepest and most difficult runs: the nail-biting Mary’s Slide. I think I’ll stick to the glühwein 😉
  9. Epic street artMelbourne boasts some of the world’s best street art. Except it doesn’t boast – it’s all cool and nonchalant, like “Oh, our city is one massive living art exhibition. No biggie.” But it IS a biggie. Grab your camera and head to Hosier Lane, Degraves Street, AC/DC Lane, Drewery Lane, Union Lane… heck, any lane, and prepare to have your mind blown.
  10. No State of OriginConfession time. When I started this series, I didn’t know the first thing about rugby league. I’d never heard of Johnathan Thurston, had no idea what a conversion was, and I liked it that way. But now I’m invested. 2017’s first two State of Origin games have left us on a cliffhanger worthy of Game of Thrones (minus the dragons), and the suspense is killing me. So I’m moving to VIC, getting into AFL, and following Carlton. There’s no suspense when your winning days are done…Think Hipster Cassie is full of it? Check out the top 10 reasons QLD is better than NSW, or the top 10 reasons NSW is better than QLD, and decide for yourself which state reigns supreme.

    Plan your next trip to Victoria

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