We land in Mebourne airport, we notice straight away that Melbourne is a bit colder than Brisbane, and even though it might have rained in Queensland it was still warm so maybe it was better than we thought. Anyway, I dont know why but being in a big airport in a big developed country is was excepting at some stage to be inside a building of somesort, but no. At best you could describe the baggage reclaim area as a poorly designed cattle shed! But sure it seems like Ryanir has more influence on the world than I thought!

Lucky for us that the accomodation we booked for melbourne had double booked us, but they had arranged other accomodation so everything was fine. We could understand the tram line map, mainly because we didnt know where we where, so we got a taxi, who also didnt know where we where or where we wanted to go, but we took us somewhere in that direction anyway! After a bit of faffing we finally found our accomodation for that night (an old multistorey car park that had been converted in a hostel). and settled in.

There were a few things that we wanted to do in Melbourne, we were told about the Great Ocean Road, and how brilliant it was, so we hoped to do that, and of course the first thing everyone thinks about when they hear the word Australia, 'Neighbours', thats right we have travelled half way across the world and we are going to go on the Neighbours tour!

There are two different Neighbours tours, one where you go to the school, 'drive' past the studio, of course head to the street and you also get to meet a star from the show. The other tour is the same apart from you get to go into the studio and walk around the outdoors sets, Lacisters and the Lake but you dont get to meet a star from the show! We went for the first option mainly because the other tour was fully booked!

The Neighbours tour was good, walking around the school, seeing where they played basketball, and had fights and what not, nice to see that it is just like any other school! We got our photo taken with the school sign (the sign that the tour brings round wth them, because apparently the area isnt called Erinsborough and the school isnt actually Erinsborough High), next stop was a drive past the studio, which was pretty pointless, as all you got to see was the the tip of the Gondala from the lake, and then the outside of the main building that was used for various buildings, the hospital, police station, council buildings etc. and the guide told us insights to the show, this would have been cool, if I had of watched the show in the last 2 years, but having to work means that I cant watch tv during the day or before 6pm. Then the big event, the Street! Just as you see it on tv, apart it seems a bit smaller! But there is was in all its glory all 6 house that make up Ramsey street. Never found out what the street was really called! We got to walk about the street. Apparently since the people have started to make the pilgrimilage to the street, they have had to put a security guard on to make sure people didnt walk down the drives and try and get into the houses! So yes we only got to see the outside of some houses but these were the houses that I watched everyday for about 13 years of my life. It seemed as if I had accomplised something! (Joke!) After a few photo ops round the street, we headed back onto the bus knowing that was the end of the tour, but everyone was wondering when we were going to meet the star and who it was going to be. We drove around for a bit afterwards with the guide telling us a few more things, and then we stopped in the middle of a town and then popped on to the bus, Jeanelle Timms. Who no one was excited about and who had left the show a while ago. After the disappointment left, we all had out photos taken and got a few things signed. An other random souvenier for the scrap book.

So that was the end of the Neighbours tour, but not the end of our Neighbours extravaganza! We still had the Neighbours night to go to! OH yes, this was a night held where sad people like me and Charlotte could go and have a night out and meet some of the Neighbours cast. The night was as cheesy as it could get espeically with the host 'Safarai Pete' who came out in full safarai gear and had clealry taken too many drugs when he was younger and was still high! Anyway he introduced the members from the show, Stuart Parker (ex cast member) Connor (ex cast member) and Rachel. After that there was a pub quiz which we did terribly at during which the cast came round and we had photos with. That resulted in a top night for everyone!

The next day was the road trip day, the great ocean road. We wanted to leave Mebourne no later than 10am as we were told the drive would take about 4 hours out and 4 hours back! So I pick the car up at 9am, and we faff about the city centre, and leave Melbourne around midday. The Great Ocean Road was a great drive, and we got to see loads of cool things. There are a few things that annoyed me about the Great Ocean Road, half of it, (well what we drove along) was in a forest and not along the Ocean, a bit misleading me thinks, also, I dont know if we did something wrong or the guy who told us it was going to be 4 hours and 4 hours back, did the trip in a fighter jet, but it took us 9 hours out, and luckily only 5 hours back. Which resulted in a very long days driving for me!

There was loads of cool things to stop and go see along the road. while it was along the Ocean there was lots of beaches and coastline etc, and there were a few lighthouses which had amazing views! Although seeing the 12 Apostles was easlily the best thing on the drive. Apart from, one of the apostles had fallen down a few years ago, and apparently you cant see all '12' from one position, as some are behind others and some are around the corner. Load of codswallop!

Also while in Melbourne we went to see the MCG, the biggest stadium in somewhere or an other. Basically a great big stadium where alot of Aussie sport is played! Having been to the new Wembley and the Millienium stadium this gave both of them a run for there money. We went on a tour around the stadium and got to go out on the pitch and all the other stuff that you would expect on a stadium tour and got the history of everything that went on in the ground, which I know Charlotte was enthralled about! It gave me a few more flag photos anyway!

I feel that I have to mention something about my travels now. Since travelling to anywhere, I have never understood the idea or the reason for people flocking to 'irish' pubs. I have come away to all these other countrys to try and get a bit of a flavour of where I am. If I want to experience some Irish culture I would go to Ireland! Now this is where I become a hypocrite! The place we originally booked into in Melbourne and stayed 2 nights in, was called Pint on Punt. It was a backpackers on Punt Road, at no time did I realise it was an Irish pub. So the whole time we have been away I have tried to avoid irish pubs, and then I go and stay in bloody one for 2 nights! Super! Though they did do great mash and sausages, so I may pop into one now and again for some food, but for that reason only!!