Due to popular demand we thought we might as well give you guys some happiness and present you with another amazing journal entry!

When I (Luke) started writing this I didn't think it would be as long as the last but I'm afraid we left it a little too long and now have loads to write! But in future we are going to just write shorted and more frequent journal entries because this is getting silly!

So we have been here in Melbourne for a little over a month now. The flight over here was okay, bit of turbulance but nothing too major. We had to fly via Sydney so getting off one plane and getting on another was a bit of a pain but luckily it all went smoothly. We arrived at our hostel which is called The Nunnery, it is in an area called Fitzroy, on Nicholson St. For some reason, they claimed to have not received our booking so after a long wait they finally managed to squeeze us into a 12 bed dorm. When we got inside the room all the lights were off so we had to shuffle around for a while to try and find where our beds were...the place was a tip (Luke - Just like my room!). We had been flying for quite a long time so we all had a bit of a kip. I managed to get about 5 hours but Jon and Ollie only managed a couple because there were a lot of people coming in and out of the room all the time making a noise. Plus the fact that the room smelt of weed! It was weird going into a 12 bed dorm after staying in plush bungalows and hotels in Thailand but we soon got used to it.

After our kip we had a wander around Fitzroy. It's a cool area and a lot like Park Street with a bit of Whiteladies Road mixed in. Loads of funky cafes and bars, quirky clothes shops and independent record shops. We wandered around and ordered some pizza. After a long wait for our food, the waitress came over and told us that she had forgotten to hand in our 'docket' (?!?!). We all looked at each other and quietly asked 'what's a docket?' It turned out to be our order (receipts are also called dockets) so she gave us the option of leaving or having the pizza on the house. Score! Free food on our first day, what a great start! That evening we went to pick Chris up from the airport. There was a slight delay so by the time we had stopped hiding from him like spies in the arrivals lounge and got back to the hostel it was about 4am. As many of you are aware I (Jon) love the TV programme 24, Jack Bauer seems to be in full operation here in Melbourne, lots of Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) action.

The following day we all went into the 'CBD' (Central Business District (City Centre!)) to have a look around and scope out some cool places. We were a little surprised with the city as a whole because it's not a lot different from a city back home, just cleaner and organised in blocks like in the States. Besides when we're drunk we haven't actually met too many locals as they obviously have no need to stay in a hostel. We are looking forward to seeing some REAL Australia when we hit the road. Food, clothing, music and such like, are roughly the same price as things back home..

So again, it took us a little time to adjust to the differences of cheap Thailand. Apart from Jon (who worked for three days) we have spent most of our days wandering around the CBD, having a bite to eat, taking it easy and trying to get to know the area. There is a free tram and bus service that takes you around the whole CBD area so we often hop on and off the tram to get to places. The main trams cost about 6 bucks for a day pass or $3.50 for a 2 hour pass. We have been sneaky a few times though and have got away without paying! It took us a little while to find our way around, we got lost several times on the tram and on foot but we have it sorted now.

In the day we visit the Melbourne Museum which is literally just over the road from us. They have free internet there (alothough a lot of sites are blocked) so it's really handy to check e-mails. Ollie, Chris and I went into the museum in the first week while Jon was working. We had a leaflet about Fitzroy attractions and it said 'Melbourne Museum - The biggest museum in Australia! The most exciting attraction in Melbourne without having to take off your clothes!' Wow. How enticing does that sound?! However, the museum is actually a load of rubbish. We wandered around it for an hour or so and got bored very very quickly. The most entertaining part was the video about giving birth. Gross.

Chris, Ollie and I also took a trip up the Rialto Tower. It is meant to be the tallest building in Melbourne but we think that's a lie (the skyscraper opposite is blatantly taller!). We travelled to the 54th floor and had a 360 degree view of the CDB. Even managed to spot where our hostel was.

