Helloo again!

Well on Tuesday night I went bowling which was very good. Got a bit tipsy since I was drinking cocktails on an empty stomach! Did have pizza but it was a bit too late!

Had to get up early on Wed to move hostels and look at rooms to rent. Checked out of Cooee at 9.30am and got the tram in to the city and out again to Kew where I went to see a room in a house. The guy picked me in his car from the tram stop and took me to his house. Luckily, he wasn't an axe murderer! The house was lovely. He's been doing it up over the last 6 months and the room was really nice. His mum had done it up with lacy bedcovers and Her's towels! it was quite funny! He said he asked his mum what impression that would give if I guy wanted to move in! I think his mum's trying to give him a hint - he's 36 and single. The only thing is I think the house is too far from my work. I've looked it up on the metlink website and it suggests 45 mins. I think thats just too long. And lots of changes so too many things could go wrong!

I got back in to Cooee at about 1pm to use the internet and pick up my stuff. I then had to lug it across the city on a tram to my new hostel - Hotel Discovery. The Hotel bit is a bit of a misrepresentation though! The location is good but I'm not too impressed by the hostel itself. I think I was spoiled at Cooee with it being so new.

I then had to go to another house back in St Kilda East - only a mile from Cooee! I was there at 5.30pm and it was pissing it down so I got quite wet even though I was wearing my welly shoes and rain jacket. That house was about 1970s and they had the original wallpaper in the hall! Very retro! At least its back in fashion now! Its quite nice. The house isn't in such good condition as the first one but it's a palace compared to my house in Soton! Although that's not hard! "My" room was large and had big built in wardrobes but I think it's too expensive. $190 p/w. That does include pretty much everything though like loo roll, washing powder, a fortnightly cleaner, and all bills but I wasn't taken enough with the house to pay that sort of money.

After that house, I went back to the city to get some dinner and then got the train to North Richmond where I then walked in circles in the dark trying to find the final house for the day! I eventually found it and although it was a lovely house. Quite new, everything was immaculate but they really were clean-freaks and they guy who's house it was is a lawyer and seems generally to lack social skills! He was a bit wierd and I can't see him being any fun at all to live with. Not going to live there!

I got back to the hostel about 9.30pm absolutely knackered and desperately needing a drink so I had a large drink and then went to bed.

Yesterday I went to Philip Island on a tour to see the Penguin Parade. I was picked up at 12noon near the hostel and was taken to the office to pay. We then got on another bus and drove out of the city. Our first stop was at a winery where we had free wine tasting. I didn't take any as I knew I wouldn't like any of it and didn't want to offend the people who's vineyard it is by making faced and spitting it out straight away! So I just played with their lovely lab who rolled over while I was stroking her back so I could scratch her tummy! We then went to a wildlife park where we met a baby wombat who was so cute! Another girl took my picture stroking her. I then had a professional photo taken of me feeding a big koala bear! Next we went to feed the wallaby's and kangaroos! It was lovely to feed the wallabies as they're adorable and really gentle. The kangaroos are much bigger and a bit scary! So I fed one and then tipped the rest of the food on to the floor! I know I'm a big wuss!

After that we went to Philip Island itself and visited a beach. It was a bit chilly. The weather has really turned and it rained on and off most of the day. I walked along the beach with my shoes off but I was wearing a jumper and jacket! The sky was blue by then but the wind was cold. We then had pizza for dinner before going to see the Nobbies rocks to see if we could spot any penguins to take photos off as cameras are banned at the actual Parade. I saw three and took all their photos! They were in their burrows, one was hiding under the boardwalk. They are so cute and tiny Little Penguins. At sunset we went to the visitor attraction and I was taken off to one side as I paid for the Private Experience. It was an extra $40 and we got VIP treatment! I got a pair of binoculars, a foam seat, a headset so I could listen to what the ranger had to say and a free drink. There were 5 of us in the group and we had a ranger to ourselves. He told us loads about the penguins and then we went to the front of the beach viewing area to a reserved spot where we sat to try and see the penguins coming out of the sea and on the beach. They have to cross the beach to get to their burrows in the undergrowth. Its a time that they feel really vulnerable because they have no camoflage and predators are most likely to get them at this time. They tend to cross in groups but right close to us two penguins made the crossing as a pair. They were so cute! One was really fat as they're stocking up for the molt when they eat nothing. They really waddle up the sand. After a while there was a group of about 5 penguins who were scardy-penguins and they kept going back in the water. They took ages to get on the beach and we thought they were finally going to make the crossing and they ran back in the water again! So the ranger took us to another view area which is only accessible to those who pay for the Penguin Plus experience so it was less busy and we saw a large group coming up the sand really very close to us. It was an amazing experience. We had to leave at 9.20pm which seemed quite rushed but it was a long drive back to the city. I got back to the hostel about 11.30pm and went for one drink with Jo, another girl on the tour before climbing in to bed.

This morning, I didn't get up til late and then came online. I'm still trying to find somewhere else to live. I'm really not sure whether to rent a room or to stay in a hostel for 4 months as it might be quite lonely in a house and it's been hard to find one in the right location. It's also not much of a difference in price between the two. I'm staying here until next Saturday and then I'm moving to another hostel down the road for a while until I find the right place to live. The other hostel is newer and cleaner than this one. It's a bit dearer but only by $20 a week. I would like to rent somewhere close to work but it's quite a popular area so rent is either too expensive or nothing is available. I don't want to spend 45 mins going from bus to tram to tram trying to get to work for 8.30am! Not much fun. Would rather have a short tram ride or walk to work and then I'll get the train/tram/bus in to the city if I need to but the area around work has loads going for it with shops, bars, etc. Need to find somewhere around there.

Not sure what I'm doing for the next few days. I don't start work until Thursday. I can't wait to earn some money as it doesn't last very long! Might need to stop drinking for a while as it's expensive! Bad thing is that there's a bar here at the hostel and at the next one! Still have a few places I want to go to like the zoo, the immigration musuem, the Botanic Gardens and the Great Ocean Road. Don't know whether to do that as a day tour of tkae it in while travelling to Adelaide where I haven't decided if I'm going to go to yet.

Anyways, Neighbours is going to start in a couple of mins....

xxxx