One of my highlights for going to Melbourne was to catch up with two dear friends I travelled with in India, Mary and Simone. I met up with Mary first in Melbourne centre and it was fun to wander around huge shopping malls and remember what city life is really like.

Mary kindly offered for me to stay with her and she lived about 20 minutes by tram away from the centre. Whilst she was working I spent some time wandering around the dock area. Unfortunately the cold weather froze me into a coffee shop with it's warm chai and cake

In the evening it was bliss to go to someone's home and just relax with an excellent chat and a movie. Simone joined us the next day, which we literally spent talking, eating, drinking tea and than talking some more. We headed over to Simone's home which is outside of Melbourne in a place called Geelong. It was so nice to see non-touristy areas as well as relax in two beautiful homes with some amazing people.

Our next adventure was to wander along the Great Ocean Road. We stopped in Torquay, the home of Billabong, Quiksilver etc so I could do some shopping before venturing forth. The road swept along steep cliff lines, with stunning forest and the bluest of blue seas. We called in at Bells Beach where Point Break was filmed and watch surfers head out in the cold. The Road continued on, winding and weaving between tall trees and forest, touching onto the bays before heading back into forest. It was just beautiful. Words are hard to describe it and there was a smell of herb (maybe basil?) It made you feel alive.

Due to time constrictions, possibly due to the amount we chatted, we did not get as far as the Twelve Apostles but stopped at Lorne for a some yummy food. In fact besides chatting, food was a high priority of our trip. In true India tour style, we found many a coffee shop for Mary and us to indulge. It was great fun.

Unfortunately due to my poor planning, I had not given Mary and Simone much time so they had to head back to work, leaving me to explore Melbourne on my own.

First thing was to head towards to Philip Island to watch the little penguins (and to steal one ) As the penguins do not come out until sunset there were other things to do. First we visited an animal sanctuary where once again I got to feed Wallabies and spy on the Tazmanian Devil. An Emu pecked food out of my hand which scared me a bit so I gave him a wide berth.

Next was a stop on Churchill Island to watch sheep shearing. The Island was stunning, with gentle rolling hills spreading out to a beautiful sea view. The gardens were nicely cared for, giving it a very mellow and peaceful feel. A definite future holiday home. The sheep shearing was interesting and you did have to feel relief for the sheep getting rid of all that wool.

Then we went on to the Nobbies to see where the penguins have some homes. If you looked carefully you could see the odd shape of the penguin tucked inside but, as the sun had not yet set, you didn't see much. The Nobbies themsleves were impressive and it made you realise how skilled the little penguins are at climbing vertical cliffs!

Finally, the time came for penguin watching. We headed out to the beach where stands had been set up. The penguins have poor eyesight so we could not use a camera due to the fear of flashes going off. We waited as the sunset over the sea and it gradually became dark. For a while nothing happened. You could feel the restlessness of the crowd scanning for a little figure to appear. Finally, in the blink of an eye, a white oval appeared by a rock and turned out to be the shape of a penguin. It was the size of my foot. A few more appeared near the rock and they gathered together. Slowly, they waddled towards the beach. This is the most danagerous time for a penguin as they have to cross the beach to get to their home and are most noticable to eagles. Due to their bad eyesight the penguin cannot distinguish whether it is a harmless seagull flying over or an eagle so they have to take extra care. You could see the penguins building up the courage. They would take a couple of steps forward then go back. Eventually, one brave soul risked it and the others followed. Unfortunately for the penguins the beach is full of seagulls who like to fly. One flew over and the penguins turned and bolted it back to the sea. The process started again. And again, and again. Finally a group managed to get half way acrosss and you could see that they were getting bolder. They were very cute and waddled from one foot to the other in a dash to get across the beach.

More penguins appeared and, in small groups, repeated the process. At one point there was a group of twenty making the dash. The way the stands were set up allowed you to see them climb the cliffs and head to their holes in the ground. You were literally in touching distances at some points. It being spring, there were certain activities occurring that brought a slight blush to the face. No shame there. It was a great experience especially when a mother started feeding her young. I wish I could have taken pictures but seeing how cute they were it was enough.

The next day was a slightly geeky but memorable day. I went on a tour of Neighbours. I have not seen the show in years but it was a large part of my childhood and so seemed appropriate. We started off by driving past Erinsborough High, which was nothing like how it appears on the TV and is in fact, an adult learning centre. Then off we went to the studios where got to see the garage and the diner, but only the outside. We met an actor from the show but, embarrassingly, I had no idea who he was!! Maybe it was Scott Major who plays Lucas Fitzgerald. But he was certainly no one who had made an impact on me!

Finally, it was off to Ramsey Street. I thought it was actually called Ramsey Street but it is not. On the screen it looks so much longer but in actual fact it was quite small. However, the houses were the houses we all know and love. I must admit that seeing the houses was quite emotional and hard to belief that I was seeing them in reality. Definitely worth it. The Ramsey Street sign was brought out and we all managed to get our photo with it. A fun day out and a good tribute to my childhood.

This was the end of my trip to Melbourne. A delightful interlude even if I did not see much of the city itself. Now I had to return once more to Sydney before setting off to New Zealand.