Our Street...

Easter has meant shut down at the tele sales office thus leaving me at a bit of a loose end. Thought I would give you a little insight into the street that we spend most of our time on...Brunswick Street. Move your eyes a little higher in this place and you see loads of

Just a little bit of what makes Melbourne...well, Melbourne!

Easter Weekend

First of all, a massive Happy Easter to you all. A bit belated I know. We hope that you all had fabulous weekends, sore heads from too much fun and full bellies from the wonderful roasts you no doubt enjoyed on Sunday.

Our Easter weekend began with a trip to Melbourne Zoo, somewhere we've been planning on visiting since arriving. A little urgency was required though as I have a job interview there next week - supply teaching for school trips that come in. Thought a little visit in preparation may help. We will just have to wait and see if it pays off. Not holding my breath but very excited about the prospect. Here's just a few piccies to give you an idea of who I may end up sharing my lunch with should all go well.

The remaining part of our weekend was supposed to be spent at Bells Beach, Torquay, where the annual Rip Curl surfing championships were to take place. All excited about checking out the talent we jumped in the Bongo our poor ignored van and headed for the Great Ocean Road once again. Flags were flying, everywhere looked busy, excitement was running high...no surf...bugger! We were just two of the disappointed faces littering the beach as we considered what to do for the rest of the weekend. Not wanting to be put off we jumped back in the van and headed for the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne.

Just so you can see where we went

We ended up catching the ferry from where the 'mount' of Mount Martha is written and landed just across the water in a beautiful spot called Sorrento. I would love to show you some pictures. Sadly too much fizzy wine (it's just too cheap!) and fiddling with the camera means I can't! Another night in the Bongo - forgotten just how comfy (hmmm) that van is!

The views around this area were just stunning. Think we had forgotten just how green landscape can actually be and how gorgeous the beach is after being in the city for so many weeks.

Old habits die hard - Ed heading for the rock pools

We headed back to Melbourne on Sunday, chilled out in the park with a picnic on Monday, enjoying eachother's company now that work seems to have taken over once again. So all in all not a hugely eventful weekend but one we both enjoyed.

Another Busy Weekend

Another busy week with more events to attend. Saturday morning we headed for the Rod Laver arena to check out the world swimming championships, an arena usually used for the tennis. Despite the severe water shortages over here it was decided that a brand new pool should be created just for the championships - good use of water? You decide! Unfortunately for us tele sales wages couldn't buy us tickets to the finals so we had to make do with the heats. We did however, manage to see not only swimmers that we could have given a run for their money but also a couple of aussie favourites such as Leisel Jones.

Rod Laver Arena

Commentators...we like to think they were important ones!

Leisel doing her stuff

A random swimmer, but we liked the photo!

During the afternoon we headed for our local 'Tesco', aka 'Victorian Market'. This part particularly appealed!

Stall at the market - like to think that these ducklings are bought as pets for Easter and not as an addition to plum sauce!

For the past week or so the park opposite our home has become home to the 'International Garden Show', thought I should give it ago seeing as it was practically on our door step. Ed declined. Probably a good decision!

Sculptures at the garden show

This was the best bit though - the bit that's always there for free. Never mind.

Saturday night found us back on Lygon street for dinner with the usual suspects. A few more water pipes, baclava and VB. Needless to say, Sunday was a write off!

Work is going well. I made top seller two weeks in a row and Ed has made good impressions so far. Monday has come around too fast again, but I have only got two days work this week and then off until week after Easter. Should be fun investigating a bit more of Melbourne.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

As you have probably gathered from our previous messages, there is always something to do in Melbourne at the weekend. We keep on planning on leaving the city but end up staying as it's so much fun! At the moment the swimming championships are just down the road giving the city an excuse to provide live entertainment varying from the down right fantastic to the down right surreal! During our walk around the city we witnessed street theatre with people dressed as ships (?), people dancing in and I mean IN a large fish type tank filled with water. Live music on the city centre stage, and other weird and wonderful things.

Saturday marked the beer part of the food festival so we headed for Federation Square to sample the delights of Victorian mircro brewery beer. $20 for 20 tastes, what more could you ask??

After enough beer was consumed, including 'The Barking Duck', 'The Beast'...to mention just a few, we headed for the food festival, lining the river and filled our tummies from a variety of tents offering food from all over the world - this city is gonna be the death of us!

Having never been out in the city's Italian quarter, Ed and I pulled ourselves away from offers of drinks in a variety of Melbourne haunts and headed up town to Carlton. The streets were filled with people and the roads congested (10pm at night!), it was obvious that we had made a good decision. It was here that we landed in a Lebanese restaurant - not very Italian I know. Where we sampled the delights of the water pipe, lebanese coffee and the not very authentic belly dancer!

The biggest news of the weekend however, had to be this dramatic change...

After 10 years of talking about it, I have finally had it all lopped off. If you can't do it on the other side of the world where can you do it??

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

Thought I needed to put a bit in that wasn't all about the booze. Sunday was the start of Melbourne's food and wine festival (something we can't resist but something we should perhaps be avoiding as our bodies are definitely taking on that chunky look!!!). The festival began with a Thai themed day...a Buddhist celebration in Federation Square, dancing, beauty contests and of course a variety of delicious food tents. A fab way to spend a Sunday morning.

