Wednesday morning and it was time for me, Katie and Lynn to check out and go to collect our car which was to be like our home for at least the next three days. We left all of our bags with the boys and went off to find the garage, when we got their we picked up our little silver 3 door Hyundai Getz, a manual car this time. We drove back through the ridiculous Sydney traffic and picked up the boys from the hostel and arranged to meet the Irsh in Melbourne. After qute a drive we eventually found our way to Bondai Beach. Katie and I had absolutely amazing pasta and Caesar salad for lunch (if only we could find a salad bar like that for lunch everyday mmmmmmmm!) and then we spent a little while on the beach, in which time we watch two lifeguards shoot out into the water on their surfs boards to rescue two boys being dragged out by the rip. They were so fast it was mental, but definately made everyone feel safer seeing them in action! After a little whilse we realised that us girlies really needed to make a move if we were going to make it to Canberra that evening. A very emotional and sad goodbye was said to the boys with promises of visits this summer and reunions as soon as Lynn gets home, and us girls set off.

We stopped at Bondai Junction to stock up with provisions for the road trip, also investing in a cd so we had something to sing-a-long to, and then left with the intention of heading towards Canberra. The boys don't know this yet but two hours after we had left them at Bondai Beach, we realised that we were back on Bondai Beach, and had apparently just driven round in one big circle.............we were lost getting out of Sydney......ooooppppsssss............it was sooooo funny though and we were very grateful that we were not spotted driving past again! So 5 hours after we left the boys we finally arrived at ouor hotel Formule 1 just outside of Canberra. We checked in and decided to go out for some dinner. After following the directions the hotel reception had given us we arrived at a really weird food court type place. It was like an industrial estate that went round in a square with all different food places, half the square was chinatown and above was a backpackers hostel. We didn't like it at all and we very glad we were not staying there or staying in Canberra longer than one night. We grabbed takeaway Pizza Hut and took it back to the room, before watching 'Big Bang theory' and flaking out.

Up early next morning, we had a slight run in with the lady who managed the hotel over whether or not breakfast was included or not, and left without having any, from then on this lady was known thanks to Lynn as 'an offensive, toad-faced cow!' All very true i have to agree. So after 10 hours in the car we finally arrived in Melbourne, we were absolutely shattered and were soooo pleased to have found our hostel and even more pleased to find that there was room in the car park meaning that we got free parking overnight! I went to bed pretty early after a small dinner and making plans for the next day. Next day and it was up early ready for a 9am departure for the Great Ocean Road. Again we were driving ourselves and managed to get out of Melbourne and to the Great Ocean Road without getting lost! We stopped at Split Point Lighthouse, the lighthouse famous for being in the TV programme 'Round the Twist', for a few minutes and then ploughed on to the 12 apostles which was our main destination for the day. What amazing views we had along the way though, absolutely gorgeous and we could not believe the colour of the sea, despite being so rough. We were also incredibly lucky with the weather this day, normally this far south at this time of year the weather is not that great and we had spoken to people who had driven the Great Ocean Road in the rain but we could not have asked for better weather, it was gorgeous. 4 and a half hours after leaving Melbourne we finally arrived at the 12 Apostles, and it was so worth the drive. Stunning, it is basically rock formations that stand alone in the ocean. There was orginally 12 of them but due to corrosion there is now only 5 of them left standing but it was still brilliant to see. On the way back we stopped in a place called Apollo Bay for a very late lunch, unfortunately most places were closing for the day as was 3.45pm but this did mean that we got discounted food from the bakery instead!lol! We got back quite late about 7.30pm but it had been a really good day, just lots of driving again. Well worth it though and would definately reccommend it to anyone, especially a little town called Lorne that we drove through and that i completely fell in love with. The houses along the road too were absolutely amazing, stunning places that we expect to cost an absolute fortune, with views like that they must do!

The following day was Saturday and Katie and I had arranged to drive up to Violet Town about 2 hours north of Melbourne to visit a Lily and her family. Lily was one of the girls that used to attend the afterschool club that both Katie and I worked at in Canterbury. Her mother is English but the rest of her family are Australian and they had lived in England for two years, whilst I was working at the club, they left to move back to Australia and had always said to us, to get in touch if ever we were in Oz, so we did. We arrived in Violet Town at about 12.30pm and Lily's dad Jo met us at the post office so that we could follow him back to their house. They had a gorgeous little house, very cosy and homely, it was lovely. The family was so welcoming it was amazing. We sat and had a good chat and catch up with Lily, Jo and her mum Clare, and then they put on an absolutely delicious BBQ for us. Real chicken burgers, prawns and pcok chops done on the BBQ and then potatoes, salad, olive bread...........mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about how yummy it was! They were so good to us, it was lovely. Then after lunch they took us up to Strathbogie Tablelands in the hills near where they live and we visited a Billabong where we had a paddle and a good look around, it was a really beautiful spot and they said it is absolutely packed there in summer so we were very lucky to have had it to ourselves. We didn't end up leaving there until 5.45pm despite the intention of leaving at 4pm but it was such a lovely day that we just did not want to leave!

Arriving back at the hostel gone 8pm meant that i was not really in the mood for going out, it had been a long day with yet more driving and the car had to go back the following morning. However, it was the Irish lots last evening in Oz and Katie really wanted to go. With the Irish staying in Nomads the other side of Melbourne, we ending up compromising and saying that we would go for an hour or so only. We ended up staying until close and then walking for some of them to get a Macdonalds before heading back, it was a good night, i was just very very tired after four extremely long days, but it was nice to have spent the Irish's last night with them.

So, Sunday arrived and we finally had a day to actually spend in Melbourne city. After dropping the car back at 11.30am, Katie and I headed to Nomads hostel to eet the Irish and Lynn so that we could all go to the market together. The others didn't seem that bothered when we got there so Katie, myself and Aileen wandered around the markets together picking up a few bits and pieces and wishing we had the money and the room in our bags to buy some real Australian Uggs! After exhausting the market stalls we got some lunch from the food hall at the market, the girls had pizza whilst i had paella, which minus the squid was amazing. That afternoon after saying goodbye to the Irish and to Lynn who haad to get the train back to her cousins where she was staying, Katie and I walked to federation square and went to the Australian Centre for Moving Images. It was a bit like a film museum, which had an exhibition on movement, sound, images, animation etc..........it was quite interactive and so good fun and interesting at the same time.........this plus the fact that it was free meant that it was a hit with us!

The following day we had arranged to meet both Lynn and Jo Haley, (my friend from home who i had found out was living and working in Oz until the end of April) in the suburb of Melbourne called St.Kilda, which is right on the beach. So around 11am, not really knowing where we were going or anything, Katie and I got on the tram to St.Kilda. About 20minutes later, it wasn't until the driver got off of the tram that we realised that we were at the end of the line and in St.Kilda so we too needed to get off! We killed time whilst waiting for the girls by having a drink and reading in a little cafe and then taking a wander down the pier, from which we could see absolutely massive jellyfish in the sea...........after that there was no way we would have been getting in the water even if the sun had been shining! After meeting up with the girls we wandered around and then sat and had pizza and ice-cream before heading back into the city on the tram. Katie and I packed ready for our early morning departure and then said goodbye to the girls before having some toast for tea, and going to bed at 9pm as we were going to be up at 2am!