I caught a budget Jetstar flight from Sydney to Melbourne Avalon. A very low key airport but the dull surroundings wer son brightened up by being united with Scott! I was introduced to Marina the Burina for the first time and we headed to Werribe, home for the next week. Werribee is very much at the end of the line and is quite a trek to get into the centre, especially during Easter holidays. However, this made a good excuse to sit around doing very little, very reminiscent of our much loved days in Tianjin! The neighbourhod was very Neighbours esque. All houses were one storey and open planned to make the most of the sunshine.
Our first excursion was to Werribee zoo. Not the best unless you like deer! We aslo visited the Rose Garden, beginning to die off for the Autumn but still some nice smells.
The next day we had a dumpling feast at the wonderful Shanghai Dumpling House off Melbourne's China town. It was good to wander the city at night. The river and the casino were stunning and the coffee top notch.
On my slightly obsesive search for Australian wildlife, Scott drove us to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary, about 2hrs away in the Yarra Valley. The drive was stunning and I was constantly entertained by Aussie place names and bosy signs, telling you to have power naps and slow down or die! Plus of course the obligatory kangaro, koala, wombat yellow warning signs. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, the sanctuary was fantastic. It had a really genuine atmosphere about it. We watched a bird show where we were joined by a wild eagle. The highlight was by far the platypus who belly flopped, waved and smiled for attention. Quite simply the most bizarre animal in the world! Plus they're venemous! However, venom aside I was in love and sure he was smiling specially for me! Definitely much more entertaining than the wombat who just slept in his burrow - not surprising for a wombat really! On the way back we got to acidentally experience Melb

Australia Petrborough is a small hamlet situated on the famous Great Ocean Road. A definite improvment on the Peterborough we all know and love. Not a concrete vblock in sight! It was however on the edge of a limestone outcrop so likely to fall into the ocean at some point but not whilst we were there! Scott, I and Marina set off nice and early and drove along the Princes Highway. It was sucesful drive wher my navigating skills prooved to be much beter with an Ausie map book than a British one! We stayed in a delightful, spacious lodge which we made the most of as iut kept rianing! The Ocean Road was u8ndoubtedly breathtaking in places. Our absolute favourite was The Bay ois Islands, that on first sight, despite the rain made our jaws drop wide open.
Out next destination was the Otway Fly to experience the Australian rainforest. Marina nd Scott were really put to the test on a never ending winding, siongle track, wet road right through the rainforest, bordered by dinosaur polants. Annoyingly, by the time we'd reached the end of the road our destination was further away than when we'd started so we gave up on the Otway Fly, hapy in the knopwledge that we'd had real god lok at the rainforest!
The last of my Melbourne based experiences was the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition - a walk along Ramsay Street and a meting with the l;egendary Doctor Karl Kennedy :)