Everybody needs good neighbours!

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Well what an exciting couple of days I've had. Been living some childhood dream. I'll start with Monday.

Monday I went around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) which is more a stadium it can hold 80,000 people (quite big). It's also where the Commonwealth Games are being held. Then I went to the Rod Laver Arena where the Aus Open tennis is held. Unfortunately when I went round it looked like any other stadium and had some chav kids with me. So after all that excitement didnt think anything else could beat it. But how wrong I was! In the evening at 6.30pm me and my friends (who I frog marched to the PC and told him to book a space!) left for St Kilda where an English pub called the Elephant and Wheelbarrow. This was to be the venue where I would meet some very special people - The stars of Neighbours! It was one of the best evenings Ive had in a long while.

I was on a table of 10 that included 3 recent Cambridge graduates. They are more Neighbours freaks then I am. During our very intense conversation about our fave show looked across to my friend who looked at me like 'You sad sad person'. But he got into the spirit of it (by using up a 512mb memory card!). So who did I meet I hear you ask, well I met David Bishop, Janelle Timmons, Connor and Harold. Ive got photo's of myself with them. Also there was Lil and Condy who were singing and the legend that is Dr Karl! Didnt meet him as you had to pay $25 for his album (and its not very good). His band were quite good as they played some of the old classics like Wodnerwall and Brown Eyed Girl. Felt like I was back at School Daze. There was a quiz as well which was done quite quickly (not like the Sovereigns one where you can have a meal and go to the loo between each question). Thought we did quite well on that but didnt even come in the top 10. I knew quite a lot of the Neighbours answers which worried a few people on the table. It was a good night and everyone got into the swing of things. The cast as well looked like they enjoyed it. Connor was the friendliest and Harold was a dirty ol' man making some v rude comments. Got back at midnight from that.

So Tues went to Albert Park, Aus F1 track but you wouldnt know a grand prix was held there. There's no grandstand or pit lane. Walked round the lake which is 5km. Then got back on the tram to St Kilda which has lots of nice bakeries and coffee bars and sat on the beach. As I was sitting on the beach I saw some cameras and who should be filming on the beach - Neighbours. It was a scene between Boyd and some girl, got some nice paparazzi shots. After that excitement went to the botanical gardens and YArra river after that.

Yesterday was a non-Neighbours day. Went to the immigration museum and the Victoria State parliament building. Where we had a classic guide, she was so funny and slagging off people. Then went to the Shrine of Rememberance for the war dead.

Today I went to the motherland - Ramsey Street. Got a tour in a bus that has Neighbours painted all over it. There were some very funny looks from people, but I think that was jealousy! Could imagine if you got run down by it: Police 'Could you please describe the vechile that ran you down' Cyclist 'Yes it was blue and had Neighbours down the side'! Very good tour guide who was a Neighbours fanatic. We went past the studios (the company is in negotiations to get people to go inside) and she told us who was at work as she knows all the stars cars! The rest of us were pissing ourselves with laughter as I'm sure thats a form of stalking! So drove to Vermount/Erinsborough to Pin Oak Court. Got photos of the houses. Theres only about 10 houses down the street. It's absolutely tiny but I suppose some clever trickery makes it seem longer. Apparently one family wouldnt move to Neighbours unless they could get a Neighbours house so they got the Hoylands. The residents get paid for the inconvience, I think I would be paying them. It was raining on the way but once there a rainbow appeared and the sun came out as it never rains in Erinsborough. Got photos with me with the sign for Ramsey St. Heard an interesting fact from the tour guide - all the stars like to do panto as 1 weeks panto wage is 9 months Neighbours pay! None of the soaps pay well as there aren't many of them so actors have no choice. They get a fair wage for the Trivia nights.

It was fantastic and nice to see where it's all filmed. So got Neighbours out of my system have to find something else to. But wait the Melbourne Museum has an exhibition on Neighbours and part of the set. I know what I'm doing tomorrow!!! Also going to do a tour around the Telstra Dome and try and get to another Aussie rules game. Sydney Swans are playing here on Sat.

Done quite a lot of touristy things as the sights in Mel arent the same as Syd. But there are 10x the number of shops and Mel doesnt have as many tourists. A good vibe here. Off to Adelaide on Tues for a week and then camping in the outback for a week and then flying to Cairns for the sun. I'll be updating along the way. Off now to eat my lovely Meatball sandwich from Subway (yes I'm a veggie but with only certain things)

Karen

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[ANDREW]

G'DAY