Blogs from Crown Casino, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oceania

3 Days before I leave Melbourne! Making sure this blog-thing works. ... read more

Went shopping on my own to the DPO center in Melbourne this morning. Stopped at Starbucks first (why does their coffee taste so crap!) then hit the shops. It was nice to stroll around, not in a rush to search for something in particular. Usually when I NEED to buy something (shoes to go with an outfit, or a birthday present for a friend) I have great difficulty. My current Sophie Kinsella book (Twenties Girl) is frustratingly boring, so I picked up a new one in the Mens section (fancied a change) and went to Gloria Jean's Coffee house to read for the rest of the morning. Sat on a leather armchair by the window opposite Southern Cross station. I read a few chapters, then looked up to observe my fellow coffee drinkers: People reading the ... read more

We arrived in Melbourne on an over night train that was uneventful except for the conductor who asked us where we were from in England and proceded to tell us we had the best taverns in the world and he loved England loads! We certainly weren't expecting that as most people don't seem to care much when you say you're from London, so this was a refreshingly different response. At around 9am, we left Melbournes Southern Cross station and puzzled, tried to find our way to our hostel (Urban Central). After finally finding a tram (the city is full of them!), we made our way across the river and end up walking down a street which has little other than a massive Casino. Classy area, we thought... As our hostel finally came into view, we understand ... read more

The Great Ocean Road is not just a clever name. Built as a war memorial for those who passed away, it is an incredibly scenic and windy road that would be found in those porsche carrera commercials. While there are oodles of bus tours that go along that road, I felt that the whole bus tour thing was a bit played out and I wanted to drive it myself. This was the first time during my trip where I found myself in a situation where I really wish that I had 1, 2 or ultimately 3 others to join me for the long 2 day drive. This would have been nice for the company, especially for the 4 hours of the drive where I couldnt the only thing on the radio station I could pick up ... read more

Met the lads in Gareth's hostel, had a few bevs before hitting the Crown. Was a pretty lucky night with Ian and Gareth winning! Gareth won like eleven straight hands at blackjack....either getting blackjack or 21! Met Irene on Smith Street after, she had just done her first shift with Frank in his new cafe bar. And had also met the guy who one of the characters out of The World's Fastest Indian is based on. All the families turned up for the grand opening and Irene got talking to this guy for ages...he was the rivial biker that gave Anthony Hopkins money before he went to the States. ... read more