Spring is certainly in the air now - and when you're in the coldest and wettest state in Oz, it can't come quickly enough. We've spent the last couple of days in Melbourne after a quick jaunt from New South Wales. It felt great to fly into Sydney again after first visiting five years ago. It all seemed so familiar, like meeting an old friend you haven't seen for a very long time but you instantly recognise all their mannerisms. Circular Quay with its opera house and harbour bridge certainly needed no introduction as they proudly stood on the water's edge. You have to pinch yourself to realise you are actually there, standing on the opposite side of the world and taking in the view that you've seen countless times in books and on TV. The rest of the city is vibrant and cosmopolitan but retains its historical past with gorgeous Victorian buildings hidden amongst the gleaming skyscrapers. We happily strolled around, taking in the views, and sitting in the sun in the Botanical Gardens watching the joggers go round and round... At night the city is bustling and we had some lovely food in Chinatown before walking around the pituresque bars and resturants of Darling Harbour. I love Sydney, and you certainly realise how vibrant it is when you go to somewhere like Canberra as your next destination. We visited the capital city as a hop off point en route to Melbourne. And to put it mildly, it is, well, boring. In fact, it is probably one of the least well known capitals in the world. If you asked a group of school kids or drinkers in a pub quiz what the capital of Australia was they would probably say Sydney without batting an eyelid. Then some bright spark would say, "Oh, hang on a minute. Isn't it..... something beginning with... C?" The city was built half way between Melbourne and Sydney to stop the two squabbling about which was going to be capital. But in doing so it was built in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but bush. The city planners invented a strange wheel and spoke shaped road system which makes getting around on foot almost impossible. Everything is so spread out it takes ages to walk anywhere, even to the giant artifical lake which cuts the city in two. The manicured lawns just add to the feeling that you are walking around a huge university campus. Still, we were there on a Saturday night and to its credit we found three (three!) decent pubs. And one even sold near-perfect Guiness which, as Matt will tell you, is a rarity on a trip like this. So it was with an eager heart we left the capital to arrive in Melbourne, home of Dame Edna Everage and Harold Bishop. It has had a couple of facelifts since I was last here, including a $450 million scheme to create Federation Square - a huge block of the state-of-the-art architecture featuring bars, cafes, museums and galleries. But amid the hi-tech glamour, the city retains its old fashioned charm, such as the electric tram network celebrating its 100th year of service. And, like Sydney, grand Victorian buildings stake their claim among the skyscrapers of the CBD. Although Melbourne hasn't got a harbour like Sydney to make stunning first impressions, it more than makes up for it if you dig a little deeper. For instance, walking down the busy main roads you could easily get swept up in the crowd and not even notice the small lanes hidden among the buildings. But down these tiny, dimly lit lanes are scores of cafes, resturants and quirky shops. And Melbourne does have its own water feature, the Yarra River. Though not as impressive by day as its rival's harbour, by night it is lit up by the gleaming skyscrapers in the background. And impressive fountains and fairy lights add to the magical glow. As for sight seeing, well we've visited the Immigration Museum, and today we walked around Fitzroy, the Camden Town of Melbourne full of funky cafes and shops. There is still a lot to do here and we'll probably spend a few more days roaming around. We still haven't decided where we're going next, so till then, I'll keep you in suspence... Lots of love, Nikki xxx