24th March 28th March

So Wednesday and Thursday were semi right-offs as got weirdly strangely over-tired. On way in to work one morn did find ‘Sacs’ gluten free café and store, 105 high street, Westgarth, which was pretty cool, had some tasty pizza and a lovely cake for my lunch from there. Cancelled going down to St Kilda to see Gabby as is an hour away from home and was feeling really lethargic still, but got an invite to din near to home so took that as it saved cooking. Ate in the lovely Moroccan soup bar with Kate and Cormac (Reviews etc of Moroccan soup bar), excellent place for food, deffo on the lists of must dos for visiting. You get a banquet for £18 and they just bring you a few tasty dishes to eat…also a nice little bar right next door for you to go pre or post your foodathon. Really nice evening.

Friday I was still really tired so got home and went to Piedmontes, the Supermarket, for din. Made myself a cottage pie and went to bed pretty much…Saturday…also another lazy sorta day, I think it was a bit gloomy outside so I didn’t leave…then I decided randomly I’d like to go and see some of the comedy festival that’s starting…accidentally chose some students…not totally sure about it, some parts were funny. Then Kate and I caught the tram to lovely Smith street and went in to Bebida for some tapas and cocktails (http://www.bebida.com.au), lovely little place and met some of Kate’s friends. We then went with Cesar to the Panama Dining Room, very cool place (http://thepanama.com.au), then after that we went back to a cool warehouse, lots of warehouses about in Brunswick area…then we went off to a party, bit of a muzos thing, they even had a band playing, very cool! Sounded like there were a lot of partys in various places around Melbourne going on, fun…we should do some more of that…Met a girl called Cecilia Dowling who has an art exhibition on in Brunswick street which I’d like to go and check out.

Sunday due to the late night got up fairly late and then decided I’d like to go to the museum, suggested the idea to Kate who was keen. It’s a fabulous museum, well worth the $8 entry…so much to see, amazing huge hump backed whale, with video on how they transported the beached whale from the great ocean road and took 8 years to prepare it for display in the museum, really good reproduction bit for kids…OK a bit for grown ups too and amazing masses of animals, although I guess they were all stuffed which might offend some people, but fascinating, and loads of really cool birds such as the bird of paradise…then also a lot of insects and spiders too…now know what a huntsman looks like properly (a bit squishy looking) and a red back…apparently they like living in sheds in cities and things…may be a bit more cautious whilst doing the washing now…shudder. Parking in the city on Sundays is cool too, Kate got a ‘park’ in a cool spot for us to wander near Gertrude street for all day, ace. So we went to Birdman Eating on Gertrude street: http://www.birdmaneating.com.au/ - pretty good sharing food and nice enough wine, cool bathrooms! Then home to update this thing!

Auckland 19th March - 23rd March

Sooooo, I got a taxi at 3.30am to the airport, lovely, mmmm, but you’re jealous of that. Here they have these weird taxi receipts from work so I just gave them one of those and they printed off a receipt then work pay for it and I don’t have to dish out any cash, ace eh! Melbourne airport at that time in the morning was dead. Has visa worry where bloomin’ smile’s fraud department put a hold on my cards…had to call them up to tell them to unblock – annoying as I’d already written to them to say I’m away in Australia for four months…grr…luckily was sorted by Auckland side…so I could actually catch a taxi/pay for my hotel, that sort of thing. Once arriving in Auckland I got nabbed by a Beagle, twice, because my breakfast that early in the morning had consisted of some strawberries, a tangerine and a yoghurt…but one of the strawberries had fallen to the bottom of the bag uneaten…so cool…dogs that are there to sniff out fruit instead of drugs, much cuter! Though I was a bit scared I guess for being caught, for fruit, not for drugs obviously…but no fines luckily. I'd feel quite hardcore to get caught for fruit though...Got the airport shuttle other end over to the Langham in Auckland. Cost me $60 NZ dollars which ain’t bad: http://auckland.langhamhotels.co.nz/en/

