This is just about Melbourne, not the F1, which will be a separate blog. Our apologies for not writing sooner, we have both been very tired in the evenings and have not felt very motivated to write because of busy, action-packed days.

The train from Melbourne was very relaxing and enjoyable. We had an early start to get to the station but from there on it was very easy going. The passengers were mostly either elderly or backpackers and the seats were comfy with lots and lots of leg room. From Adelaide, the train wound into the hills and then on through fairly flat farm land, over rivers with water in them (notable because most of the rivers we've seen so far had no water in them). We napped, did crosswords, had cream tea in the buffet carriage and listened to music. The train went at a steady 50mph and it was lovely.

We arrived in Melbourne 10.5hrs later and on time, only to be bewildered by Melbourne's ridiculous 'integrated' public transport ticketing system. Luckily an off-duty 'tourist ambassador' saw us struggling and showed us how to get a ticket and which stop to use so we were soon at the hostel. We then found some amazing chicken wings at an American bar on Brunswick St (quirky, arty, Bohemian street near our hostel) before going to bed.

Initial impressions of hostel being 'quirky and nice' were replaced by concern at the dreadful state of the dorm room and kitchen and then the discovery of bed bugs in the dorm. Great! They sorted this the following day, but not before we both got bitten. All of our clothes had to be laundered, much to Anna's annoyance having spent time at Pam's ironing everything before we left. The hostel is extremely busy and much bigger than the website alludes to, with about 200 people, so it feels pretty crowded at times.

Tuesday started with delicious toasted banana bread and fresh juice at a cafe then progressed into walking around the city centre. We looked around the shops and down the side streets, which in the UK might probably smell of urine but here were full of funky graffiti and interesting shops. We looked around an art gallery in Federation Sq and heard a Red Bull F1 car play the Aussie national anthem using different engine speeds to create different exhaust notes. We ate lunch sat on the south side of the river looking at a very impressive city scape. The temperature was about 37degrees which felt pretty hot!

Seeking a break from the sun we walked around the beautiful St Paul's cathedral then went back to the hostel as unfortunately due to over-wearing thongs (the Aussie kind not the Brazilian) Anna has pulled a muscle in her foot which was making walking rather uncomfortable. That evening, seeking a bit of peace and solitude, we sat in the park across the road and watched 4 or 5 possums in the trees, they are like cats but obviously better because they are Australian (we've been told all Aussie wildlife is bigger and better than in the UK). It was tricky sleeping as it was so hot, but our dorm was at least clean, tidy and free of bed bugs!

On Wednesday Anna's foot problem hadn't improved much. We headed over to the museum in the morning which we both thoroughly enjoyed. The exhibits were stunningly laid out showing an amazing array of insects, mammals, reptiles and other creatures, all taxidermic but not in stuffy glass cases like in old fashioned museums. There was a fascinating section about how the brain works, another exhibit on Melbourne through the ages and an area of rainforest that was under a huge canopy roof. We skirted round the groups of school kids and had a really enjoyable morning.

In the afternoon we took the free city circle tram, an old-fashioned tram with running commentary on the city sites, to the new dock lands area. It was an odd development with an 'outlet park' and shiny buildings but no people. It was as though they'd built it hoping it would be a bustling, vibrant waterfront hub but that hadn't quite got there. We sat and enjoyed the peace for a bit before heading back towards the hostel via St Patrick's cathedral, which was rather stunning with its yellow stained glass, and Brunswick Street where Anna spotted Seth Lakeman buying a pre-gig sandwich! The evening was spent sitting in the park again.

On Thursday morning we went to the markets and bought some gorgeous food including some fresh pasta and a borak (a filled bread with cheese and spinach) for our lunch. Anna's pulled foot muscle had caused a calf strain so we took our time walking around. After lunch we went to get our hair cut in a randomly selected salon. The hairdresser was from Iran and was very interested to hear about the UK and what we'd been doing in Australia. She was very fond of Anna's blonde hair and we both looked less backpacker-ish when she'd finished. That afternoon we went to collect our Grand Prix tickets from Federation Square which was quick and hassle-free. We sat in the sun for a while before going in search of ice cream (we found some so bought it and ate it, which is the best thing to do when you find ice cream). We did some food shopping for the race weekend then headed back to the hostel as we were meeting Mandy (Pam's daughter) and Drew for the evening.

Mandy and Drew took us to Lygon Street for dinner. This area is packed with Italian restaurants and gelaterris (the pasta equivalent of Manchester's curry mile). We ate loads of good food and chatted, before heading back to a bar called Bimbo on Brunswick Street which was pretty quirky and had plastic dolls stuck everywhere and a giant neon baby outside. The beer was good and we managed to make it fashionably late into the evening before feeling drowsy. Thanks Mandy and Drew for a great evening!

And so began the race weekend, which will require a separate blog not written at 11.30pm the night before an early start! If you're watching the race wondering where we are, we're on turn 10. There is a camera angle with a Pirelli bridge and the lake to the left of screen. The cars will come towards the camera then turn left. We're on the bank of people near someone with a Scottish flag. We'll do our F1 blog when there's no danger of spoiling the result; suffice to say we had an absolutely brilliant weekend in spite of the weather! And Anna's injuries are improving with rest and support tape and sensible shoes!

Blogs may be a bit sporadic now as we're picking up our second campervan tomorrow. We'll keep you updated as much as possible!

Anna and Josh xxx