This blog entry is going to cover a number of weeks so bare with me for trying to make it flow together!

After finally moving all my things into town we were set up in the CBD. Now all that remained is to find a job...tick tock tick tock...3 weeks pass but we'll come to that later!

It's amazing at how many things go on here in Melbourne at any given time. In the first weekend I was in the CBD the British Lions vs Australian Wallabies game was on and the entire streets of Melbourne were flooded with guys in Lions colours! Really made me want to be at Etihad that night for sure, despite the fact that we lost by 1 point in Melbourne we went on to win the series anyway lol.

Anyhoo, there are lots of free things to do in Melbourne too, the information centre near Federation Square carries little maps of walks about town so Bea and I decided to do some of them. The first one was rather eventful as we got thrown out of a building at night because apparently it was closed but someone left the front door open! One of the nicer walks we did took in the Treasury Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens and Birrarung Marr Park which is home to the Federation Bells. Fitzroy Gardens are nice, they have something called the Fairy tree in there and it is just as you would think. A tree covered in carvings / paintings of little fairies and gnomes lol. You can also take a wander into Cooks cottage and dress up as if you were from that era. A little pricy for what it was so we skipped that and went walking round St Patricks Catholic Cathedral. Oh you have to go into the Conservatory in the gardens too, there were only a few things in bloom but when everything comes out its going to be beautiful. Another thing I didn't know is there is an ACDC lane here in Melbourne, go figure!

Now if you have been reading my blog so far you would have remembered that we attempted to go to the Coopers brewery in Adelaide. Well this time nothing was going to stop us and one evening Bea and I went to the Mountain Goat Brewery here in Richmond. It's a local microbrewery and you can get some of their beers elsewhere in Australia but as far as I am aware it's not available abroad just yet lol. We arrived and it was a stylish warehouse looking building with all the brewery equipment right there in the bar area. The guide was very informative and this tour is more towards the geeky brewers in us all by explaining the exact brewing process as opposed to going there and just getting sloshed lol. I did however purchase one of their beer paddles and had a whale of a time drinking 4 different beers to myself! Go me! Lol.

An integral cultural part of Australia of course is AFL. To me it seems like a cross between rugby and football with a few easier to digest rules. Nevertheless whilst I am in Melbourne I have taken the opportunity to go to several games with Ryan and Jase both at the MCG and at Etihad stadium. I will admit it took me a little while to get the gist of the game but now I know the rules it's easier to watch! Etihad stadium is very nice, they have a retractable roof so in colder weather you don't freeze to death unlike the MCG where I honestly felt like I was wrapped up like frosty the snowman one Sunday afternoon lol. Some of the guys are pretty buff though I tell you that lol.

Back to an earlier comment, it took me about 3 weeks in Melbourne to get a job. Not ideal I know and I think I handed out the equivalent of about 3 trees worth of paper around town in CVs during that time. I managed to get a job in a little cafe called Deganis. Very nice little place owned by an Australian/Lebanese guy with a wicked sense of humour. It had been so long since I had been in full time work that I completely forgot how hard it is to get into work for 7am when you are out 'on the town' till 4am with some very weird random people...stupid pub quiz and free beer...To top that off, Bea and I decided to go to the Art Gallery of Victoria that afternoon to see the Monet's garden exhibition. It was a little bit rushed as I had to get there from work and we only had an hour or so to walk round but it was worth it. I think I could have stayed there for hours just sitting there staring at his pictures. I particularly liked some of his depictions of Charring Cross in the fog and of course I haven't met anyone who didn't like the water lilies collection. Some of the brush work was amazing, the use of colour to make one part of the picture almost look 3D from a distance. Hannah would be proud! Lol.

This blog entry really comes to an end with me saying goodbye to Bea as she is travelling up to Brisbane to try and find her fortune there instead of in Melbourne. It was kind of sad to see her leave but that's part the by of travelling really. The only other news this week is Nichola got engaged!! I was so happy at 1am Melbourne time that I text home and they thought I was drunk...

The picture is from the Observatory gardens.