Went for a wander and to see Ponsonby road, which was meant to be one of the ‘cool’ parts of Auckland…decided that Auckland overall just ain’t that cool, so yep, I guess it is. Big long streets with lots of very expensive clothing designery type shops and fancy restaurants. Kinda nice, but small pockets of niceness and then massive busy road to walk along inbetween. Walked a lot, but then caught the citylink bus (big green bus that goes in a circle one way and the other way around the city). I got on it on the longer route round to get back to the hotel, but it meant I got to see a bit more of the city and noticed Parnell and Haymarket as places I wish I’d gone to in the place of Ponsonby road. When I got back to the hotel, took advantage of the lovely outdoor pool (bit chilly out until you were in the water mind!) and Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna etc, luuuurrvly. Then booked myself in to the Barolo restaurant, table for one, got dressed up and it was lush velvet cosy seating, so settled down to write my diary whilst waiting for food to arrive. Had Sage crusted rack of lamb, ratatouille and thyme and garlic potatoes with Pinot Noir, Camshorn 2007, Waipara followed by a poached pear with chocolate mouse/cake and mannuka honey ice cream. Lovely…also topped off by a guy in the lift saying my outfit was lovely, really elegant…ACE!

On the Saturday I overslept a little, damnit! They put those mental blinds down so I didn’t realise it was sunny daylight outside, so had to rush to go and get my Rangitoto Island explorer tour…(http://www.fullers.co.nz/ or http://www.rangitoto.org/) - so shoulda gone for the wine tour…) it was all rather daft…took the ferry over, which was fun, then went on a tractor carting a load of us up closer to the summit of the 600 year old extinct volcano. Impressive views… but the Island apparently has lots of rare wildlife which I might have liked the opportunity to see…but I think the great big hunk of a tractor and trailer probably scared any of it away, or rolled over it…lots and LOTS of volcanic rock…and I know I was silly to assume I’d be staring down in to the bubbling lava pit…but well, the bird's nest and tree growing in the crater amongst all the other foliage was a bit disappointing. So yep, do the wine tour if you go…or walk it rather than do the explorer tour to increase the chance of interesting wildlife sightings! After this I headed back to the hotel, via some shops on the main high street and got dressed to go out and watch a play called ‘That Face’ which was pretty good.

Sunday, a restful sort of day, a bit of wandering the shops and a walk over to Parnell, quite a long walk from town centre up the various random hilly inclines, very hilly place it is, I tried to capture this in photos, but it was difficile to show it. In the afternoon I had a pedicure at the hotel where the Brit (of course) who was doing the pedicure slagged off Auckland to me, was inclined to agree with her on it mostly.

Monday and Tuesday were work days, we received traditional Moari welcomes at the beginning of the meetings and in several of the addresses for the beginnings of talks which was cool. The evening we had cool dancing too (in the Fale Pasifika venue (www.nzwood.co.nz/story/use/case_studies/wood_use_in_new_zealand), my boss also encouraged some dancing which was fun…there was also beautiful shell pieces on the tables which all us ladies got busy with making patterns with and popping in our handbags…and I declared it at customs with no problems.

14th March - 18th March 2010

Soooo…last Sunday Kate and I took a tram down from mine to St Kilda. 40 mins from North Fitzroy to St Kilda on the tram. The sun were shining it were lovely. We decided we needed food first off and tried a place on the sea front, it had bright orange canopies and bad bright orange uniforms to match…within about 5 minutes of waiting to be served Kate and I couldn’t stand the place so left…and went for a walk away thinking avoiding the sea front would be a good idea…but then spotted ‘Soul Mama’ (http://www.soulmama.com.au/) which I’d spotted in the guide book. It was lovely, up on a balcony overlooking the sea with a band (with a woman with an annoying voice according to Kate, but it was quite a smart atmospheric thing I thought). Lovely veggie food you got to choose a mix of things to put in these massive bowls – lovely, highly recommended…especially with a beer in the sunshine too! Then we went for a walk along the beach…beach itself not so very lovely, but focus on the sun and the sea air…about 30 mins after dusk too we hung around at the end of the pier and we saw the ‘Little penguins’, they were ace, although you could only just about see them as there was no moonlight that I remember, also saw the water rats…

Had my lunchtime Pilates class on Tuesday, it was fab, first time I’ve done Pilates and ace thing to do at lunchtime, it were smart! Then in the eve Kate and I went to get a bit more of St Kilda and tried ‘Claypots’, 213 Barkly Street…we wondered if maybe not getting the claypots may have been the better way to go…it was fine, but not amazing amazing. Oooh my Westpac bank cards hadn’t arrived still so had to cancel them…so another week and a bit or so…bit irritating…Oh and also have Murray the dog, a black Labrador or more or less a Labrador, staying at the house, he’s very sweet.

