Advertisement
Published: January 8th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Hello, after NYE spent a few days with Ros and Eleanor’s family going the beach and round to peoples houses for lunch. Getting well looked after anyway and all the Aussies are really friendly and welcoming. .
Catching the 'rip' is good fun and you just get thrown about in the waves . . been a bit cloudy and windy on a couple of days but still good fun. Went out to the local rugby social club with Ros, Sam, Eleanor and Nan. For 86 years old Nan gets round better than most! Was a good night but these people are addicted to gambling . . everywhere you turn you can have a bet - these are not normal social clubs like we have they're absolutely massive!
Went up the Blue Mountains next day with Ros and her mates kid Jacob . . was a laugh 'bush walking' and getting a feel for the outback. Scenery if brilliant, although the three sisters were a lot smaller than I expected - Ros reckons they're shrinking! Its been good catching up and hearing all the stories about growing up out here and the laughs they've had.
Got to Melbourne and
met Uncle Eric and his grand daughter Emily on the 5th Jan. . you can tell he's a funny fella straight away and met his wife Judy and their daughter Lisa (another cousin!) and her kids in the afternoon. Spent the rest of the day having a good few bevs with Eric and Judy - had some great tucker and the next day went looking for a backpacker place to crash for a couple of nights before I fly to Cairns on Friday. Went round the city with Eric and had a spot of lunch in the centre of town. Melbourne is like a mini New York - same street layout and yellow cabs . . . a lot smaller and the people are lot friendlier! Found a backpacker place not far from town and looks pretty decent.
Next night had a good old Aussie BBQ at Lisa's - was a good laugh and her husband Geoff cooked a beautiful steak - couple bottles of red wine later we had to take Eric home. Weather is a bit funny in Melbourne - seems to go from bright and warm to cloudy and a bit Windy every 20 minutes .
. .
Eric dropped me off Wednesday afternoon and I made myself comfortable in the bar at the backpacker place - bit cold outside! Was a bit paranoid going into the backpacker place (I walked in the room with my back against the wall and hugging my backpack . . . no need to, two guys from Holland spend all day in bed, a lad who looks and acts like Woody Allen with a Scottish accent and two girls from Germany - I could only tell they were girls from the pink flip flops) Started talking to an Aussie guy called Bradd about the cricket in the bar and the next thing ya know we're best mates and his mates come down and join in. . . ended up having a good laugh and having a few bevs in their flat round the corner - had a couple more in a pub by St Kilda beach but was a bit quiet so went home about 12.
Spent Thursday walking round Melbourne - another chilly start to the day but was still great walking down the river and to take in the sights of the city. Very clean and
lots of places to eat and drink with people friendly - could get used to this! Jumped on the trams round the city and headed over to the jail where Ned Kelly was hung and watched an entertaining re-enactment in the jail itself - was funny and interesting, got my photo took with the armer he used. Spent the rest of the day seeing the sights and had a drink on the river - was sitting and a helicopter came right in and landed right next to the river, loads of people went running for their lives, was funny.
Booked a flight for this Friday (at the airport now) up to Cairns so will be learning to surf and going the great barrier reef this weekend - can't wait! Will be doing the croc parks and working my way down to Brisbane and the gold coast. Have loads of ideas on where to go from Lisa so should be good . . have people to meet and stay with as well so should be able to stay out of the hostels for most of the time.
Can't upload all of my photos as its a bit of a
nightmare on these public PCs. . . have heaps to put on anyway.
The past week has been great and meeting Eric and Judy and their family was fantastic, Melbourne was cool and one of those places you say to yourself 'I could live here' . . .
Looking forward to getting in the sea . . . see you all soon!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.117s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0848s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Keviano
non-member comment
Cairns
Looking forward to pics in the Stinger suit lid....