Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The time has come to say goodbye to Asia. The last few months have been incredible, but The Big Adventure is not ready to retire. Before we say goodbye, we felt privileged to be able check out the worlds best airport, 'Singapore Airport.' Did it live up to its name? Maybe in the other terminals. Where we were in terminal one was nice but definitely not the best in the world. Has nobody been to Dublin Airport? They did have a really cool display that was synced to music. That was impressive. Our flight to Oz was nice and comfortable. It was a bit strange as with Qantas a lot of their flight steward's are middle aged men rather than the conventional good looking females and the odd gay male! Luckily for us, they had a good choice of movies for us to enjoy and some very tasty food. Jason made sure to take full advantage of the free alcohol! Before we knew it, we had touched down in Australia! We thought going through the Australian customs was going to be a little bit scary, especially after watching 'Nothing to Declare.' I think that programme is a little bit exaggerated. We got through fine. Back in Singapore, Jason stuffed a wooden back scratcher into my bag and anyone bringing wood into Oz has to declare it. Leaving Melbourne Airport, i had to explain to customs what it was, but luckily enough they let me straight through without checking the item. From there we jumped straight in an airport express bus to the city. It brought us to the 'Central Train Station' and from there we got a free shuttle bus to our hostel. We had to wait a while for it but we couldn't really complain as it was free, just a shame the airport express bus wasn't the same! When we arrived at 'Urban Central Accommodation,' we were very thankful that we were able to check in straight away as we were both exhausted. After checking in, we both went straight into our lovely beds and we didn't get up till five that evening. We were wrecked. It's a really nice hostel and what is great about it is that they have different things on each night. The first night they had a free BBQ with lots and lots of tasty sausages. Not exactly 'Superquinn Sausages' but at least they were proper sausages and not hotdog ones! The following morning we woke up nice and early as we had a couple of things to sort out and a very special person to visit and good old 'Mrs Brown' waits for no man! It was really nice being able to see our fair city on the big screen especially being so far away from home! We always like visiting Mrs Brown as we are always guaranteed a laugh! From there we went straight to the bank where we were greeted by the lovely Marilyn who helped us setup bank accounts. She even gave us a list of the top bars in Melbourne to visit. What a really really nice thing to do! The following day we had to go into her to finalise our accounts and she sorted out our tax numbers off her own bat. That is what you call service. She told us how her son is gay and how she wishes she could run his boyfriend over. I don't think she likes him very much. She is very funny! Mary, who is a bit of a celebrity cook in the hostel cooks the most amazing food and the two of us have been taking full advantage of it. Of course, the great thing about this place is that there is a huge kitchen with plenty of storage for your food, that most people just cook! Myself and Jason decided to do a food shop and get back into the whole cooking buzz. We have been away from the kitchen for far too long! Trying to get things done, I got the two of us new sim cards with lovely new Aussie numbers. Ask for it nicely and I'll give you our new numbers! If you are ringing us, just remember the time difference, thanks! Like I was telling you, they have different things on each night and one of the nights they had a quiz which was really good fun. Last night they had a 'Games Night' with foosball and Jenga tournament's, of which Jason entered both and lost both on the very first round. Don't know how he lost, but there you go. I myself entered the Jenga tournament where I managed to reach the final. Jason was shocked that I had gone so far. The guy I was up against in the final, Shaun, I had played him already but there wasn't enough people playing so the two of us ended up going through. Unfortunately, I lost the tournament but not by lack of effort. I took a block out and the whole thing was about to collapse. I was there for ages trying to fix it, but in the end the whole thirty story tower just collapsed, block by block. To be fair, it was Shaun's birthday so it was only right that he win. It was a good laugh. Definitely an enjoyable night! During the night at around 5am, the fire alarm went off a couple of times. Luckily it was only a false alarm and we didn't have to evacuate but it still woke us all up. The next day we found out that it was only our floor that was woken up by it. That's what you call bad luck! One of the things that surprised us about Melbourne is how cold it can be. If you think everyone spends most of their time half naked on the beach, think again. It maybe winter here but I