Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
So, after my last blog we headed to the Halloween party in Adelaide on the Saturday night. We drank a little too much, made friends with a lovely Japanese girl, watched the football and I won a dancing competition. Yes, that's correct. I got in the last 4 of musical chairs and those 4 of us had to take it in turns to dance on the pool table for 40 seconds. I needed to down a punch to be able to do it but it seemed to work. I won a day trip to the nearby Kangaroo Island for 1 person which was worth $250, but we left the next day and I haven't been able to sell it, what a waste of my talent!
The next morning we had to be at the bus station for 7am to check in for our departure at 7.35am. Ben luckily woke up at 7am and we ran out the door, packing along the way. We didn't even brush our teeth! Someone who works in the hostel kindly gave us a lift too or we definitely would have missed the bus!
The bus was an 8 hour affair followed by a 2 hour train and we arrived in Melbourne late Sunday evening. We had pre booked a hostel for a week as you get a cheaper rate and because everywhere else was full or really expensive because of the Melbourne cup which has been on this week. The Melbourne cup is the equivalent of the Grand National but it goes on for a week and they even get a day off for the main day on the Tuesday!
We are staying in a 10 bedroom dorm in Melbourne. The hostel is in quite a central location which is handy and has a busy bar downstairs that we've been to a couple of times. When we first moved in we were sharing the room with 3 French girls (a couple and a young girl travelling on her own) who came to Australia to work and speak better English, a French guy who comes in so late at night and leaves so early in the morning I have no idea what he is! 2 German girls who are a little too crazy and just leave the window wide open all the time even though it's freezing, a girl from Salford (what I'd call a typical City fan) and a crazy Canadian girl who calls Ben 'Papa Ben' and you couldn't make her up! The French couple have now left and the Canadian has moved rooms because it's so cold-her, me and the Salford girl have all had a cold. It's ridiculous. The room is probably the best dorm room we've been in though for the people overall but the hostel kitchen is too small, so busy and just dirty. I can't stand it. The toilets are really dirty too. If we hadn't have booked for a week then I think we would have moved out by now.
On Ben's birthday we went to the Old Melbourne Gaol (his choice!) where Ned Kelly was hanged. It was quite cool and we did a watch tower experience, going through what it was like to be arrested in the prison next door to it that only closed in the 90's. In the evening we went to a Chinese/Malaysian restaurant and had the best meal ever. It was amazing. We headed to the bar afterwards and drank with the Frenchies. Australians call tight fitting swimming shorts 'budgie smugglers' and it was fun to try and translate this to the French girls! I think Ben had a good birthday!
During the week we have visited the modern Melbourne Museum, did a tour of the impressive 100,000 seater Melbourne Cricket Ground and been on the Neighbours tour! It was definitely something on my 'to do' list when we booked this trip. It was really surreal walking around Ramsay Street, which is a real street. Then we went to the studio's to see some of the shops and to meet a cast member. I was worried it would be a newer cast member that I would have no idea who they were as I haven't really watched it since it moved to channel 5 and sure enough this young guy turned up who I had never seen before in my life! Apparently he's been in it for 2 years. He was nice enough. We also went to the high school that was the main one used in the show.
It's been freezing in Melbourne all week and I had to buy jeans and a jumper. I didn't sign up for this! On Friday afternoon it perked up though and we sat in Federation Square with a beer. The city is very pretty. We went to see a live band that evening (Melbourne has a good music scene) but sadly that wrote off yesterday as me particularly wasn't very well! It was really hot too so obviously today when I'm better it rained! We did go to a football game last night though and I mean real football! It was Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar and didn't disappoint. In the first minute Melbourne's keeper was sent off and they conceded a penalty but leveled before another of their players was sent off. Brisbane equalised and all this happened in the first half. It ended 2-2. Harry Kewell was playing and he was obviously a popular player. It was great being back at the football.
We went to a big market today that sells everything. It was really good and I've missed that kind of thing from Asia. Nothing caught our eye too much but we bought some nice chicken, veg and some cheese. We even tried some cocktails there!
We are trying to leave tomorrow to go to Sydney but no one seems to want to let us. We want to get a relocation van, where you're basically helping the hire company out by taking the car or van back to a different depot for them so you can get it really cheap. Otherwise we'll be stuck renting a car this time. It'll only be 3-5 days drive so it won't be a long journey.
More bag news! After Ben's bag had been flown to Adelaide where we were, they then lost it again. And then they found it and flew it back to Darwin! But then they flew it to Melbourne and they have finally been reunited like old friends 26 days later. We fly to Fiji with Jetstar so no doubt it'll happen all over again...
- comments
Ben It was an amazing birthday. Thinking about that meal is making me hungry again!! xxx