Thursday 18 - had my first yoga class at lunchtime today as well, that was good, but not quite as good as the Pilates class…also it may not continue as only myself and Di were in the class…Planned some of my trip for Auckland over the weekend. Also packed in the evening and borrowed a suitcase from Cormac as I’ve only got a massive suitcase or a ‘backpack’…nothing in between.

Leave it there until describing the trip…but hope to add some photos of that sunset here when I get me camera cable.

End of week 2

Am starting now already to lose the will to live with this thing...but as most of you know I can moider till the cows come home about all sorts of inane subjects...so I'll continue to give it a go and you can switch off when it gets boring. I could make stuff up, this week hasn't felt too crazily exciting, so maybe I should..hmm.

Monday...I had the day off and milled around at home, not doing much because the weather was just no fun. When it rains here it's more wettening than it seems in the UK somehow and then because the city is so big, everything seems so very far away if you want to leave the house...so, easier to stay put. I played around with talking to people on Skype and that sort of thing, read books considered booking sky dives for my trip to Auckland in a few weeks...bothered to actually make myself food in the evening, well done me.

On Tuesday was getting itchy to get a haircut (maybe I wish I'd been a bit more patient now...), so after work caught the tram home and had to walk the bike back as I forgot to bring my helmet back from work, annoyingly...it's law to wear cycle helmets here and I'm not risking any run ins with the police or any of the other police-type figures having seen how scary they seem about. Anyway, so wandered the streets a bit late in the end as had to get home and then get tram out again, so window shopping only and no hairdressers open, so called Kate and she drove out to meet me and we went to a cool little cocktail place with velvet chairs and the like, called The Alchemist Bar, 361 Brunswick street, it also did some lovely tapas as well (you will probably find I am somewhat Brunswick street obsessed...for those from Oxford, I like to think of it as a bigger more elaborate and much more fun version of the Cowley road...). After that we also went looking for Churros at some of the Spanish places on Johnson street, but sadly, they were all closed as we were a bit late...but were recommended to go to San Churro, 277b Brunswick street. It's a chaing, but tasty stuff...although I think we got the later end of the batter and it could have been a bit fresher...nevertheless it was gorgeous tasty stuff. That evening I caught the tram home which was fine, it was a bit dark and quiet along my street, but that just seems to be the way it is!

Had a meeting with my boss today about copy editing a book the team are working on, quite excited to be involved in that, should be an interesting way to learn more about the topic area of 'Consumers and Communications' as well! Also persuaded three work colleagues to take up belly dancing at lunchtimes come the end of April! He he! And Pilates and Yoga to start at lunchtimes next week with Di too. Smart! Also going to do Kick Boxing on Monday evenings...this way I will force myself to get fit and do exercise...feeling quite generally Jess-anxious at the moment still...I guess this is a big thing I'm doing, but I'm still telling myself it's not and getting cross with myself for not being more dynamic and less clumsy and ermee and erreee, grrr! Worked quite late this evening and didn't do much in the evening.

On Thursday, actually signed up for the exercise classes, rather than talking about doing so...was worried the classes would get booked up by all the students. Went for lunch with Megan, the person who I'm covering the job of, and Rebecca who works in the office too, we ate at 'Pings' on the La Trobe campus, in the sunshine. The University is soooo packed, it's absolutely buzzing with students, Rebecca assured me that in a few weeks once a few have dropped out and a few have started skipping lectures it will seem a lot more empty! In the evening, Di, from work, dropped her futon round, so I now sleep off the floor, woo hoo! She's been incredibly generous and I gave her some of the amazing wine chocolate I've discovered here as a thank you. After she left I rearranged ALLLL my stuff in my room, which didn't take very long. I received my Tax file reference number in the post today, so that took two weeks to come through, have let People and Culture (aka HR) know so I don't get over taxed - they give you 30 days to get a tax file number and after that start charging you somet like 45% or something tax, so glad to have that sorted...also it seems my bank cards and pin may have been sent to the University but to a very generic address...so the post room won't be able to find me...need to sort that...

