OK, so I'm still job hunting, but everything closed down for ages over Christmas and New Year here and is only just starting up again. I'm ever hopeful that I'll find something soon - I've blitzed with my CV, so we'll see.
In the meantime I haven't just been twiddling my thumbs! I have explored Melbourne with Geoff. This included taking in "The Life of Brian" under the stars (and bats!) in the botanic gardens on Christmas Eve, meaning that for the whole rest of the time we have been bursting into song (or more often whistling). When Geoff wasn't asking "are we nearly there yet" - despite my constant reminders that life's not about the destination, it's about the journey. That's as philosophical as this post's going to get - it's all downhill from here.
We have also explored the Melbourne Museum (lots of cool buttons to press and interesting insights like "canoes need oars"), St Kilda Beach (rather a disappointment after many of the beaches I've been to with soft white sand and no litter... but we did see a baby penguin on the pier),the Melbourne State Library (complete with quiet room surrounded by metal steps that echo fantastically if you hit them just right with a flipflop - you have to try hard though! Oh, and Ned Kellys armour), the Dandenongs (courtesy of Imtiaz who couldn't think of anything else to show us), Melbourne Aquarium (which I'd probably have enjoyed more if it wasn't New Years Day and therefore the way perspective changes as you walk past curved tanks was REALLY trippy) and Melbourne Gaol (which is where Ned Kelly was imprisoned and hung, and would make a really good hostel!). Oh, and the Great Ocean Road, let's not forget that! Which was really impressive, if chilly. Great for the "rock scientist" (Geoff). The trip was short and fun, taking in many of the sights like the 12 apostles (there aren't 12 and no-one seems to know exactly how many there are - you wouldn't have thought that rocks could move THAT fast would you?!) and London Bridge (which really IS falling down), as well as allowing ample time for koala spotting! I learnt (again - but I keep forgetting!) that it's COLD along the coast here. Geoff learnt that he looks like he has a bad case of dandruff all day if he does a headstand on the sand...
So New Years Eve was spent drinking in the hostel with the Swedish contingent (a Swedish family and friends), Ricardo, Thomas and Fabrice (the campervan boys) and a British couple before we headed off towards Federation Square at about 11pm. We never made Fed Square, we ended up viewing the midnight fireworks from the forbidden position (
as it's the best position!) of the bridge beside Fed Square. Not before we lost the Swedish contingent. And found them again by Geoff bellowing "SWEDEN" as they passed in the crowd! Alcohol was forbidden in public. So obviously several groups had plastic bottles filled with "ribena". After midnight (and an impromptu performance of acapella Swedish rap...) we headed to Fed Square (finally getting there around 1am!) and ended up standing in the middle of the road, where the tram tracks cross, outside Flinder Street Station - what a great place for drunken photos... which are up on facebook now... Happy New Year!!
In the meantime I haven't just been twiddling my thumbs! I have explored Melbourne with Geoff. This included taking in "The Life of Brian" under the stars (and bats!) in the botanic gardens on Christmas Eve, meaning that for the whole rest of the time we have been bursting into song (or more often whistling). When Geoff wasn't asking "are we nearly there yet" - despite my constant reminders that life's not about the destination, it's about the journey. That's as philosophical as this post's going to get - it's all downhill from here.
We have also explored the Melbourne Museum (lots of cool buttons to press and interesting insights like "canoes need oars"), St Kilda Beach (rather a disappointment after many of the beaches I've been to with soft white sand and no litter... but we did see a baby penguin on the pier),the Melbourne State Library (complete with quiet room surrounded by metal steps that echo fantastically if you hit them just right with a flipflop - you have to try hard though! Oh, and Ned Kellys armour), the Dandenongs (courtesy of Imtiaz who couldn't think of anything else to show us), Melbourne Aquarium (which I'd probably have enjoyed more if it wasn't New Years Day and therefore the way perspective changes as you walk past curved tanks was REALLY trippy) and Melbourne Gaol (which is where Ned Kelly was imprisoned and hung, and would make a really good hostel!). Oh, and the Great Ocean Road, let's not forget that! Which was really impressive, if chilly. Great for the "rock scientist" (Geoff). The trip was short and fun, taking in many of the sights like the 12 apostles (there aren't 12 and no-one seems to know exactly how many there are - you wouldn't have thought that rocks could move THAT fast would you?!) and London Bridge (which really IS falling down), as well as allowing ample time for koala spotting! I learnt (again - but I keep forgetting!) that it's COLD along the coast here. Geoff learnt that he looks like he has a bad case of dandruff all day if he does a headstand on the sand...
So New Years Eve was spent drinking in the hostel with the Swedish contingent (a Swedish family and friends), Ricardo, Thomas and Fabrice (the campervan boys) and a British couple before we headed off towards Federation Square at about 11pm. We never made Fed Square, we ended up viewing the midnight fireworks from the forbidden position (
as it's the best position!) of the bridge beside Fed Square. Not before we lost the Swedish contingent. And found them again by Geoff bellowing "SWEDEN" as they passed in the crowd! Alcohol was forbidden in public. So obviously several groups had plastic bottles filled with "ribena". After midnight (and an impromptu performance of acapella Swedish rap...) we headed to Fed Square (finally getting there around 1am!) and ended up standing in the middle of the road, where the tram tracks cross, outside Flinder Street Station - what a great place for drunken photos... which are up on facebook now... Happy New Year!!
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