I have had a very pleasant Grannys Outing with Laura ( Michelle Jones) today aboard the Puffing Billy Express in the Dandenong mountains! Originally we were going to book on a tour to Phillip Island, but all the cheeper ones were fully booked up and as I have actually been before I wasn't that bothered about doing something different.

It was a bit of a struggle to get out of bed / the sofa at 7am,this morning but I made it. The tour bus took us out of Melbourne up towards the Dandenong Ranges which took about an hour. It was really weird listening to the guide tell us all about Melbourne as I have been living there for 3 months now. The Dandenongs are beautiful and are actuallycovered in some areas by temperate rainforest which I had totally not expected. It is true about Australia that the landscape can change in an instant but I really liked the change from the city. At about 10.00 we stopped off in a small tea rooms for a traditional Devonshire Cream Tea which was scrumdioliumptious and made me and Laura feel like old ladies out on a day trip to Devon.

We then went down to the train platform to board the Puffing Billy Steam Train. The whole Puffing Billy system is maintained by volunteers most of whom appear to be retired old men who look like the just love dressing up in there signal mens gear and things. It made it so nice to see that they were passionate about it.when we got on the train it felt like we were in a scene from one of the old movies where ladies in bonnets get on the steam train it was really cute. My luck being what it is we sat on the wrong side of the train to get the best views but the ride was really nice all the same. It was odd going through a rainforest on a steam train- forest of dean move over I am afraid!

On the way back to Melbourne we stopped in the village that time forgot-Sassafras. It was so cute it had Miss Marples Tea Rooms, a traditional sweet shop ( complete with thorntons toffee and sherbert lemons), and loads of little dolls shops it was lovely. But the highlight was the TEA SHOP which has Melbournes largest collection of tea pots and tea's! I wish in a way I had chosen to settle in one of these smaller towns, it would have been a bit lonely I think but then it would have been nice to become acquainted with locals and find out more about the areas and things. It has given me an idea though, that I may go and work at one of the wineries in south Australia for a month of so, to get that sort of community feel.