On Friday, I was annoyingly clumsy and broke a full glass of water in front of my boss and a person who had come to visit us to talk about our grant application for the next three years. Embarrassing. Then I had to leave the meeting early too, see what I mean about not feeling very dynamic? Went to the hairdressers after work - the 86 tram conveniently goes all the way from La Trobe and turns right on to Gertrude street, right next to the hairdressers, Biba, that I booked. It took 3.5 hours to cut and colour it and I didn't quite get what I wanted, and it cost shed loads...they did offer me wine in the middle of it all, but I was so bemused and uncertain as to whether I would have to pay for it that I said no...quite annoyed with myself for that too. I was a bit frustrated that I was having my hair cut by Brit expats...which I only realised after a while as their accents had altered in the time they were here...is this a form of racism? I don't know, but I wanted to have my hair cut by an Australian...maybe a Korean would have been OK too...but not a bloomin' Brit, I could have got it done at home, and they're similarly annoyingly cut it how they want to cut it clearly, rather than how you want it...and impatient as I list all the ways in which I want it to look (not how you did it by the way young lady!). Humph. So I'm getting used to the hair and it's fine, but it's very old school Jennifer Aniston and pfff. The irony of the Brit in Melbourne being annoyed that there's another Brit there too, doing a job, just as she is...Kate met me and told me to stop scowling and we went to 'Tandoori Times', 199 Gertrude street. The staff were friendly, there was a massive party in there when we arrived, but I wasn't very impressed with the food. The hotness of the curries was slightly painful rather than done well, I don't know. I think Kate was a bigger fan as she was keener to get blasted by hot chillies. But yep, I'm not sure it was good...I do remember hearing someone say it's pretty difficult to get a good curry in Australia...nothing like Qumins on St Clements, Oxford....then we went over to a bar on Smith Street called The Panama dining room, it's a late bar (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/18/1158431620358.html) Nice place, there's a venue on the lower floor too, both worth checking out and decorations are really cool.

Saturday, had a good lie in, then got up and ready for Brunswick street shopping, loved it, some of the shops worth checking out are Kinki gerlinki - got my amazing new bag from there, also Mazi Boutique, 148 Bridge Road AND on Brunswick street too - on the receipt it says 'Your gorgeous purchases today are...which is quite cool too...I will be going there again. Also discovered magical ice cream place right next to the tram stop...called Trampoline, flavours that jump in to your mouth...lovely ice creamagery, fab stuff...another one to add to the 'show your visitors'! In the evening I simply brought my stuff home and tried it all on and that was about it...

I'm really not doing much drinking since being here, weird, I'm sure my Mother and Father will be pleased to hear that! Now probably for another week, farewell...next weekened to Auckland for a work conference...with two days added on..got a gross O'clock in the morning flight at like 6am to get there on the Friday - I'll be awake at normal British times!

Jexx

End of the first full week

So I've finished my first week at work. Still love the job, the work colleagues are just fab, my boss I met on Saturday on Lygon street to show me her favourite coffee shop: Enoteca Sileno (920 Lygon Street) - it was quite impressive, got fancy Italian wines and interesting Italian foods there, and lovely little cakes...

Actually will try and write in some sort of chronological order...So Monday, I moved in to my new home, I think I blogged about this again, it's great anyway and pretty much in an ideal area for not being miles away from work but also being able to walk or cycle to some nice cool places for drinks and the like or shopping, ace! The night I moved in, Kate and I went to a Japenese restaurant: Matsumoto Japanese on Lygon Street, pretty cool...took a picture of the amazing wooden boat our Sushi and Sashimi arrived in, fun!

Tuesday had my 'People and Culture' experience, basically they've trendified the HR department and given it a silly name. Had bad cop good cop scenario, the main woman interviewing me was scary looking with a face (sorry to those of this that it offends) that has never seen a smidgin of make-up or colour or perhaps even happiness her whole life...I don't know her history, maybe there's a good reason for this, anyway, she was very peculiar I thought, but with a happy smiley side-kick who was much more pleasant to talk to and was saying how exciting this job must be for me etc, much more like the majority of Australians that I've come across; positive and smiley a much better way. One thing I did find out is that I don't need to get private healthcare insurance, by having a job I seem to be covered under Medicare...although I may want to seperately sign myself up for that, although apparently you can do it retrospectively...In the evening I did my first supermarket shop which was cool...I've get de ja vu...and am wondering if I already did Tuesday on the blog...so will jump to Wednesday to avoid risk of repeating myself...

