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Published: August 7th 2007
Where do we start!! Well first of all we have now been here in Melbourne for 7 weeks. It sounds a lot longer than it feels!! We have had an eventful start, which was pretty stressful but as with most things that are, things soon turn out for the best.
We have been to watch England beat the Aussie's at the MCG. We have started and finished working in the city. We have been for trips to Phillip Island to see the penguins and to Lakes Entrance to sail along the inland waterways. We have met lots of new friends and most of all we have found a home away from home in Catani. And we've milked a few cows as well!!
Having stepped onto the plane at Alice Springs airport in 44 degree heat it was a little unexpected when we got to Melbourne and it started to rain!! Macca (a regular oversees cricketer for Abbotskerswell and long term menace to the female race!!) was there at the airport to pick us up in his new car "Terry Two Tone."
We then spent a week in Macca’s company at his pad in Brunswick, about 15 minutes north
of the City. In that time we got to have a good look around the city and get accustomed to our new surroundings.
It was shortly after our arrival that we met up with the Williams'. We had met Dave very briefly about 2 years ago in the Witherspoons in Newton Abbot, so it was our first chance to meet the rest of the family, Kerrie his wife, Matt (19), Michael (16), and Brittany (14). Dad and Amy had been out to stay with them before and it was through their friendship that Jo and I had lined up some work on their farm harvesting spuds. Catani is about an hour and a half east of Melbourne and has been suffering from a severe lack of rainfall. This is a pretty important factor when you're trying to grow crops so it wasn't entirely certain that there was going to be work or a crop for us to harvest. Still that didn't stop them offering us a place to stay bless em.
As its goes we weren't due to be on the farm until March, but our room with Macca was soon to be needed and we were out
in Catani a lot sooner than we had imagined.
Working in the city - It didn't take long to find work. For travelers Melbourne is full of opportunities, jobs galore. Jo soon found work in an Italian Cafe come restaurant and I found work at a publishers selling ad space. All very exciting!! But it gave us some loose change which allowed us to enjoy ourselves on a couple of trips. It was actually good fun going back to work!! We have met a few interesting characters and after 6 months traveling it was a bit of a novelty going back into the work place!
I managed to get in my first game of cricket for about eleven years when I stepped in to field for Dave who had pulled his hamstring the week before and couldn't quite manage a days fielding. Well not in 40 degree heat anyway!! Hallora Cricket club is smack bang in the middle of nowhere; well that is what it feels like!! Not in a bad way though as the oval is in a beautiful setting with a backdrop of rolling fields and tall popular trees. The facilities have had a recent
upgrade and are now first class, which really rounds off the family style club. It was here that we also got to meet up with Mark and Kellie a couple we had met back in England when we first met Dave. It has been great to get to know them both. They have been very generous and kind having us round to dinner, but also they have lent us a car to use while we are here. The freedom of having a car has allowed us to do so much, so thank you Kellie and Mark we are truly grateful, thank you both xxx
Our first road trip in the car took us down to San Remo where Dave & Kerrie have a caravan. San Remo is the gateway town to Phillip Island just the other side of a bridge that connects the Island to the mainland. The caravan was perfect and while we were there we spent the weekend exploring Smiths & Woolamai Beach, the islands main town Cowes, a small fishing village Rhyl, and The Nobbies a craggy outcrop of rocks which are home to some small fury penguins. We even got to see a couple of
Melbourne City
Looking towards Flinders Street StationLooking towards Flinders Street Stationthe penguins hiding under the board walk! On the Saturday night we sat down by the quay in San Remo and watched the most beautiful Sunset, just amazing red and orange sky with the bridge and Phillip Island in the background. Over the weekend the Moto GP Superbike World Championships were being held at the Phillip Island Race track, apart from a distant roar of engines there was very little to distract us from enjoying the sights of the Island.
Working in Melbourne has been great fun. We have really got to know the city well and we'd recommend it to anyone thinking of traveling to Australia. There is always something on to see. In the short amount of time we've been here the city has played host to numerous sporting and cultural events; The F1 Grand Prix, the FINA Swimming World Champs, the Moomba Waterfest, and the International Comedy Festival to name but a few.
As I mentioned we have already finished our short stint of working in the city and to celebrate that along with the end of the cricket season Kellie organised a night out in Melbourne. Jo and I were
both looking forward to it as we were yet to sample the Melbourne nightlife we had heard so much about. It turned out to be more of a surprise night out when towards the end of our meal I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned round I looked, then had to look again as standing there was Dad and Amy with big grins on their faces!! I’m happy to say that contrary to what people had thought, I didn’t react with a swear word. I left that to Jo who after a quick sharp “what the *@”# are you doing here??” burst into a teary high pitch squeal!!
Dad and Amy are staying with us at the farm and we have enjoyed getting the gossip from back home and having them here has helped us to remember we have a home to come back to!! But it really was a shock to see them standing there.
We have been out for some nice meals in the city since they’ve been here. Dad’s on a Birthday Holiday as he’s going to be sixty in a few days….yes 60!! We also went with them and Dave &
Flinders Street Station
Where we caught the train to and from everyday Kerrie to Lakes Entrance Where we caught the train to and from everydaywhere we mixed a bit of sight seeing with a lot of eating and drinking!! It’s a beautiful part of Victoria, right on the coast.
Dad and Amy are off on a trip to Adelaide at the moment but will be back for the week we start working on the farm. As of Monday we’ll be on the back of the harvester sorting them tatties!
The last few weeks have been a real whirlwind of getting on with settling in. There have been so many good things that truthfully; I can’t begin to write about them all. Everyone we have met through Dave and Kerrie have been warm and welcoming, which has really helped us get into the swing of things.
Just to mention a couple of funnies that have taken our attention and left us in stitches on the long train journeys to and from the city each day. Thank you to whoever named the towns Koo Wee Rup, Nar Nar Goon, and Packenham Upper!! Funny as they are, we’ll never forget them!! Also, to our two new favourite Aussie sayings. You’ll have to
Melbourne City
The Eifel Tower Melbourne style! imagine them in an Aussie ascent. The first is a typical response by an Aussie who has asked you how you are. It goes as follows.
Aussie: "How’s it going mate?"
Pom: "OK, thanks."
Aussie: "That’s the Way!" (Slightly raising your tone on the word ‘W’ of ‘Way’!)
I don’t know why but I quite like it and will be using it from now on! I’ve even managed to use it without anyone knowing I’m taking the michael!!
Jo’s favourite is when instead of saying that someone's in a mood and going off on one, you'd say they were "Cracking the shits" Class hey?? Needless to say I have made Jo ‘crack the shits’ on a regular basis!!
Happy Birthday to Danny who’s about to make it to thirty….some how!! ; ) And Zoe, who’s also going to be turning the big three o! Happy Birthday, wish we were there to help you celebrate. Also a Happy Birthday to Jo’s sisters Ness and Sam, Sam’s husband Neil and their little son David. Also, my Nanna who turned 21 again ; ) Big Dave Ramsey, Mike, and Pinty who have all celebrated Birthdays over the past few weeks.
Thank
you to Soph, Rob, Daniel, Ben, Lauren, Sam, Kate & Steve for your video messages that Dad & Amy brought with them, they were very cool, really good to see and hear from you. We were given a wonderful tour of young Ben's new Bedroom, Lloyd Grossman in the making there I think!!
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