i love this city, i dont want to leave and i want to move here. its cooler than cool, everything about it, its attractive, amazing exhibitions and street art, big, busy but not crowded, amazing shopping, funky bars and cool cafes down little alleys, the most incredible restaraunts, attractive people, friendly people, its just ace. very european in many ways but its definately got its own character.

stayed with cobien and michael which was brilliant, so nice to have my own room, bathroom and bed, get cooked for and looked after and it being in a dockside apartment overlooking the city with a gym, suana and swimming pool was just an added bonus!

cobien picked me up from the airport and drove me round the city a little to show me a few things, we got back and they took me for lunch before i completely conked and slept for 16 hours recovering from sydney. we were supposed to be having steak but they couldnt wake me! so cobien made me some soup instead and left it on the stove incase i was hungry when i woke up, nice midnight snack it was!

the next day i sorted myself out a bit, i needed to do a lot of washing (well, cobien did it) and update all the internet etc, and just had loads to do so it was nice to just relax.

went for a walk into the city that afternoon and went to federation square, there is a moving image exhibition centre and the one theyve got on at the moment is a collection of indepentent short films and animations so i got a bit stuck there as they were really good, came back for my steak meal that night and stayed in with cobein and michael and heard all about my family 30 years ago!

the next day cobien took me on what was supposed to be a sht bike round ot see the st kilda at the beach. 6 hours later we got back! shes the most amazing lady, really funny and so interesting and dutch to the bone pedalling round inoring all the no cycling signs just saying 'oh we're tourists'. pretty much got a guided tour of the full city, went to the eureka tower. its the tallest builfding in the city, all residential and the top deck opened to the public two weeks ago so we went up. once up there you can go on 'the edge' basically its a frosted glass pod that extrends out from the builfdiing and then when your out there the frosting goes so your stood on clear glass with the city below you. you get your picture taken while your out there so following cobiens lead we did a kind of stayin alive pose. the staff liked it so i struck a deal and they printed it off let us sign it and we are now displayed on the counter!

i went to see cirque du soleil varekai that night....on my own (but that turned out good anyway). it was incredible, ive never seen anything like it, the acrobatics were fantastic and the costumes and makeup were pretty impressive. ended up sat next to two irish girls that are living out here and just so happened one of them was into the same music and going out the following night, would i like to go with her? yeah of course! sorted. and they even gave me a lift home from cirque, perfect!

the following day i was supposed to have a trapeze lesson but it was cancelled, maybe a good thing, im not quitre sure what id let myslef in for, i cant even do a handstand or touch my toes so i dont know what they were planning on getting me to do on a trapeze.

i met up with two of the aussie girls id met in singapore and their boyfriends and went for a japanese and then since they were working today i left them around 10.30 and met the irish girl from cirque and went out in.....i tinhk it was collingworth at first and then im not sure where we ended up. anyway, brilliant night and great end to a fantastic week. packed all my stuff up this morngin and written this, now im off to get my flight to NZ and pick up my wicked camper, woop!