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Published: January 1st 2009
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Happy New Year one and all!!!
Drove down from Hervey Bay via Noosa (absolutely unable to stop there, it was more crowded than Harrod's sale!!) and Mooloolaba (less crowded, but busier than last time we were there). Had a pleasant lunch and walkaround then headed down to our overnight Brissie lodgings. Nice civilised apartment, made the most of it, for the rest of our Aus leg of the trip we have to economise.
The flight down to Melbourne was a dream. We got to the airport just a bit early for a domestic flight and were faffing about in front of the self check-in machine when a sweet girl from Qantas came up to help the old'uns with this magic new technology. The magic machine asked us if we'd like to catch the flight that left an hour earlier than our scheduled departure. Oh yes......... please....... we were already going to be very tight on time for the check in at our 'budget' apartment and the extra hour would make the difference between awkward and easy-ish. This also meant that we avoided the bag drop queue and got pulled straight to an empty desk. From entry into the airport
to sitting in the departure lounge took all of 10 minutes. It'd be nice if they were all like that.
Then they even delayed the departure for 10 mins, just enough time for me to get a much needed flat white inside me to caffeine jump start my day. Brill.
We've got a dirt cheap apartment here, really somewhere where you just want to lay your head. It's got most things we need, but there's no frills, it's just like a student flat really, but cleaner and the toilet isn't blocked. It'll do, particularly as it's in a very nice street in a very nice area of South Yarra. Very convenient for shopping in Chapel Street, Prahran Market and the short walk over the bridge to the outlet shops in Richmond.
Our soundtrack has become the new Kings of Leon album 'Only By The Night'. Just about every shop we've been into that has any pretensions of hipness has been blasting out one track or another from it. So we had to buy it. They're a great band and it's a great album.
I was hoping to get to the Boxing Day Test match, but put off
going on the monday only to see the Australians piss away a promising start and make tuesday's play a waste of time even thinking about going to.
We walked down past the MCG shortly after SA had convincingly won and were treated to the sight of a very drunken Australian fan fruitlessly trying to get past the bouncers into a nearby pub. Just like everywhere in the world, the louder and more abusively he protested the less interested the security looked. I only got a quick still, a movie would have been great.
Barb would have loved to see the Australian Open at the Rod Laver arena. Like me and the cricket, our schedule didn't take it into account and it's too difficult and expensive to rearrange. Maybe next year 😉)
As I prophesied in an earlier entry, I've had to pay a penance for a bit of aircon arrogance in Mackay. I've been dragged round the Boxing day sales for 3 solid days, my poor old feet have taken a severe pounding. Me!! non-stop round the shops for 8 hours solid...... and that was just the first day!!
Still, I got the last laugh, it's only been
me that's got the bargains!!!!
Being back in a city has made me realise that when you're in an urban environment it really is incumbent upon you to actually put a bit of thought into how you present your public face. Particularly as my fresh new haircut has returned me to the human race. So it's been new shirts, new shoes and a man-bag for me.
I may not yet be the epitome of sartorial elegance, but I
am looking a bit more presentable. Also managed to persuade B that the answer to all our internet problems was a prepaid mobile USB modem. If you'reading this entry then I've proved my point. It's lucky I didn't spot the tiny mobile router than enables you to create your own wifi network with the dongle till later otherwise the budget would have taken even more of a hammering.
By day 3 B had managed to pick herself up a sweet pink cardie thing from the Morgan sale at a bargain price. Just in time for NYE out on the banks of the Yarra. You need plenty of layers to cope with the bi-bipolar weather that Melbourne enjoys. I'd been warned
about the unpredictability of the Melbourne climate, but the knowledge doesn't really prepare you for the reality. If you don't like the way the weather is just now, don't worry, it'll be different in 5 minutes time. The forecast is for 34 celsius early next week, I'll believe it when I feel it. No doubt the temp will get to that......... just not on the day it's forecast. When it gets really hot we'll just have to head for the beach. At least when it gets hot here it's not usually associated with stifling humidity.
I'm getting to love this place. We had a great NYE in the city. Huge crowds, but a really relaxed friendly vibe. No aggression, no posturing, no alcohol or glass allowed. We, along with many, many others, circumvented this law, but it's taken on board by everyone that what the 'no alcohol' law really means is 'don't act like a prat'. So no-one did. I can't see that sort of self-policing working in the UK though. That makes me very sad, it says something quite worrying about the state of British society to me 😞(
An enjoyable night was had by all, or
so it seemed. I'll let B tell you about it.
Melbourne is fun, and we haven't even seen that much of it yet, so glad to get jb his man bag so much easier for us both. The fireworks were fabulous the vibe was chilled, just wish we'd drunk slightly less wine! Ah well gonna try hair of the dog and a walk. The flat is studenty but in such a good location, the houses in the street are so varied and it's lovely, wide and tree lined, reminds me of the street in London we used to live in. Of course the shopping is just wonderful. The amount of absolute gorgeous stuff for the home in the shops is brill, much less expensive than UK, in my head I have refurnished the house several times over with some lovely furniture - I so want this bath tub! Send money! We are gonna try and tear ourselves away to go to the beach though, which is a short trip on the train, and called Brighton Beach, mmm perhaps it's surrounded by good shops too......
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Europe Rick
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Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, both of you!.....does the 'New Look' mean the pigtail has gone?