So let me (Jon) tell you about my wonderful and exciting job. Yeah right, When I say job it’s my ex job, I only worked for 3 days. It was fine tho, just working for a real estate company, which involved dealing with customers enquiries about rental properties around Melbourne. The 3 days I had there was pretty good, the office environment here in oz is completely different to back home, it’s a so much more relaxed atmosphere. The first day I got there, I was greeted by a Human Resources member, she said that I could use the phones and the text facility on the computer as much as I want, how cool is that. The people who worked there were all permanent staff, but they made a great effort to have a chat with me, got on well with all the people there. I really enjoyed talking to the Aussie people on the phone, had some really nice chats with some people and the others were just taking the mick about us losing the Ashes. Although if I’m being honest I was getting quite jealous of thought that I was working while Luke, Laj and Chris were just chilling out at the hostel. We are all going to start looking for jobs soon as money will start to run out, it’s surprising how money can go so fast and not doing that much.

In the first week I (Luke) found out about +44 (ex Blink 182 member's band) playing at the Festival Hall. After a long walk to the box office they told us that the tickets had sold out but the guy told us that if we go down on the day to the venue then they may have some spares. I was pretty bummed at this point. On the day of the gig we were going to see an apartment (we shall get to that shortly) which was fairly close to the venue and I managed to get a standing ticket finally! We went and virewed the apartment then I left the guys and headed back to Festival Early. I waiting around for a while and spoke to some locals. Just as I was about to go in I asked if the band were back from the hotel and the security guy said no. So instead of going in early I made my way round the back hoping to see them come in. Just as I got round there their van pulled up. I ran over and Mark (lead singer and bassist) was signing stuff for everyone. I went over and forced my way through and asked if he would sign my ticket. He looked at me and said 'you're not from round here are you?' I said no and that I was from England and I said that I had come on my own to see them play. He was impressed and asked if I wanted to go backstage. I've met him before but to get backstage was a dream. Mark spoke to me for a minute or so and then had to show some competition winners around. I got speaking to Craig, one of the guitarists, and he offered me a beer and was asking me questions about my favourite bands and what I've been upto etc. It was really surreal. They let me watch Luliette and The Licks play from backstage whilethey warmed up. After that I said thanks to them all and had to go in the pit. I was pumped with adrenaline at this point. The pit was craxy, people were moshing even when there was no music playing. I crowd surfed a couple of times and the band played amazingly. Felt great to see one of my favourite bands playing so far away from home. By the end of the night my shirt was dripping with sweat, I had bruises up my arms and my whole body was aching; the sings of a good gig. I got talking to some fellow +44 fans and they offered me a lift back to the hostel so I accepted. I could talk about the gig and the backstage stuff for hours but I won't bore you all! Let's just say it was one of my best nights here so far.

As mentioned above, we went to view an apartment. We hadnt had much luck around the CBD because they were all too expensive. The apartment we went to see was about 30 minutes away from the centre. Jon had organised the viewing after speaking to the landlord. We were a little cautious because at one point he told us the previous tenants were going to stay for longer. The next minute he calls us up again after some sweet talking from Jon and offers us the viewing. Shifty. Anyway...after 10 minutes of walking around aimlessly we managed to find the place. The guy let us in and we had a look aorund. It was a nice, modern apartment but it only had 4 beds. So with Stu coming out to join us soon it wasnt very practical, add the fact that it's so far from the centre. The landlord turned out to be a right wally so we are glad the plank didnt call us back offering it to us!

So our whole stay in Melbourne has been at The Nunnery. We have been moved into an 8 bed dorm which is alot better. We even have our own balcony! We share the room with Duncan (Big D!), a 38 year old from England who is wicked; Christina, a German girl who often joins us on nights out; Sophie, another German, studying at Melbourne University; and Dane, a really nice guy from Kiwi who plays cricket with us and joins us on our drinking adventures occasionally. The Nunnery is a great place, we are currently paying 25 bucks a night and although it's a little expensive it's well worth it. The lounge is always full of people and we can play DVDs as and when we please. Chris and I got our hands on Goodfellas and Teenwolf, classics! On a Monday night there is free ice cream, Wednesday night is free pasta, Friday night is free wine and nibblezzzz (plus a free BBQ once in a while) and Sundays I think it's free soup. Every morning there is a free breakfast. If you're lucky enough, you can stay up till past 4 in the morning like Chris and I to meet the milkman/baker and grab some free rolls haha! The Nunnery is a really social place, we have had some great nights out (and in) with the other guests. You can even have Franky, the hostel cat, sit on your lap if you manage to catch him! We would really recommend staying at The Nunnery if you plan on visiting Melbourne.