would of thought that their winters would be more like our summers. How wrong was I! The cold has definitely frogilised Jason's poor baldy head and the brave soldier is very ill with a bad cold. Don't worry, like I said, he is a brave soldier and I know he will make a speedy recovery! The following day, with the rest of the gang all heading down to 'St. Kilda,' The two of us thought it would be fun to join in. It took us all about an hour to walk down. On the way, we past 'Albert Park' which is a huge open area consisting of many different things centered around a larger lake with a backdrop of the Melbourne skyline. It's a beautiful area. Becky from the U.S.A. had great fun chasing all the little birds! Not long after the park we reached the seaside town of St. Kilda. It's a lovely area with lots of nice bars and restaurants. While the beach is nice, it was a bit too cold for a swim. Along the beach promenade are the 'St. Kilda Baths' which is a fancy pool and sauna area. Myself and Jason went in to see how much it would be. There were two girls at the reception desk. One was very friendly, the other was a bit odd! The nice one asks us if we want to take a look. We said ok! The odd one goes to me 'No photos allowed,' so I go to her really sarcastically 'Why noooot? Why can't I take photos?' Not getting my sarcasm she responds with 'You can't take photos as the people inside are half dressed and it's quite perverted!' If all Australians are like her, lord help me now! Later on, the two of us went for a nice casual walk along the pier for sunset. It was a perfect night for it as there was not a cloud insight, just a glorious blue sky. The view of the sea filled with all the yachts and a backdrop of beautiful sky turning a lovely orangey colour was picture perfect. Along the pier in between all the rocks are tiny little penguins that only come out after the sun settles. You want to see them! They are definitely one of the cutest things I have ever seen. An amazing sight! It is like something you see on a documentary. As the sun came down it looked as if it was touching the sea. It was absolutely spectacular. If you ever visit Melbourne, you have to come to St. Kilda to see the penguins and enjoy a beautiful sunset, particularly on a nice, clear day! You definitely won't be disappointed! The following day, we did more touristy things. Along the 'River Yara' is really nice. There are lots of interesting bars and cafés. The area is crammed during the day with joggers, people on a nice casual stroll and street performers. They even have a stage setup for those looking to do a fitness class. It's nice just walking along here without a care in the world. One of the many things Melbourne city is famous for is it's street art. While it is pretty cool to see, it's more graffiti compared to the incredible street art we saw in Penang. However, like I said it is really cool. Walking along you can see different artists with there spray cans creating something unique and special! After admitting all their talented efforts we ended up at 'Treasury Gardens' where we got to admire a beautiful memorial dedicated to the late President J.F. Kennedy which centered around a pond. It's a nice, relaxing place. With the two of us exhausted, and with it being quite cold, we both jumped in a tram that bought us directly to our hostel. Happy days. The Great thing about Melbourne is that the tram network is the best in the world! That evening, myself and Jason headed down to St. Kilda for a few drinks. We were supposed to meet up with Lucy and Liam from London, but they never showed, but it didn't ruin our night. Later on, we decided to walk back to our hostel. I think it must have taken us over ninety minutes to walk back. It was some walk! Eventually, we made it back in one peace! Lazy Jason didn't get up the following day (not morning, day), till 5pm! Talk about lazy! I think he's getting old. He just can't handle all these late nights anymore! That evening, he came first in a pool competition! I knew he could do it. I had every faith in him! The next day we thought we would give the lovely Marilyn from the bank a visit as we had more banking stuff to sort out. She is such a lovely person. We even got an invite to her house for Christmas. If we are near Melbourne, we will definitely take her up on it. I say her house is great fun at Christmas. She was telling us that she invites all her sons ex-boyfriends' as she feels sorry for them as most of them are not from Victoria. I reckon it's a bit awkward with them there, her son, and his current partner! She asked her son over the weekend if it was ok if she invited two guys over for Christmas dinner, meaning myself and Jason. When she said we weren't his ex's he was relieved. When we were going, the lovely Marilyn gave us her private number, yes, her private number! I guess she must really like us! She is a lovely person with a heart of gold! Hopefully, we will keep in contact. From there we went straight up to 'Treasury Buildings' which used to store all the cities gold. It's a beautiful, old building. On certain old buildings around the city, you