Hi all, Well thanks a bunch for the loving comments Mum & Kaz, Only kidding when your travelling you don't worry about whose looking at you, so I tend to forget I am posting photos on the WWW - Doh! Well Melbourne - where do I begin. I arrived at the airport and was shattered after a few heavy days in Auckland with Sooty & co, so just wanted to get to my hostel. That meant making my own way in from the airport, so sod that. There was a guy from another hostel offering me a free lift if I stayed with them, so off I went. The next morning I checked out and headed for the Base St Kilda - Big mistake as you have seen from the photos! There was a pool competition on at the hostel at 5pm, so I thought I'd chance my arm with a bit of a hussle and have a go. Started playing the competition and having a few beers and got chatting to the guys in the photos. They were all fairly sound and asked me to put my name down for a competition that was on later that night, but they wouldn't say what it was - just trust them it would be fun. Next thing I know I'm dressed up as a woman downing bottles of champagne!!! Needless to say the next day in Melbourne was a write off. I got up Saturday determined to see the city that I had now been in for three days and jumped on the tram into town. Did the usual touristy stuff going to the Champins horse racing museum, art galleries etc before heading for a bar to watch the last Lions match (only 1 or 2 and then home). Bad idea as the ozzies were playing the Springboks after the game and I got chatting to a few kiwi guys. Next thing I'm in another night club dancing and drinking away until the wee hours. Sunday I headed to the Telstra Dome to watch St Kilda play Carlton in the AFL. I didn't realise, but Sean O'hAlhipn's brothers are with Carlton, so I started cheering them on. All was going well for the first 2 quarters, but it went down hill after that and they got hammered. It was a great to see a live AFL match and good value also $18 for 3 hours entertainment. I headed off for some dinner before getting ready to go and watch the GAA matches in the only bar showing them in Melbourne. The cheey b*****s were charging $25 to get in. Of course I had to ask had I taken a wrong turn and was I walking into Croke Park :-) The bar got pretty busy (2 or 3 hundred) and I ended up drinking with a couple of guys from Mayo. There were loads of Mayo and Cork, but not many Kerry fans - Thank God. The matches finished about 4am so I was wrecked when I got in, but knew I couldn't sleep too much as it was now my birthday!!! Up at 1pm and rushed out of the hostel to do more site seeing. First stop the aquarium to look at some fish. As most people would say the sharks were the most interesting thing! There was also a great simulated ride which had nothing to do with water or the sea, but it was there any way! I headed up to the tallest building in Melbourne (as its becoming a bit of a habit when in city's to go up the tallest building) and had a look over Melbourne by night. It was more amazing than the photos show, but that's why you have to go off and do these things for your self so you can really appreciate how fantastic a world we live in! From the top of this building I'd a great view of the casino and it was just calling out my name! In I went and headed for the blackjack tables ($10 min bet). Lets start off with $100 and see how we get on! Not bad at all, lady luck was on my side and I left up a few hundred dollars up. Whislt gambling the beers were only $2 so it would be rude not to have a few, but I took it easy as there was some money to be won. The next day I could now afford to hire a car (that was the plan before the casino anyway) and headed off down the great ocean road on my own! It was a nice drive down (3 hours) and then I stopped at all of the sites and did a few walks along the coast. It was late when I got back, but I knew the casino would still be serving good grub, so back I went. After dinner I could hear the tables calling me, so like a good gambler I went back to give them their money back. After winning a few hundred at black jack again I headed for the roulette table and said I'd throw $5 on 4 corners at 8-1. Very strategic 7,8,10,11 as yes you guessed it my birthday the 11th of the 7th. Up came 11 and the chips came back across the table to me. My luck was in and I left the casino smiling with my first week in Melbourne paid for. The next morning I dropped my car back at the airport and headed for Sydney - which is where I am now. I have just booked a load of flights for the next few weeks around the country and am off to do some site seeing now. Hopefully I will climb the bridge in the next day or so. Bondi beach is also on the cards! There's a casino here also, but I'm trying to stay away - will I last the week? Watch this space. Take care, Michael