Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
It's our last night in Melbourne tonight. I can't believe we've been here 5 days already - it has gone so quickly! We are staying with Lucy and Bruce and baby Roo who is ridonkulously cute!! We have had Lucy and Roo as our tour guides during the day, and Bruce as tour guide at night.
It took us a few days to adjust after our jet lag so we chilled out at home for the first couple of days. Predicably Hickey got burnt within about an hour - even his eyelids! Typical pomme!! It has been so hot here (28 degrees minimum) so it has been nice to cool down with some of Bruce's home brewed beer, which we have drank every night!
Got welcomed in a typical Aussie manner with kangaroo steaks on the barbie - yum!
After a couple of days acclimatising we headed out to the City, or CBD as they call it. Melbourne is huge! We visited a couple of art galleries (check us out - cultured or what?!), went for lunch on the river, soaked up some sun in a park and went up the Eureka Skydeck.
The Eureka Skydeck is awesome - you get in a lift that takes you to the 88th floor of the tower (which takes exactly 40 seconds) and you come out into this massive viewing area where you can look out all over Melbourne and beyond. We have added some photos but they really do not do justice to how high up you actually are.
We paid a little extra to do something called "TheEdge". Basically you get into a frosted glass cube from the viewing area that then extends out of the building so you are suspended 88 floors up outside the building! All of a sudden there is a loud crashing sound and the frosting disappears so you are in a clear glass cube where you can see all around you - and most importantly straight down! We are still wearing our "I survived the Edge" bracelets and intend to do so until they fall off!!
There are loads of funky things dotted all around Melbourne. We were minding our own business walking past what we thought was another piece of art when all of a sudden it started making a tune - it was a giant theremin - it was awesome! For those who don't know what a theremin is - it's a musical instrument that creates musical notes due to vibrations in the air. This theremin was in a pyramid about 8ft high so you could make it play by running, jumping, skipping, crawling (you get the picture) past it. So much fun!!!
In the evenings we have been to St Kilda and we have fallen in love with the place! It is so lively with loads of pubs, restaurants, cake and ice cream shops all next to the beach. It has a really electric atmosphere and there are people absolutely everywhere. It is also the place where we got to see some penguins! Yep, you read that right, penguins on a beach in Australia!!
Other interesting facts we found out about Melbourne was that they have an annual Sexpo - a exhibition for the adult entertainment industry where you can have your portrait painted by p****sso - a guy that paints with his penis; and that they have drive thru bottle shops (off licenses) where you can rock up in your car, place your order and they will pop the booze in your boot!
The only negative thing about Melbourne is that is so expensive - Hickey paid $15 dollars for a pint of beer!! (about 9 quid). We'll never complain about a 4 pound pint in Swindon again!
We went to a micro brewery though where the beer was much more reasonably priced. It was "not far" from the house, but turned out to be a half hour walk! It was awesome, all the beers are brewed onsite, it had live music and it looked really cool. Obviously we felt obliged to try all the different beers and ciders (it's a hard life) - one was 8%!
Have to get up at half 4 tomorrow morning (eek) as we are getting a flight to Cairns to start our 2 week escapades travelling down the East Coast. We will be going to Cairns; Whitsundays; Fraser Island; Gold Coast; Brisbane and Byron Bay. Will be back in Melbourne for Christmas and New Year. Can't wait!
- comments
David Still sounds good. I reckon i may have chickened on the Edge but the theramin sounds cool. Cant believe you're gonna visit all those amazing places before the New year even! Take it easy
Hannah I'm so happy that you guys are having so much fun, actually welled up a little bit reading this at my desk. It all sounds amazing, so fun and vibrant :) I also can't believe Hickey burned his eyelids ha ha! Love you loads xxxxx
Melanie Sounds like you are having an amazing time! its bloody freezing here and its very quiet without you both! xx
Laura Smith Thanks for the update. Love you both. Going racing today and tomorrow and will have a flutter in your honour. And a drink. xx
Jan Hickey Wow, it all sounds amazing, I'm so proud of you both for getting of your asses and doing this. xxx
Bex Sounds amazing guys!! will you bring me back a portrait of P****sso maybe you could ask him to do a self portrait? that sounds hard he he.....love to you both, missing you loads travel safe and merry xmas.xxx