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Published: April 2nd 2010
Brisbane
View from the suburbs of BrisbaneOk so it's been a while since ive updated my blog but its all with good reason. Exciting things have been put in place and ive been a busy bee setting up a little life for myself in Melbourne.
After a slight panic at discovering i’d maybe taken the whole 'relaxing' thing a bit too much to heart as I open my flight itinerary to find that dumb ass over here had totally missed her flight to Oz by a month...yes guys a month. Damn...and i had always prided myself on good time keeping.
Anyway, low and behold im guessing im not the first to have slipped into the travel trance and a few pleads over the phone to the travel agent and all was back under control.
So off i go to the land down under: First stop Brisbane.
Mark and the family welcomed me to sunny Australia with great big hugs.
I was overwhelmed by their family life in the cute suburbs of Brisbane. I was spoilt rotten as they made me feel right at home and in true Ozzy style, the barbie was lit and the beers cracked opened.
Over the next two weeks I
basked in the sun and its humid temperatures getting into mischief with the kids and generally slobbing out.
The guys showed me round the city and took me to their family holiday home in Mooloolabar a few hours North. The kids were adorable and the change in lifestyle was just what i needed.
A couple weeks later i book myself on a tour to 'Fraser Island'. After a morning debrief the 8 of us are let loose onto the worlds largest sand island with a 4WD, a large supply of food and an even larger supply of alcohol.
The world heritage site stretches for miles with golden white sand dunes, fresh water lakes and dense jungle terrain.
From the moment we drove onto the island it was clear we were in for a bumpy ride.
With ipods blaring and goon box's flowing we hung on for deer life as we took turns driving through the treacherous tracks.
A few hours later we emerge at the waters edge with the sand sprawling as far as the eye could see.
We set up camp as the sun sets and spent the evening under a blanket of stars as we met with
fellow groups to wine, dine and participate in messy drinking games around the camp fire.
The following day we headed to the 'Champagne pools' for a swim and made our way up Indian Head with the hope of grabbing a glimpse of the Tiger Sharks and Sting Rays feeding in the waters below. Unfortunately we didn't have the pleasure of their presence that particular day but the scenery was fantastic and the trip was a total success.
After constantly being on the move for the past 6 months I was hankering for some stability and a base where i could possibly stop for a few months and break into a routine of some sort. So when i received a call from Niamh in Melbourne suggesting i come down south to join her and a friend i jumped at the opportunity and booked my flights.
With no job and no where to live the three of us, well, hung out at the pub of course!
No seriously, we managed to get some contact details of a local ozzy man that ran a rather unique home/bed-sit in the heart of St Kilda.
The classic old Victorian house had once been
split into self contained apartments for the elderly. It was now over run by the likes of us smelly travellers. Early Melbourne memories consist of a crazy life in 'Jessica House'.
With over 20 of us mulling around the mansion it was never short of life. In fact the place was pretty much a party house for the unemployed.
Each evening those that were fortunate enough to find work would joined the others in the communal area where we'd play music, set up the bbq, get the poker chips out and crack open the cheapest bottle of wine we could get our hands on. Over the next two months the 'Jessica House' family was born and livers destroyed.
A few weeks in and i was lucky enough to sign up to an agency and began temping at various jobs in town.
With money coming in and a reasonable place to live it was time for me to build up my circle of friends and what better way than to join the University women's soccer team. It was a great opportunity to befriend locals and as it stands another 6 months down the line I've met a crowd that i
Brisbane
Who's up for a feast? You could feed an army with this thing! hold close to my heart and will be in contact with for years to come.
They took me under their wing and not only let me free to flow on the footie pitch but helped me discover the magic within Melbourne.
Voted ‘World's Most Liveable City' Melbourne is an incredibly vibrant place. It strives to bring visual arts, live music and fashion to its people. It's also Australia's sport, culture and food capital. Definitely a place to be!
The city holds an obvious European influence with its wonderful Victorian terraces and Heritage listed buildings combined with that of a modern Asian feel.
Much thought has been embedded into the cities structure. Many of the new buildings have been designed by an aerie of architects with their own unique touch.
With the city shaped around the grid system its was easy for me to navigate my way round and I've begun to piece together the suburbs that surround the CBD (central business district).
North of the city is Fitzroy. This has become my main hang out. Although its across town from where i live its home to many of the footie girls and university crowd. The inner-suburb has a bohemian
culture with its edgy elements. Packed with art studios and funky retro shops its a great little area to socialise. At night it comes alive with musicians busking on street corners and quirky bars all along busy Brunswick street.
South is the bay side town of St Kilda where i now live in a flat just across from the beach. It holds a special spot in my heart. Its where my Melbourne days began and has many of those little things I'd tick off on my list of 'must have's'!
As a young kid I've always insisted I'd live amongst the palm trees and sea. I have access to everything within a 5min walk and feel surrounded by an energetic vibe.
To my left is Auckland street. Its very cosmopolitan and independent. A favourite amongst the tourists with its picturesque sea front setting, famous traditional cake shops and a magnitude of restaurants to satisfy those tastebuds. Aileen and myself have spent many a mornings nursing our hangovers with brunch being a ritual of ours on a Saturday morning. God bless the eggs benedict and flat white coffees.
To add to its character the little town even has a historic
fun fair with a trademark wooden roller coaster and hand-painted chariots.
To my right and literally on my doorstep is the landmark 'Esplanade Hotel'. For over 100 years this has been Melbourne's premier live music venue with everyone from local legends to international performers taking to its stage. This place is teaming all week and is a great spot for either your chilled out drinks after work or full on Friday night shenanigans.
Further down the road is Albert Park. This is an awesome outdoor setting. It's over 225 hectares of park land with every sports facility known to man. It's also home to one of the Formula 1's race tracks where i spent an unforgettable day with my London buddy James at the track.
Now, don't get me wrong, St Kilda is by no mean paradise. With a reputation tainted by its history of unemployed and infestation of prostitutes and druggies it definitely has its cracks but hey it sure brings some character to the place and I've never felt unwelcome or unsafe. Lets just say St Kilda much like Brighton and Hastings, has that sea-side feel to the place but when the sun is shining and people take
to the streets it definitely one of my favourite places in Melbourne.
So, in the midst of settling back into the routine of 9 to 5 working life, ive enjoyed a bit of normality and the presence of an established group of friends.
I 've done my best to make the most of the situation and made various outings to events such as, wine tasting in the Yarra valley, Camping along the Great Ocean road, chanting at various AFL matches, piercing my ears with the zoom of the F1 race cars, listened to the legendary band 'The Who', weekends away at ‘Lake Entrance’ and many more cherished days.
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