Best Weekend Ever

This past weekend was the final footy game of the season... like the Superbowl in the US. Everyone had barbeques and parties, bets were placed on the winner, and the city was going nuts.

I went to a bbq to watch the game... didn't end up seeing much of it, but has the best time. And afterwards, everyone was out celebrating if their team won... or drowning their sorrows if their team lost.

Saturday I booked a day tour to Philip Island, where the big attraction is the Penguin Parade. At night, little fairy penguins come in from the ocean and waddle along the beach to their homes in the grass and hills. The tour lasts 9 hours and makes stops all along the way. Here are some of the highlights:

What better way to start a trip that with wine tasting. We went to Gurdies Winery, and learned about how they made some of their wines. We tasted 5 or 6 varieties. Some were good, some were too dry, but free wine at noon? Yes, thank you.

Next stop was Cape Woolamai, a gorgeous surf beach. It was stunning... untouched and completely natural looking. No cafes, no shops... just a viewing deck and you could see for miles down the coast.

It was a little cold and windy for surfing so no one was out. Our guide told us Australian beaches are rated 1-10 for safety, 10 being the most dangerous. This beach was a 8.

And now... for the photos you have all been waiting for: kangaroos! The next stop was Maru Wildlife Park. We had the chance to feed and play with wallabies and kangaroos. There is not much visible difference between the two except size, but they are apparently different species.

This is me and my new favorite buddy. He followed me around for a while knowing I had more food.

There was another larger male kangaroo, he stood about as tall as me and he got a little pushy. One of the guides told me to push him down by his shoulders if he got rough. I tried once, but he was actually too strong for me. I couldn't get him to leave me alone, and the guide said a last resort was to drop the food and just step back. The kangaroo really did start knocking me over and I just got scared and had to drop the food.

I like the females better... a little smaller and a little nicer. This one has a little joey in her pouch.

I could have stayed here for hours... but we had to move along to catch the penguins.

Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to use cameras on the beach during the penguin parade, so I stole these from a website to show you. It's great watching them come out of the water... they are so tiny, maybe 8 or 10 inches high. They huddle together in the sand, groups of 20 or 30 at a time. They check that everyone made it out of the surf together. And they waddle along within just a few feet of you to their burrows.

It happens every night, and lasts for hours. Once you've seen a few groups, you can walk along a wooden deck that winds through the grassy hills where their homes are. You can get really close to them... it takes a lot of willpower not to grab one and put it in your bag.

Street Festival

Like I said before... Melbourne is an very social, artsy city. This past weekend I went to a big street festival north of the city called High Vibes. It was a long stretch of 9 or 10 streets blocked off, with bands playing, beer and food vendors, and tons of shops and stands selling all sorts of things. (I bought two really awesome rings, if you are interested.)

The group of friends I'm with are so great. I've met them through another friend, and they've been so nice and so welcoming. They've really made me feel at home. They're all from England, most from the same area and have been in Melbourne for a few years.

Don't worry... I still miss all of you at home!

Urban Art

The thing that drew me to Melbourne was hearing (and reading) that it was a very artsy city. There are sections of town for the bohemian, hippie types... others for the funky, urban, modern ones. There are a few annual festivals and always some shows and music going on in the city. Just a walking tour through the central part of the city, you will find random urban art. There are murals and sculpture pieces everywhere. Some are a bit odd, but all together, it gives Melbourne a really cool, creative vibe. These are some of the things I found along the way.




I'm not too sure about this one... I can't decide if it's a make-up compact or a change purse. But it's just a piece of artwork most people use as a bench.

Just another piece... these are all through the city. No real rhyme or reason, but they make it interesting.

This one I love... it's looks like a library is sinking into the sidewalk (or pushing out of it, for the optimists). It's in the middle of the city, in front of the State Library.



The other cool thing about Australian cities is the buskers... the people who play music, or do some kind of trick on the street (no, not those kinds of tricks) to earn money. They aren't beggars though... you actually have to get a license to busk and earn money this way. You can always find really good musicians setting up on a busy corner playing music. I saw this woman the other day. I dont know what they are called... but she stands still, looking like a sculpture.



It's kind of surreal... all these things can makes it feel like walking through a Dr. Suess novel or something. I usually use these pieces as ways to find my way around ("Turn left at the sinking library, walk past the change purse"... works for me!)

Back into It

Sorry, it's been a while since I posted anything good. I am back into a routine of working 5 days a week, so my week days have been somewhat uneventful. I figure I should get the work out of the way now so I can enjoy the money I'm making for the rest of my trip. I've tried to squeeze all the fun I can out of the weekends though.

The nights are beautiful in the city... so much is going on and people are everywhere looking for a good time. I spent some time visiting a few more pubs (sorry, Mom) but I did get a chance to see more of what the city had to offer outside of the bars.

Like every major city in Australia, it's based along the coast and has beautiful beaches. The most popular beach area in Melbourne is St. Kilda. It was warm enough this weekend to visit, so I hopped on a tram for the 15 minute ride in. The place is gorgeous, and has so many outdoor shops and eateries along the water, called the Esplanade. Melbourne is itching for summer to start, so even though it wasn't really the swimming/surfing kind of beach weather, people were still there enjoying the sun.

Sunday, I went back again with two friends, Mike and Amy, who are here from New Zealand. We got lunch near the beach and went to Luna Park, a little amusement park there. There is one of these in Sydney too... and they both have this weird entrance of a pretty creepy looking clown face. The park is small, but if you go on any of the rides that take you high up, you get a great view of the beach, the Esplanade, and the city skyline in the background.

Fun weekend.. and now it's back to work...

New Home

This weekend, I moved to Urban Central... a new hostel much closer to the center of the city. It's really nice, very clean, and has lots of freebies. I am staying in a 4-bed dorm room, that feels much more private than that because of how the furniture is set up. If you still think hostels are creepy and dangerous... don't. Look at their website, it's great: http://www.urbancentral.com.au/.

My roommates are a German girl, who is in Melbourne for another week. And two Irish sisters who are heading home in a few days. The Irish girls have been traveling for a while, and said their favorite place to visit was the US. They said everyone was so nice to them there... I thought to myself it's because everyone in America wishes they were Irish! Especially on St Patrick's Day!

Here is my new home... for the next three weeks anyway.