After the heat of the past months it is really nice to get a cool breeze blowing around my legs and to be back in trousers after so so long in shorts, I never thought I would be so welcoming of a cooler climate. After a little hiccup where I went to the wrong airport in Kuala Lumpur to get the plane and then had to get a speedy dodgy taxi ride between airports I got to check in just in time to get on board, strangely I did not find it stressful, just a bit entertaining, if it had happened to somebody else I would have chuckled at the silliness of it all, as it was me I just chuckled at myself! Not the first and probably not the last silly thing I have and will do during my travels. This is the city of the AFL Australian rules football and the MCG Melbourne Cricket ground so I made the most of this and went to two games, one on Saturday evening and the other Sunday afternoon, I really enjoyed both games, the atmosphere was great, both sets of supporters mingling and sitting next to each other, families all together eating their burgers and chips and laughing and singing the corny old 1950's teams songs. On Saturday I sat next to three ladies, three generations of the same family, daughter, mother and gran, they were all laughing and cheering all through the game, they explained the rules to me and shared a blanket as the chill set in after half time. Football at home I am sure could learn a lot about how they market and deliver the entertainment of this game, I loved it all. There was a Buddhist festival going on on Sunday with Asian food and entertainment, it felt like I was back in Vietnam again, had some spring rolls and chicken satay which I have to say compared really well to any I tasted along my journey and it looked like the majority of the Asian community of the city was attending, really good. The city is really set up to help tourists have a really good stay, easy to get around, free trams and buses, free guided walks, I did the ones at the cenotaph and the botanical gardens, the garden walk was hosted by a German lady who had run away from Berlin 50 years ago with a handsome australian and she has stayed ever since, she had a thick German accent and knew everything there was to now about the garden, we did the walk and then we had lunch in earshot of a musician playing the harp and a lake with black swans and long beaked birds surrounded by rolling perfectly manicured grass and colourful flower beds, what a lovely calming charming way to spend four hours of your life in the company of someone who has such great stories and knowledge, I hope she continues to charm and share and brighten people's worlds for many years to come. Stayed at a really good hostel in South Yarrow and as I got to understand the transport system realised that this was a really good base for the places I visited, a Monet exhibition at the National Gallary, the narrow lanes in the centre with trendy cafes, cloths shops and folk singers where I had my hair cut and a glass of red - so good to have good wine again- and pizza, the MCG, St Kitts, a lovely beach resort with a pier and marina, the walk along the pier reminded me a little of a breezy day on Brighton pier where a little bit of fine rain and a chilly breeze somehow warms your soul and makes you feel good to be alive. I also visited the sky deck with its awesome views for miles, out to sea, the city and the suburbs that stretch for miles. A highlight was my two day tour along the Great Ocean Road, I had heard that this was one of the great road trips of the country, if not the world and I really cannot argue with that assessment. In very good company we group of nine from five countries were thrilled at the commanding lavishness of the coastline with its limestone rock formations that are constantly changing and being worn away by the continual onslaught of the sea, wind and rain, and now tourists! This is summed up by the twelve apostles, great jutting lumps of rock that protrude from the sea away from the main cliff, there are now eight, there were nine and they call it twelve to attract tourists! I took a helicopter ride over the apostles and along the coast in bright sunshine, a fine sight as the sun glinted off the limestone making the rocks seem even more dramatic and viewable. We stayed in a shared dorm hostel where I was intrigued by the Dutch girls who sleep talked in English, now that's when you know you have mastered a language! A really good trip, an amusing and knowledgable guide and driver and a diverse group of dutch, Singaporeans, Chinese, Scottish and Australian, one of the best trips of my journey so far. The weather here reminds me of fresh spring days back home, but without the colder days, I like it, never too cold and certainly not too hot. There seems to be a bit of a grunge fashion culture here and also the evidence of a happy contented culture with the increase in overtly obese people I am seeing here compared to the rest of my travels. Cafe and abundance culture is alive and thriving here. I stayed a few more days than planned, with so much to do here and the city having such a good vibe it was a pleasure to be here. Now onto Sydney to see good friends.