2017 February, Cheltenham and Yarraville, Melbourne

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Melbourne 2017

Cheltenham Jan-Feb

We never planned to go to Melbourne! Other than that we don't usually move around more than we have to because it becomes unnecessarily costly. There doesn't seem to be much purpose in moving when there was still so much unexplored in Sydney. As February approached I still hadn't secured the perfect house sit- the one that fit perfectly without any gaps and wasn't too hard to get too. I had obviously been way too fussy, or not opened my options wide enough.

Our hosts in Mosman had been very gracious in offering us to stay as long as we needed with them but as time approached we opened our options and an offer came for Yarraville in Melbourne for early February. We still had a few days free prior and rather than staying in Mosman found a great alternative also I Melbourne, in Cheltenham. This gave us the opportunity to experience Melbourne, as tourists, return and catch up with old friends. It had been 10 years since we sold our house there and had moved on.

Things really started to tie together on the day that our Mosman hosts returned, we booked a camper van relocation from Sydney to Melbourne, needing to be there before the Australia Day long weekend and we even ended up with $40 in our pocket after the relocation, as payment from the rental car company. It was a deal we couldn't refuse even though when we went to sign the papers there were so many insurances to pay for that it almost became not worth it.

We only had 24 hours for the relocation. We drove up the coast to Wollongong and then inland to Moss Vale, which was still freshly familiar to us. All went well and we stopped the night in Juigong just as it was getting dark at 8.30pm, a great choice but no power to plug into and it was a sticky, sweaty night without cooling. Melbourne wasn't so sticky hot though so after dropping off the camper we trotted off to the nearest bus stop and then train to get ourselves to our Cheltenham house sit with perfect timing.

Jet, a silky black Labrador was our new baby and the apartment backed onto a fully fenced dog park which Jet regarded as his backyard. We were out in the park several times a day with him as it offered us sun, picnic benches where to drink our cups of tea and opportunities to socialise with all the other doggie people. We couldn't really take Jet anywhere other than the dog park as he didn't walk well on the lead, so this was perfect and he enjoyed that we were able to give him so much attention as his mother and father were usually out all day. He snuggled up with us on the sofa as we managed to catch up on some movies and shows on Netflix. We were very comfortable there and my good childhood friend lived only a short distance away in Murrumbeena.

We didn't leave Jet alone very much, as we really didn't have anywhere else we needed to be and knowing that we were yet to have 3 weeks in Yarraville, where we had access to bicycles we just enjoyed getting to know where we were.

On Australia Day we spent the sunny afternoon at the local Clayton Festival where 3 stages had non-stop music and entertainment from all over the world. It was relaxed and good atmosphere.

For the couple of days in between being with Jet and having to be at Yarraville we stayed with my friend in Murrumbeena. It was a perfect opportunity to catch up and not overstay our welcome. I can't get over how perfectly the whole stay worked out- the timing of the bookings, the camper van relocation, managing to catch up with so many friends and the perfect locations.

We have now stayed with my friend in Murrumbeena several times, so we were familiar with the area and able to walk to our favourite spots. Diana recommended we spend one day at Oakley which was an unexpected pleasure. All the shops and restaurants were distinctively Greek in character so was the best place to get a genuine souvlaki and baklava and the outdoor cafes were packed with people doing the same. I love how, in Melbourne, each little suburb is self contained with their own village shops and parks. We truly felt that we could have been in a little country town in Greece.

Sydney was experiencing documented heatwaves while we were in Melbourne, we were lucky enough to have mild weather during this time to get around outdoors comfortably.

Yarraville Feb 2017

We arrived in Yarraville early and sat by The Sun Theatre where there was fake grass, public lounge chairs and shade sails. Astounded at the transformation of Yarraville from 10 years ago. It was full of cafes and yuppy eateries. Jazzy and Leo were the 2 cats we were about to look after for 3 weeks in a traditional wooden cottage a stone's throw from the Main Street. Their owners were busy with some last minute social business online as they had to "bless a haggis" for a group in Sydney. It was some momentous day if you were Scottish and it was fun to be involved.

Our 2 cats were both very sweet and only just learning to use their new cat flap. They weren't the best of friends with each other as one had joined the family later than the other but were tolerant and both loved the attention we gave them. Jazz was an adventurer and always eager to get out and about and Leo happy to snuggle on a warm chair all day and night. We enjoyed their antics and they were both very good company.

We had access to 2 bicycles which, for us, is always a big bonus. It adds an extra dimension to our house sit, as we can explore so much more and see things from a different perspective and pace. Tomas, as usual, got use of the super well equiped, easy to ride, "men's" bike and I had the rusty one with the flat tyre. This was exactly the same scenario as in Sydney. I was very happy to have been able to fix the flat tyre as I had doubts whether it would have been at all possible at first. With use of the bikes we used the new cycle trails which took us every where we wanted to go. We were in and out of the city often, as well as along the Yarra trail to the Botanical Gardens and even all the way to St Kilda. In North Melbourne I visited our old house and said hello to our old neighbour. Living in Yarraville invited us to explore the Maribyrnong River Trail and out to Williamstown. Bike tracks had come a long way since we had last used them here and Melbourne was now very cycle friendly.

We were lucky enough to be in the centre of everything for The Yarraville Festival, which was a wonderful colourful and exciting day. We could just pop back home for a rest whenever we wanted and then rejoin the action after recovering. Unsurprisingly, the weather was as we had remembered hot enough for sleeping with a fan on one night and then cold enough for heating the next.

Having had a good history of living in Melbourne we have many friends there. This was the first time that we had a solid chance to relax in Melbourne together since leaving. Until now it had just been a place we independently passed through when on the way to somewhere else. There had been many regrets about leaving since 2007 but this trip was healing and allowed us to "let go"and come to terms why we had made that decision to move on. Melbourne had been a great place to allow us the stability to bring up our little doggy but we, or rather I, felt claustrophobic there. I always felt an anxiety while living there. Not just trees and grass but when I was out of Melbourne I used to feel myself relax and truly breathe. I do not regret our time in Melbourne, all those years ago, it contributed to the financial stability that we have now and helped with our career climbing, essential during that time in life. I certainly don't regret all the wonderful years that we have had since leaving Melbourne and looking at our old little cottage where we had so much history together I remembered how small it really was and how closed in I used to feel living there. Now I understand my feelings better and why it is no longer a suitable place for us.

Tomas and I cycled around our old neighbourhood reliving the old memories. We sat in Royal Park, where we had walked our dog so many times, visited the cafes in Carlton, rode around Albert Park, Port Melbourne waterfront and St Kilda beach, Victoria Markets, Zoo and City Centre. It was all the same but also different, as it now felt immensely more crowded than we remembered. We also had a wonderful day at the Melbourne Zoo and and it was a blessing to have had the opportunity to re-connect with so many old friends. I made a point to see people that I hadn't seen in many years and had once been close to.

It was only 3 weeks in Yarraville but the time there was incredibly rewarding, relaxing, memorable and healing. Sometimes the least expected events in our lives can turn out to be the most perfect and this is how I feel about this particular time of ours in Melbourne.

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