Wednesday, job good, more eating out in the evening. Caught the number 96 tram from Nicholson street at the end of my road down to St Kilda (which takes about 40 minutes) to meet the lovely Gabrielle and we ate in Entre Tapa Vinos, http://www.entretapasyvinos.com.au/ - I'm starting to collect the little cards restaurants give you now and rating them and keeping a little stash of them, I'd rate this place in St Kilda as a 7 maybe? It was quite expensive but the food was pretty tasty and the wine was good. Went there again on Sunday night with Kate when we both went down to St Kilda again to listen to some music and we had a lovely wine, which I wish I'd taken down the name of, but I think it was a Verdeho..? Lovely.

Thursday, my colleague, Diane, brought in her bike which she can't use at the moment for me to borrow whilst I'm here, which was fab...cycling back all the way from work to home wasn't quite so much fun in the heat on the busy roads...took me 50 mins...so think maybe cycling to tram and then tramming it in is preferable...hmm. In the evening I cooked some tasty lamb I'd bought from the nearby supermarket (Piedmontes), the food out here on the whole is so lush and fresh by comparison to what, at least, I am able to get at home, I love it! Also failed to go to the wine tasting of a newly opened bottle shop as they were only doing the tasting for an hour...tasty looking wines in there though...

Friday; cycled to the tram and then trammed it in. Work was good fun in that I got through things and became a bit more familiar with the titles I'll be working with. In the evening Kate and I went to Mezza Lebanese grill, again on Lygon street. Food was pretty tasty, I'm not quite as much a fan of Lebanese food but Kate is and loved it. Only problem is we ordered a banquet which could have fed 4..so we ended up taking a doggy bag home of the main course (we thought we'd had the main course when he came along and asked about it...). Then after this we went down in to the city to 'Night Cat' to watch Kate's flatmate play in a band, also over to the lovely Cookie (www.cookie.net.au/) which has a roof top cinema which then turns in to a bar too...seems to be a bit of vetting in the door, not sure how I feel about that, except that Kate and I got in, so I guess that's kind'f nice...

Saturday...yes, Saturday. I went to meet my boss on Lygon street at Enterico Sileno as I mentioned earlier on, beautiful sunny day it was, and I wore my pink flowery dress. On the way back my boss recommended I call in on the flower shop just to smell all the flowers, which I dutifully did...it was lovely and I couldn't help but buying some flowers too, some calla lillies and orchids I got! Very pretty...Then I went along to the Salvation army place which has beds to buy, wasn't that keen on the place and it was only possible to buy divan type beds which I didn't want : www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=690 and really needed the loo...so headed home...lucky for me I did, the clouds started to get really dark and it felt like it was turning in to night time...a bit batman/ghostbusters-esque I thought! I was intending to head back out again but getting more and more unnerved by the skies...then it started to rain, then it started to really really rain...I decided to film at this point to show that it's not always sunny in Melbourne and mid way through the video it started to hail, at first I thought it was branches on the roof or something, then I looked at the ground and it was huge hailstones, the size of small pebbles, mental!! I started to get a bit scared too as I didn't know how much it was a freak thing or a frequent occurrence. Apparently it is a bit unusual for this part of Australia, but not for others...that evening I stayed in and had a good delve in Cormac's music collection.

Sunday...I had a good long lie in and then went to investigate the pool near Sydney road in Brunswick: www.brunswickcitybaths.ymca.org.au - they have an outdoor and an indoor pool...I did 44 lengths and proud of it...then went for a wander round Sydney road, it's wedding dress shop central, although all closed because it's a Sunday but I went and had a look on Clare's behalf, some very pretty dresses there. Also found a nice organic and very gluten free pro place called La Mann Fresh, 399 Sydney road, pretty good place, although not a huge stock of stuff...Then the clouds started to get a bit darker and I had to get myself back to my bike AND home...did get rained on a bit, but no hails thankfully. Sunday evening myself and Kate went over to St Kilda to The Prince (www.princebandroom.com.au/) a good venue...though they could have done with some more lighting. We were watching some DJ-VJs which were very cool. Stayed there till late. Then woke up this morning for more skype and some more rain sadly...want it to stop now so I can go out and explore Brunswick street a little...

Getting settled...