Just wanted to show you that we do manage to make it out of those Melbourne bars occasionally!

The Jolly Green Giant and St Patrick's Day!

Having been promised a full Irish Brekkie and a pint for only $10, even the hangovers couldn't keep us in bed on Saturday... unfortunately we actually missed the breakfast and just had to make do with the guinness instead. A worryingly refreshing drinking to be having at 10am!

After a long awaited breakfast we eventually headed into town and found ourselves in the Celtic Club, a bar filled with people celebrating St Patrick's day. Ed even managed to find himself his very own leprechaun!

A little out of place not wearing green, big hats, etc we quickly got a few resources and sparkled ourselves up with green glitter, shiny clover sequins and a variety of other green sparkly bits. Not long after and we slowly began to look the part!

It was then that things got slightly out of hand. Ed armed with a pot of glitter proved to be that bit of treasure at the end of the rainbow and began to bestow the glitter on one and all.


I think by the end of the night Ed had actually managed to 'glitter up' over 200 people...in fact at one point he had a queue of people waiting for the magic stuff - oh lord! I shan't mention the chests he covered in glitter...the fact that he was tipping the stuff down the back of ladies (when they asked, of course) trousers or that I ended up having to almost carry the boy home.

A sign I spotted on the way home summed it up completley!

OH...

Venus Bay - Labour Day Weekend

Being a bank holiday and with us all working ourselves to the bone (with one exception) a gang of us headed south to a place called Venus Bay, a quiet seaside village off the beaten track. After a 4 hour drive (Rella's map work needs some attention, plus there was the tough decisions that had to be made in the bottle shop - what beer, how many crates, what about the wine - sparkling or still. Then there was the rum - did those mohitos need soda water or would ice suffice???) we arrived at our mansion in the campsite.

Venus Bay

As happens with all camping trips the first night was over indulgent leaving a large dent in the bottle shop supplies. An introduction of Roxanne didn't help matters...

During Roxanne (boys drink on 'Roxanne', girls on 'put on the red light')

L-R Paul, Simon, Author

After 2 rounds of Roxanne.... Strewth!!

L-R Cindy, Simon, Celia, Paul, Ed

The following day the temperature rose to the mid 30's so we rested our weary bones and heads on the sandy beach and wollowed in the surf. Sometime later James and Claire arrived and more merriment followed, plus a bit of table tennis, which became a regular feature of the weekend...

James Playing Table Tennis

The next day (Sunday) the weather took a turn for the worse, bit of rain and a chilly 20 degrees so we got in the car and headed to the Wilsons Prom National Park for a bit of 'walking'.

Our 300m walk to a beach

Playing silly buggers on the beach

Rella's turn now...

Having endured the table tennis championship that followed, Cindy, Claire and I headed for beach to catch the sunset and get some fresh air in our lungs. Heading back for the campsite we heard the beat of a local band emerging from the only bar - a chicken fast food joint. We decided to stop in for 'just the one' and quickly returned to grab the others... the boys were wiped so that just left it to the girls to keep up the pace!

After being in the bar for a few minutes we were embraced by the locals and invited to play the tambourine etc....oh dear, that's when the trouble started. Mainly due to this suspicious looking character, Wayne!

Real men really do wear pink!?

Need I say more... my first girlie night out in ages...I've missed that!

Claire, Celia, random local 1, random local 2 and finally Cindy dancing on the table

The end of a fantastic weekend.

I have a job!!!

Well it has taken a bit of time going through the usual hoops of recruitment agencies and consultants, but I finally have a job. It wasn't one from any of the agencies that I registered with, but through someone I knew out here (Kristine Daniels for those in LTSB who remember her).

She kindly forwarded on my CV to a few people in ANZ and as a result from the 20th March I will be Snr Product / Project Manager, New Product Development, Commercial Cards. Bit of a mouthful, but it should be a great role, and something a bit different.

My start date also allows me to get used to having time off, with about a week and a half of holiday before I begin (after all it has been nearly 8 months since I last worked).

We met up with Nathan and Leah (Nathan is son of Chris and David, our fine hosts in Perth) last night and went to China town for a good fill up.

Tonight I have a hot date with a guy call Paul (Kearney - another ex-LTSB). We are off to see Rocky. Not really Rella's cup of tea.

And this weekend is Labor Day weekend so we have a bank holiday. There are about 10 of us heading to a place called Venus Bay. Apparrently good surf, fishing, walking. So we'll load up the Bongo with a few slabs of VB and see what it has to offer over what looks like will be a fine weekend.

For our faithful followers

Just for those of you who check the blog regularly...

Our first proper quiet week is nearly over. Ed has had a couple of interviews which we are waiting to hear back about. I on the other hand have been out at work - the joy of tele sales! I am fundraising for The Rotary Club by day and selling gym membership by night. The teaching rego is taking ages to sort out so this is a way of us making a few pennies or cent in the meantime (very few!).

Thankfully tomorrow is Friday and we have a fun weekend planned ahead. I won't spoil our weekly news by telling you about it until we've done it! Obviously our time away is becoming less interesting for you guys at the moment, as it will be full of office politics and how much commission I am getting for the day - or not as the case may be! We will update the blog weekly unless something really exciting happens.

Missing you all xxx