The past week has been spent in the delightful company of Hannah Ord, an old friend from school who did the sensible thing and emigrated to Australia a few years ago. Staying in her home in Melbourne and her holiday home a couple of hours away in the beach town of Lorne has been akin to staying in a 5 star hotel, only more relaxing and with yummier food, and although I'm excited to explore the rest of the east coast, I'm once again suffering from the reluctance to reaquaint myself with hostel life! (Having said that, I haven't stayed at any really rubbish hotels so far in my trip - touch wood - and they really are the best places to meet people, so take my moaning with a pinch of salt)

Whilst in Melbourne I've done a fair bit of tourism, but most importantly I crossed all the Neighbours boxes. As well as the Neighbours night I've already mentioned, I did a set and street tour. In all honesty, and I can see everyone who isn't my mum, sister, or India rolling their eyes at this, euphorically clinging to the Ramsay Street sign outside of Susan and Karl's house really has been one of the highlights of my trip! Melbourne is a great place regardless, but the soap opera activities are certainly a plus ...

Melbourne is also the gateway to the stunning Great Ocean Road, and over the past few days I've done a bit of a road trip with Hannah, who kindly drove us to Lorne and past some of the most incredible scenery I've seen whilst I've been away; the Southern Hemisphere really does this stuff well. Lorne is a great seaside town, it's only flaw being the abundance of steep hills which were rather difficult for a novice runner like me to negotiate.

Lorne also saw me accomplish a feat of which my Dad is very proud: I sat through a full football match on TV for the first time in my life. Last night, after gourmet burgers and a really intense game of Trivial Pursuit (sorry my phone got confiscated when you called, Leah, do call back!), we headed down to the Lorne Surf and Lifesaving Club for the midnight kick-off of the match between the Socceroos and Ghana. It was made vaguely enjoyable by the sausage rolls and pies (ever-prepared Aussies) and the vociferous reactions of my fellow-spectators, angry at their player being given a red card - although I did object to their insistence on calling the referee the umpire, even I in my inexperience of football (or soccer as it's known down under) know that it's not tennis.

Tomorrow is my last day in Melbourne, before heading off on a three day trip arriving in Sydney on Thursday. Here my plans get a little shakey ... I'm not sure how long I will spend in Sydney and quite where the bus takes me afterwards, but I'm sure all will fall into place. Anyway, a little worryingly I've somehow already notched up over three months on the clock and will be home in two, so I'm sure the time will fly by!