Ah hello, ollie here. I have just been tagged in to write my section of this here journalzz and its already been some weeks since some of the above was written so i'll just update on a few changes since then...
From our room; Sophie and Kristina, the resident Germans, have left as has Dane. Several friends we've made throught the hostel have also moved on and in the past few days things have been quietening down. Being joined in our room by a sweet 70+ year old lady named Hazel sums this up. We affectionately refer to her as Nana and had all tried to be a bit more considerate with the noise level. All that is besides Luke.. after a drunk night out he took it upon himself to comfort Nana by stroking her hair as she slept!! How nice! Unsurprisingly Hazel has changed rooms since that night! More people are always coming and going and some of our old aquaintances have promised to return for a big last night of kareoke! The arrivals always include a nice selection of oddities including the old guy who loved to wear short shorts, a leather waitcoat (with nothing underneath) and a cowboy hat! steer clear of him i feel!

Having been in Melbourne so long its gotten to the point where we've pretty much seen everything, tourist wise, the city has to offer. We've obviously had to entertain ourselves in other ways. Thankfully there is a large park across the road from our hostel and has been the arena for many intra hostel Cricket matches in the sun. The park is also the home to our first encounter with the famous Aussie wildlife.. thankfully no Gators as yet but we have met numerous Possums when walking home at night. Like giant squirrels with attitude they have no quams with chasing us down for our shopping or often just hang onto a tree at eye level to really freak us out as we walk past!
Since Chris brought out his camcorder we've been having a lot of fun with it; we killed a few hours making our own attempt at Jackass style movie making.. on a very lame scale i must add! Plus some amature dramatics aimed at luring passers by into our web of weirdness was a good laugh! We might get some of it in the website at some point so you can all see how rubbish we are!

Thankfully the city of Melbourne puts on shed loads of attractions/events almost everyday. Its almost as If the residents will up and leave unless there's plenty to see. These have included the world jetski championships (or Moomba as its known here) in the Yarra river in town, we were there to watch the jump events and watch plenty of busking and street performances in the area. There has been huge international fashion events across the raod and the park is currently host to some kinda big ass flower show. Regluar fairs/cultural events are always being held in Federation square. Plus the Formula 1 was in town last weekend and the whole city seemed to bulge with extra people, plenty of which were left bedless as our hostel was way over booked. We didnt actually go anywhere near the race but I have been mocked since for thinking the sound of the cars was actually a massive swarm of bees coming my way! (i forgot the race was on and it was literally miles away).

The friday before the race was a VERY big night at the hostel, it was packed to the rafters and it was the free BBQ and cheap wine (Goon) night. The Bristol boys showed The Nunnery how to party by setting up the biggest game of our classic 'ring of fire' (drinkng card game) we've ever seen! We occupied the majority of the courtyard and everyone that was not a part of the game was left stranded outside the cricle and looking on with amazement/disgust as we stood on the tables, shouted, laughed and drank our was through PUH-LENTY of booze! We got around 15 people involved and everone was loving it... except us four really.. as insitigators of the game you'd expect us to last it out but Luke was the first casulalty (Luke - I was drinking wine form a PINT glass) and was carried to bed at 10pm! (not before throwing up in the sink). I was next to go to bed at 11.30.. after taking myself on a much needed fresh air stroll where i was sick no less than 5 times!! aint we the classy boys! i remember lying in top bunk thinking 'im gonna be sick on chris.. im gonna be sick on chris', luckily for him i was not. Jon's night culminated in a trip to the guest house next door where he sicked up his fair share on the carpets in there! (i must add he did clean it up and he manged to get most of it outside). Chris was the only one of us to avoid the chunder that night. Amazingly we all woke up feeling fairly well!

I (Ollie) also just wanna tell you about my funniest moment of Melbourne so far, something tells me it wasnt Chris's happiest memory! Chris and I had left Luke and Jon in the MCG and we walking around the center. We were just looking around as to where we'd go next and I turned to Chris to ask him something.. out of nowhere an old guy with downs syndrome was standing right between the 2 of us! I jumped back in surprise but he grabbed hold of Chris, with his arm over his shoulder he started shouting something inauidble in Chis's ear and then nuzzled his face into Chris's neck and finished off the encounter by planting a big wet tounge on his neck!! I was just stood there laughing my ass of but poor Chris was in a stunned silence, if you'd have seen his face you'd be laughing too! good stuff!