So...loads has happened it seems since I last wrote...I've got somewhere to live! It's a fabulous place in North Fitzroy, quite suburban, but near to some lovely eateries, like 10 mins max away and a new wine shop I spotted on the way home this evening and a supermarket (I enjoyed doing the first shop and looking at all the things they have for sale in a supermarket, obviously similar to back at home, but with tweaks and extras - the meat particularly looks so tasty you could almost eat it raw :-) My old dentist does that, eats raw meat, funny creature!). The house is really nice and am living with one guy, Cormac, who's very nice and interesting too and he's been in the house a while. It's a bungalow, which lots of them are around here with lovely shiny wooden floorboards. 'Twas weird emptying out all my suitcase and hanging things up, I knew the suitcase was big, but already my room feels quite full! Kate helped me choose a doona (aka duvet cover) and the cover's a bit embarrassing, funny though. Cormac also lent me a lamp and a milk crate as my bedside table, ace! Got the place by leaving ad advert 'seeking a room' in 'The Readings' on Lygon street that I mentioned on the previous entry - had quite a lot of people contact me through that advert since as well which I'm having to decline politely - so worth noting for others wanting to find a place to live...think possibly more effective than gumtree...maybe?

Also on Sunday went to look at a family home type house in Ivanhoe, decided Ivanhoe was too far out, particularly whilst only living here for a while...the main 'town' of Ivanhoe doesn't seem very exciting, although we did try out Zanetti's for breakfast and the breakfast was good. But not as good as Cafe Quince (43-45 Spensley Street in Clifton Hill. http://www.cafequince.com.au/), that breakfast was reeeally good, that was Saturday morning...have been trying to take the cards from each place I eat in so I can name drop them here, but not been consistent with it.

Friday night on me own tried Curry and Spice in Clifton Hill, not so excited about that food...this evening actually was my first home cooked din/non-eating out and it was ace - my flatmate cooked us Snapper, coz of course fresh fish is the thing to have here too which was rather lovely too!

Sorry, jumping around the days all over the place here but still...on Saturday night Kate drove us around the city for a look at things - both very keen on Lygon street, then a wander round the main city with the drunkards - spotted a couple of guys getting pulled for J walking...'are you serious' I heard as we walked by. Traffic lights seem to keep you waiting a long time so I can totally relate to why they would have walked...you feel like an idiot waiting for as long as the lights make you sometimes!

Also got a phone on the weekend, went with Optus which seems to have good deals for us foreigners who still want internet usage and to text our friends back in the UK obsessively. Bought a phone too so Brits can still text me at normal prices...so paying like $40 a month for unlimited texts and stuff...reasonably chuffed with that.

Went to a music festival in Brunswick on Sunday, lots of stalls on the streets on Sydney road...loads of bars there with music, also some clothes shops, which I must go back and take a look at some day...that evening ate in Gurkas, 414 Sydney Road, food was OK, but not spectacular.

Had another day of work on Monday, went quite well, but difficult to get through stuff even though the work is very similar to my job in Oxford - quite intimidating. The people are lovely though. One of my work colleagues has offered to lend me her bike whilst I'm here and another gave me a lift home at the end of the day, my boss has suggested meeting up on Saturday to take me to her favourite cafe in Lygon street, fun! Sorted out 'People and Culture' on Tuesday, today, silly amounts of paperwork. Apparently I don't need private healthcare because I get medicare through having a permanent residency visa...also realised today that due to Perm residency visa, I don't need to get a visa for New Zealand when I go later on this month either... Filling in the tax file number forms also I count as full resident so that they can't charge me 45% tax or whatever it is they would otherwise....ermmmm....for the interview they also needed to make up 100 points to show I was who I said I was, passport is 70 points and apparently, weirdly, the work staff card, which was photo ID, was valid...odd, catch 22 confusion. I brought over all sorts of bills, proof of address, degree certificates, birth certificates...all I pretty much needed was my work contract, my passport...ermmmm....yep, and I think that was it to set up a bank account and set myself up with payroll. Even my bank are happy to leave my address down as my work address...it's almost too easy to set yourself up...all that panic I had in advance, what a waste!!! Maybe I should take that as a lesson for future anxiety should it arise...I think we're all fully aware that I'd do it the same way again...

Ooooh, I should also at this point thank Kate, and flatmates too, for letting me stay at theirs - Kate had only moved in herself two weeks beforehand. It would have been a lot more difficult to set myself up if it hadn't been for having a place to stay meanwhile with people who knew a bit about Melbourne on hand and without Kate and her car too. Also Joanna, her flatmate has kindly lent me her mattress in the new house until the weekend where I should be able to pick up a new one from a salvation place on Barkly street.

You know Australians have a bank holiday next Monday, Labour day, to celebrate the 8 hour day, which is weird because the majority of them won't be working on it...including me...I fancy going to see the Penguins sometime this weekend on Philip Island...