I come from a land down under

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Sat 26th May - Weird day as we haven't slept for two days. Arrived in Melbourne. Explored the city and took our strange spaced out state as an excuse to buy new clothes for the first time in 3 months! I bought a very beautiful dress and other incredibly cheap clothes on Bridge St - it all felt like a dream so perhaps Bridge St does not really exist. We were sitting in the hostel bar when a party bus arrived and suddenly it was Stylus or somewhere cheesy in Leeds first year all over again.

Sun 27th May - We watched Japanese children doing an amazing dance in Federation square and I joined in with a traditional dance. We also went to an exhibition of Centre Pompidou videos I liked Bruce Nauman especially. I really like Melbourne - its like Manchester and San Francisco and New York - excellent.

Mon 28th May - Got a very bad and very cheap haircut. I'm glad none of you can see me now. We then went to what promised it would be 'our best night in oz' - Neighbours Night! We met Dylan (who says his character is good deep down - thank you Sam), Connor (who has eaten all those who died in that plane crash), Libby (who is very pretty and sang some unoriginal songs) and Karl (who thinks he's a rockstar - his band played lots of crowd pleasers including the Kaiser Chiefs dedicated to those from Leeds (oh dear) I felt like we were at a secret gig of the Rolling Stones - the crowd went mental). Lots of excitement and cheese. Wonderful.

Tues 29th May - what could follow Neighbours Night? We saw the Pillowman by Martin McDonagh performed by melbourne theatre company. It was one of the best things I've ever seen - perfect in every possibly way and a spine chilling story.

Wed 30th May - Sick of continually being surrounded by british 18 year olds. Worked on my play at the library and then went out to some studenty bars. Melbourne would be such a cool place to study.

Thurs 31st May - Up early on the Neighbours tour bus in the rain - yes we are that committed. Laughed at the shoddyness of the tour guide sticking the 'Erinsborough High School' sign outside. Got to see Karl and Susan filiming - Yes Susan really does look after them all like a mum. Saw Dylan again at the fairground where he proposed to Sky - I think he's following us. We had rubbish rubbish cheesecake on Acklan st - the most famous cake street in the world!

Fri 1st June - Went to the City of Melbourne museum today. There was something really unsettling about the Aborigine exhibition, especially when compared to the Maori exhibits in NZ, it seemed to be debating whether colonialism in oz was wrong and whether Aborigines have the rights to their own art.

Sat 2nd June - Happy birthday Sam. Watched Zodiac which had me a the edge of my seat and awake with adrenaline for hours - thrilling.

Sun 3rd June - Walked along south bank which is rather like londons watching street performers. Saw an exhibition of trainers at the NGV - we were bored, only Lily Allen would have enjoyed this!

Mon 4th June - Fruitless play research on the internet. Man in a suit told us that we couldnt play pool and we answered it by getting three in a row in - if an ugly man in a suit tells you you can't do something it instantly means you can.

Tues 5th June - Wed 6th June - Very long overnight bus journey to Sydney watching the beach and not sleeping. Our hostel is an old train station and we're sleeping in a railway carriage!!
I like this hostel for its range of ages and nationalities!

Thurs 7th June - Trying to sort visas with the chinese embassy - please let us in! Fun evening our where our friend Carla was crowned 'Queen of the Scubar' and we got drinks because of it.

Fri 8th June - We were on Challenge Annika/24 with a race against time to get various things from all over town to present at the chinese embassy before noon - and we made it. Torrential rain - I thought they had a drought here. Saw a load of live bands. First few were noise bands in the style of Mogwai but only with the loud feedback parts and none of the interesting parts. The third were beautifully melodic in that style but a bit boring and my favourite 'The Stakes' were really good and kinda punk musically but they had this whole post-modern lets pretend its all shambolic and random thing that they just weren't convincing at.

Sat 9th June - Rain, rain and more rain. We went to the NSW art gallery and saw some really interesting photos by Isiutchi in an exhibition called 'Mother' and these large scale biblical destruction installations by Anselm Kieffer.

Sun 10th June - We went to see Sydney Harbour finally in a break in the rain - We've been in the worst storms they've had in Oz for thirty years - any country suffering from a drought just send in an O'Shea. We walked over the bridge from Milsons point and did not climb it because it was too much money (not because it was scary). It all looks incredibly familiar in the way of famous monuments and not as shiny or big! We were in the Botanics which smellt amazing after the rain and at sunset all these cockatoos and other birds went mental and started swirling and screeching. Fun evening in the Broadway bar surrounded by aussies celebrating the Queens brithday holiday - they love it here.

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Comments

[A man who knows the truth]

The truth about Dylan
I cannot reveal my identity here, because it is not safe. But I must tell you that Dylan from Neighbours is a sleaze, and he should not be trusted. I have information from an insider source that deep down he is bad. I also have information from an even higher source that your boyfriend is to be trusted at all times, is a very nice and attractive man - and is always right. Thank you.

[chris]

aaaargh
where was your spoiler alert??? I didn't need to know dylan proposed to sky.... enjoy the rain.

[Catseye]

that happened ages ago!
that was ages ago before the whole question over the babies identity!!!!! I have plenty of spoiler info from watching it in oz if you need any though x