I missed the other BIG night as i was watching a local band play near by with some people from the hostel. I had a good time but Chris, Jon and Luke's night was definitly more exciting. Chris need to tell this bit..

Thanks for that Ollie, glad my discomfort of being necked licked by random Downs people makes you smile! Okay, well this next story is quite a long one, so I wont go into too much detail as there is about a 2 hour long read on my other journal (www.statraveljournals.com/justchris) please take a look there as its a good adventure and some pictures of the occassion too. I was very lucky to have Luke and Jon's company that night when we decided to go and see the self-proclaimed "Biggest Midget in the Game" Lady Sovereign. Was an extremely good night, with even Jon and Luke enjoying the music! At the end of the night I managed to blag my way backstage and got to shake hands and mingle with some of the biggest up and coming MC's. I lied my way to get there by first telling a roadie on the stage tidying up I came from Bethnal Green (just round the corner from where Lady Sovereign grew up. After telling he went backstage and told Lady Sovereign, I personally didnt think I would see him again, and that would be the last of the situation. He came back about 5 minutes later, and said that Lady Sovereign said I could come backstage to meet her. Once I got back there, I walked into a room where only Lady Sovereign and three other people were sat. I smoothly shook her hand, and she recognised me from the crowd and pointed out that I didnt sound like I was from Bethnal Green! I then told another lie explaining my parents were from that area and grew up on Valliance Road. Too cut this story short, I spent the early hours of the morning with her and the crew and ended up going to the beach with her to have a few drinks and a chat. At 4am we said are goodbyes and I just managed to get a picture with her... Aswell as one of the empty bottles of beer she was drinking from. It was an extremely good night and something I am proud of as I would never do it at home!

Luke again, bet you're all bored and want this to end soon, right? Not long to go now and I promise the next entries will be smaller.

Stu arrived on the 23rd! We went to meet him at the airport in the evening and greeted him with open arms! It was Friday so we had the free goon before we went to collect him, can't miss out on free wine now can we? (If you're wondering why it's called goon I'll explain. We drink wine out of those boxes you can get, you know, the silver foil case inside the carboard box? Well if you take the packet of wine from the cardboard box casing to squeeze the last bit of wine out, you can blow it up into a pillow shape. Aboriginals call pillows 'Goons'...) Stu is going to write some stuff in the enxt journal entry once he has seen a bit more of Oz!

Melbourne is great. Thanks to Big D we have been to some cool bars, he knows his way around pretty well! He showed us the way to ACDC lane where there was a great rock bar down the alley. It was wicked. Jon and Stu nearly didn't get in because they were 'too smart' haha! We have had some great nights in the hostel too. Chris and I teamed up with some other members of the hostel and Manny (who at the time was staying down the road in a skanky hostel - The Hub) and antiqued a few people (to antique someone is to make them look old and antique-like by covering them with flour) at about 2am. We have also seen a few live bands playing at bars and pubs over the city. One guy, a Japanese man named George, plays the harmonica, guitar, electric drum pedal and sings all at once plays locally and he is great. I stayed up till about 4am one night on Brunswick St. watching a drummer entertain about 100 people out of the blue.. Melboure is great for live music, it's everywhere.

Anyway, enough is enough. We are going to watch some Aussie Rules Football tonight (Friday) at the MCG (we have already seen a cricket match there and done the tour), visit Ramsey St. early next week, meet some cast and pick up our van from the garage. Yep, after finally buying a van it turns out that the head gasket is bust. Yay! Once we have the heap of junk back then we are heading off to Sydney. Hope you like the photos too, we are not going to bother putting them in order because we have 5 cameras between us now and it takes forever. May take a while to out them all on at the same time but at least some will be on there.

Hope everyone is well back home. We miss you all and love getting messages, e-mails and texts of you so please keep in contact.

Till next time....

The Bristol Boys xxx