What a fantastic 2 weeks! Olly arrived on Sunday morning, tired and very hungry (guess who forgot to order a vegetarian meal for the plane...) but luckily we had been on a pie mission the day before to the Mornington Peninsula so he didn't starve.. Olly and I spent the first few days Melbourne. We discovered a fantastic record shop which stocked every brilliant band we could think of, including the obscurest of the obscure (plus a heap we'd never heard of) and we had to restrain ourselves from buying half the shop!

On Wednesday we hired a car and drove to visit the friends I stayed with before Christmas with Mum and Dad, the Andrews. They very kindly let us stay in the holiday cottage on their farm. We had five wonderful days relaxing in the cottage (drinking copious amounts of tea) and spending time with the Andrews and all their animals. Since my last visit their collection has grown to include another horse, a Shetland pony and two camels! Olly and I got to drive the quad bike and help at feeding time. We also visited the Healesville Sanctuary so Olly could see some Aussie wildlife. The koalas and wallabies were as cute and cuddly as expected. Vicky and Grant joined us on the weekend but they brought the rain! More tea and pies consumed to make up for it.

The rest of the week was spent chilling out and visiting the city. We drove down to the Mornington Peninsula but unfortunately it rained nearly the whole day! We got 10 minutes of sunshine so Olly did at least get to walk along a beach. We also had a couple of cinema trips, firstly to see Sunshine Cleaning (v.good) and then Harry Potter (v.dark and v.good!) as well as an epic bike ride round the city.

It was very sad to say goodbye to Vicky and Grant. They've looked after me so brilliantly while I've been in Australia, letting me use their flat as a base (and a dumping ground - sorry!), cooking for me and taking me places whenever I've needed it. In particular, spoiling me after my fruit picking experience was truly appreciated!! Thanks guys. Missing you already!

Of course I also had to say goodbye to Olly. It was very sad but thankfully it won't be for anywhere near as long as last time (only two months max) and we both have a lot to look forward to in the near future. The boys' band The Halcyon Glow did fantastically well in an online poll for a festival called The Green Man in Wales. They made it into the top 6 bands who will take part in a Battle of the Bands in London next week, performing in front of panel of judges. The panel is made up of 2 record label execs and a music magazine editor; brilliant exposure for them. Best of luck guys!

I am about to embark on the last leg of my trip. I can't believe it's drawing to an end! It has gone so fast. I am flying to Cairns tomorrow for 5 days and I am planning on doing some diving on the Great Barrier Reef. I then fly to Sydney for a week before continuing to Bali. So excited! I'll keep you posted...