In and around Melbourne

We like Melbourne a lot. If we were ever to emigrate then this place would be a definite contender.

We arrived here at 7.30am on Wednesday morning and walked the kilometre or so to our motel (picture us, slightly dishevelled and bleary eyed with bags on backs amidst the hundreds of city types smartly dressed on the way to the office). The motel is pretty central and not bad accommodation however we couldn't check-in until 2pm, so we dumped our bags and, feeling a little grubby, headed out. We became members of the State Library so we could tap into the wireless internet connection, hence the sudden appearance of blogs after a bit of a drought period.

Wandering around the city is a real pleasure. There's a real contrast between the abundance of late nineteenth century buildings and some really modern architecture. There are lots of alleyways with a real quirky, offbeat vibe going on too. We took in an art gallery and had lunch in a place called Fitzroy; a bit similar to the Northern Quarter in Manchester - it's a bit of a bohemian, arty part of town. There are loads of really cheap, nice Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese eateries too which we have been taking advantage of.

Matt's one wish while we were here was to visit the Crown Casino , which is what we did last night. Apparently the Aussie Millions Poker Tournament is held there every year. We actually had a good night although not actually together! I went to the cinema (on my own for the first time ever) at the complex as Matt signed up for a Texas Hold 'Em cash table. He finished up on the evening (not enough so we can stay unemployed indefinitely, unfortunately).

We leave Melbourne tomorrow and pick up a hire car and head inland to a place called Mildura which is a good 6 hour drive away. We're heading eventually for Brisbane but have decided on a more inland route taking in some of the New South Wales outback.