can see the old 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland' crest with the Irish harp in the bottom left-hand corner. It's pretty cool too see. Even though we are so far away from home, there are many things here that remind us of home and there is even a lot of Irish influence. For instance, their cathedral is called 'St. Patricks Cathedral' and they even have a 'Gaelic School!' Us Irish are everywhere! One of the great things about Melbourne is that there are plenty of green open spaces everywhere! One of the nicest gardens or parks to see is 'The Botanical Gardens.' Obviously during the winter season there isn't much colour, but it was still nice. Then even had a whole area dedicated to Lason's beloved cactus plant. How lovely is that! The nice thing about all the gardens is that there are really interesting monuments mixed in with stunning old trees! We didn't manage to hug all of them, but we hugged some of them for the lovely Queen of The Alps! Of course, we will have to check the gardens again in the summer as I think poor Jason found it a bit too cold! Nevertheless, their beauty cannot be denied! That evening was games night at the hostel. I played Jason in the semi final and I won, but, just like last week, I lost in the final. The next day, the two of us went exploring around the docklands area. Jason was thrilled when we stumbled across the 'Ethiad Stadium!' Him and his sports! Walking along, to my surprise, I bumped into the lovely Dame Edna Everage. Ok, it wasn't the real dame, but at least I got a cool photo with her. Before you ask Possums, yes she is as outrageous in real life as she is on the tv! Just look at her highly stylish, beautiful glasses! The whole docklands area is quite nice. It's very modern with a lot of new developments. The boats that are there are incredible. The money they are worth is sickening. Definitely how the other half live! After a good nights sleep, the two of us decided to give the lovely Marilyn a visit. We always enjoy our get-togethers. After we left Marilyn, we thought it would be the perfect time to check out the city's skyline as it was approaching sunset. The best place for a perfect view is up on the 88th floor of 'The Eureka Tower!' Just before sunset is the best time to visit as you get the best of both worlds as you can enjoy the city during the day, the spectacular sunset, and then the city at night. What a beautiful city it is. It's absolutely stunning. While there is a lot of culture with many old buildings, they are beautifully mixed in with lots of modern high rise towers. Wanting to get the full experience, the two of us even booked to go into 'The Edge.' You go into this little room, and the whole room, which is made of entire glass, starts to move out, away from the building so that when you look down you see the street underneath you. It was a really cool experience. Of course, they had special effects that made you think you were standing on ice that was breaking away! When the two of us returned to the sky deck, we were pleased to discover that we got a free photo worth AU$17 as we had to wait a little bit longer for The Edge! Happy days, definitely good customer service! Later on, the lovely Katharina from Germany was having leaving drinks as she was flying up to Cairns the following morning. It was a good night. We went to one bar, then we went back to hostel bar where we were joined by two guys from Scotland. Nice guys, buy a bit crazy! We were literally the last ones left in the bar! The following day we took it easy. The only thing we did was visit the cinema to see 'The Inbetweeners' which was very funny. The next day, myself, Jason and Alex from our dorm walked up to see the famous 'Queen Victoria Market.' It's certainly big to say the least and it is something you have to see if you visit Melbourne. On the way back we were a bit lazy and took 'The Circle Line' tram which goes in a whole circle of 'The CBD' area. The best part about it, is it's free. The trams are really old and you feel as if you are in a completely different era when you are in them! It's a really nice experience. The transport system in the city is amazing! It's so easy to get around! Later on, back at the hostel, Jason was crowned the pool champ for the second week in a row. He was delighted with his win, after beating Becky in the final! At home, his lovely sister, Shayna nominated Jason for 'The Ice Bucket Challenge' and when you are nominated, you have to do it. Poor Jason had a whole freezing cold, large bucket of water filled with loads of ice, poured over him. He was freezing. The video we got was brilliant! Well worth a watch! To keep the two of us company while we wait around the hostel before we headed to the airport, the lovely Becky stayed up with us until the early hours, chatting and drinking with us! Honestly, Melbourne is such an amazing city to visit. There is a lot to see, and it is such a beautiful place. We can't wait to come back and spend a couple of months here. It definitely has, and always will have a place in our hearts!

By Andrew

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