The Land of OZ

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As most you know by now, I have arrived safe and sound in Melbourne. Sorry it took me so long to write but the past week has been pretty busy, settling in and learning my way around.

The flight over was very long but otherwise uneventful. In all I was in the air for a little over 21 hours, but suprisingly the jet lag wasnt that bad at all. (Tip for those thinking of coming over, make sure you fly in mid to late afternoon. It makes a huge difference.) Originally I had wanted to fly directly into Melbourne but now am glad I had a stop-over in Fiji. I was very impressed with Fiji from my brief encounter. Not only did the people seem very nice, but it was absolutley gorgeous. At the airport in Nadi, my gate was actually an open-aired breezeway, so it allowed for a breathe of fresh air, and let us have a good look around as well. I am going to try to make it back over there if at all possible to spend a couple of days.

I am currently staying with friends, but am moving closer to school later this week. It wil be quite convient, just a few bus stops from campus, and about a 30 minute train ride into the heart of the city. Public transportation is great here, clean, safe, and pretty affordable.

With a little over 3 million people, Melbourne is one of the largest cities in Australia..second only to Sydney. I have been in a couple of times, just to get my bearings and snap a few pics but hope to do the tourist thing soon.
The one thing I have not quite gotten used to is the weather. It is very unpredictable, even worse than North Carolina. You could seriously go from wearing a tanktop and sunglasses to a sweatshirt and umbrealla in the span of an hour.
That's about it for now. But I hope to get back into the city and explore a nearby mountain range in the next week or so.

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Photos

Air Pacific
The view from our gate at the Nadi Airport in Fiji

Fiji
Another view from the airport

Mt. Dandenong
The view from Adam, Kelly, and Dan's place in Kilsyth

In the Wild
A cockatoo in the wild. These birds are quite loud and annoying, but can be fun to watch.

Flinders Street Station
This is the main train and bus terminal in the heart of Melbourne.

Chinatown
Melbourne is a very multi-cultural city. This is one of the entrances to the city's Chinatown.

Young and Jackson's
This is the city's most famous pub, located right across from Flinder's Street Station.

The Yarra
A look at the financial district from across the Yarra River. The Yarra divides the city, with the business district on one side and the entertainment venues such as the arts center and crown casino on the other.

Typical Aussie Fridge
Victoria Bitter is the favored beer of Melbournians, but I am not a fan.

Comments

[anonymous]

Neat
Looks neat. Maybe your pictures will persuade us to make the big trip. Enjoy! - Mom

[anonymous]

Hello
Hey Jodi, What beautiful pictures. We miss you back here in High Point. - Dustin

[anonymous]

Hey
Glad you made it safely. Good luck with school. - Jeff

[anonymous]

GA DAY
HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS YEAR ,BE SAFE - JOHN HENRY

[anonymous]

WOW.. Great pictures Jodi- It looks really neat! Hope things are well, and your enjoying your new adventure! The AM crew misses you! Jamie - Jamie

[anonymous]

Awesome
Hey Jodi- It was great to hear from you. I'm so excited for you, I know you're happy to be there. Hope you're having a fantastic time! - Heather

[Grant]

VB
How could you not be a fan of VB?