AUSTRALIA!!

Finally arrived down under in Oz and we've had an amazing two weeks in Melbourne. The majority of this is due to the fact that we're staying with my family and they have been nothing but brilliant with us and treated us like nothing but family (which at home would be a different story but over here, people are nice to their family....just joking, i love my family...most of the time. ha).

We have been doin a lot of relaxing and sleeping in late to take advantage of that fact that we both (me and jade) have our own room with a DOUBLE bed each. (When you have been used to a bunk bed with 8 other people in the room for the past three months, its the little things that matter.) And for a change we have done some grown up cultural activities. For example we went wine tasting on our third day here and we have been on some long country drives to take in the scenery. But of course we have done the usual stupid things like getting a bit too drunk on Neighbours night, that meant somebody was in bed by 11pm.....me actually which is most unusual but made a change from the usually drunker Jade. ha ha. and we've been falling over a lot, well that one was Jade.

We have been staying about an hours train journey out of the city centre which has been slightly annoying but the nice house and big bed and tv etc has more than compensated for that. Think it probably works out that we have spent one day out of the 13 we've had here on that damn train. And we've had an array of people talking to us on them as well. One gypsy looking woman tried to convince us she was a brain surgeon and she couldnt believe her luck when we went along with her story and believed her coz she then told us she was an actress and had made the whole thing up. Well i never. We were amazed at how good her acting skills were. Coz all the brain surgeons i know travel late friday night on a tram with plastic carrier bags and a coat that even Oxfam would have a hard time trying to sell. We've had the guy who spoke to himself, the one who speaks to absolutely everyone and then the starers who well just stare. This isnt even at night, these people are allowed to wander around in daylight.

We've had a couple of accidents....one evening as we were waiting for the tram (not train, tram. We've also spent a good few hours on those things as well) it was raining and me and Jade were huddled under her scarf/shawl/cover up thingy. Next thing we know, we were on the floor soaking wet and just a little bit dirty. Jade had a grazed knee and ankle and I got away with a scratched and bruised shoulder which is fair enough since she was the one who fell but decided to take me down with her so it was only roght that i fell on top of her. Still got the battle scars a week later.

We've also been caught for avoiding paying our tram fare which was not entirely our fault and we were actually not trying to avoid the fare but I didnt have a scrap of change on me (I'd spent it all on Neighbours night and we were on our way back home the next morning) and only had my cash card. There were no ATM's in sight so we decided to get on the tram anyway and then buy the ticket once we were at the main station coz we still had to get the long boring train home and its impossible not to buy a ticket on the train so we thought it would work out just fine. Oops. After a lot of discussion with the ticket devil, he believed our story which was the gods honest truth and we got home unscathed and without a hefty fine (and with our paid for train ticket).

We've made plenty of friends over here. In fact i think ive got more friends in Australia than i have back home which I'm not sure is a good thing but oh well. And we were invited to a house party after we'd been here just a couple of days, from some guys we met in Fiji and were sat next to us on the plane over here. We did wonder how a house party full of 19 year olds might turn out but was actually very good and there was even some frolickin in the pool they has in their back garden. Good times. Seems like we cant have a good night out unless it involves water of some sort now. ha.

Although we dont like being referred to as tourists, we probably didnt do much to help that by doing the Neighbours tour. As in ''Neighbours, everybody needs good Neighbours", not a tour of our actual next door neighbours who we live next to as someone else thought. I cant say it was the best way to spend $50 but at least we can say we've done it and been to Ramsay Street which, sorry to burst anyone's bubble but its actually a real street called Pin Oak Court where real people actually live. And then there was the Neighbours Quiz night where we met thee Paul Robinson!! What a legend. Him and his "band" performed for us in some dingy fake English pub which smelt like sweat beer and wee. Yum. You might recognise some of the people on the photos but to be honest, i didnt even know who a couple of them were so again, probably wasnt worth the $40 we paid for that. Definitely not for me since i was crashed out by 11pm but i did win us a prize somehow in my drunken state so wasnt all bad.

Aside from that, our time here has been spent relaxing on the sofa watching dvd's with the family before we have to spend the next three months back in bunkbeds with 8 other people who smell, snore, are drunk or all three. Oh the joys.

We are driving up to Sydney tomorrow ...ROADTRIP!! Me Jade and Sarah have hired ourselves a car to make the 12 hour jouney up there. We could have paid $20 more and got a one hour plane journey but where's the fun in that?! At least this way we get to see some of the country. Well we would if we weren't travelling through the night.....so I'm just trying to remind myself exactly why we are driving.....I'll let you know on the next installment of NATS BLOG, ESCAPE FROM BURY!!

Lots of love and if I dont speak to you around the Christmas period, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year xxxxxxxxxxxx