Melbourne will not have a night leg. Certain areas of the city (St Kilda, Northern suburbs, Western suburbs) are being runned by Youth African gangs who are actually quite violent.
Bourkie, Melbourne is ranked #1 in the most habitable city in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit for seven years straight in a row. I would love a visit to Melbourne. The Race has surprised in the past. I would not find it shocking that the next visit to Australia will include Melbourne, day or night. Just wanted to say this and now onto my route for TAR 31
Starting Line: Hollywood Sign
Leg 1: (Los Angeles, California---> Nadi, Fiji) Pit Stop: a beach area
Leg 2: (Nadi, Fiji---> Launceston, Tasmania) Pit Stop: Cataract Gorge
Leg 3: (Launceston, Tasmania---> Melbourne, Victoria) Pit Stop: Shrine of Remembrance
Leg 4: (Melbourne, Victoria---> Vientiane, Laos) Pit Stop: Patuxai
Leg 5: (Vientiane, Laos---> Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) Pit Stop: Burana Tower
Leg 6: (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan---> Doha Qatar) Pit Stop: Pearl and Oyster Fountain
Leg 7: (Doha, Qatar---> Johannesburg, South Africa) Pit Stop: Cradle of Humankind
Leg 8: (Johannesburg, South Africa---> Montevideo, Uruguay) Pit Stop: The Hand in the Sand
Leg 9: (Montevideo, Uruguay---> Cuzco, Peru) Pit Stop: Machu Picchu
Leg 10: (Cuzco, Peru---> Belize City, Belize) Pit Stop: Xunantunich
Leg 11: (Belize City, Belize---> Winnipeg, Manitoba) Pit Stop: Assiniboine Park
Leg 12: (Winnipeg, Manitoba---> Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota) Finish Line: Spoonbridge and Cherry
So that is 5 new countries: (Fiji, Laos, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, and Belize)
1 country that's been visited once: (Uruguay)
2 countries that have been visited twice: (Peru, Canada)
1 country that has been visited three times: (South Africa)
1 country that has been visited four times: (Australia)
Then lastly Minnesota will become the 25th state to be visited in the race.