NEIGHBOURS!

Had so much fun yesterday on our Neighbours tour and Neighbours Night! Where do I begin?!

We had to get up early because the bus picked us up at 8:35am from the centre of town (after getting lost on a tram we only just made it in time!) Our bus had 24 people on it and we headed off on our adventure! Firstly we saw the school Erinsborough High (which is in fact a school for people who come to Oz and speak no English...so they don't even appreciate the importance of their school!) We then headed off to the studios...which we couldn't go into but we saw the budget they film on...really funny to see the bush they use when they go camping etc. is in fact not THE Bush...but A bush...and a tree! : D It's very cleverly filmed! While all of this was going one we were watching a documentary on Neighbours, telling us all about the life and times of the long running characters and detailing deaths and marriages along the way! A great bus journey!

When the moment of truth arrived and we turned into Pin Oak (aka Ramsey Street) we were a little shocked to be honest. There is, again, some very clever camera work to make to street look like there are 30 houses in it! There are in fact 6 houses and not even enough room to swing a cat...sorry to disillusion you! Can you tell who's house I am standing outside? Prizes for the correct guesses! Amy and I really enjoyed Karl and Susan's house because it is the most recognisable with it's rose archway.

So we headed back to St Kilda where we met one of the stars of the show and had a chat with him and he signed Autographs for us! Can you tell who it is?! Max Hoyland...he was hilarious, really down to earth and a genuinely nice guy, pretty funny too...we hada good chat about trams and the underground! Very surreal, but cool though.

In the evening we were driven into St Kilda to the Elephant and Wheelbarrow pub where the Neighbours Trivia Night is held. You meet some stars and also sit at a triva table and there is a general knowledge quiz, we had some pretty cool people on our table but we didn't manage to rank..we were cool but not too clever! We managed to meet loads of stars! I hope you all still watch it because some of them are pretty new characters: Rebecca (who is dating Paul Robinson), Steve Parker (related to Ned and Stuart), Marco (who is Carmella's new love interest), Max Hoyland, and the famous Karl Kennedy!

All of them were really lovely (particularly Marco! See photo girls! They signed autographs and all that malarkey, and didn't seem bothered at all by our hysteria!

The final excitment cam right at the end of the evening when Dr Karl's band Waiting Room came out and did a gig for us! A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! That is all I have to say on the matter! Other than we missed the last tram home and had to walk miles across town! Whoops! Never mind though...a good night was had by all concerned!

Sunday Shopping...and walking!

So...we officially love The Nunnery! On Sunday we had FREE PANCAKES for breakfast! Awesome...and they were real ones...none of this American rubbish! Very much enjoyed that. So after a very satisfying breakfast we headed off to Camberwell market just outside the city, which to be honest was a bit of a flea market but there were some amazing bargains to be had! Amy picked up 2 dresses for $20 that's 10 pounds to you and me! Pretty bargainous if you ask me!

We headed back into town and grabbed some lunch before heading over to a backpacker expo to listen to a NZ talk, given by a guy from Rotarua. Got loads of ideas for where we want to go and what we want to do, so we're really looking forward to that. Seeing as we leave Oz on Thursday morning it seemed about time to start organising NZ! : D

Not to break the habit of a lifetime we headed down to St Kilda in the afternoon to go to the famous Sunday craft market...and oh my goodness were we glad we did! It was amazing. I was very restrained (you will be pleased to hear dad) and managed to only buy a (gorgeous) bag and a pearl necklace but most of the people we met there had websites...and were more than happy to ship to the UK! Let's hope I have some money left by the end of my trip!

On the way back from St Kilda we stopped off at Albert Park, for those of you in the know that is the location of the Melbourne Grand Prix on the 13-16 March 2008. Amy's family are pretty Grand Prix mad so we thought we'd go have a look at it and take a few photos...somehow we managed to get onto the track because on a Sunday they have a day off from setting it all up, so we had a wander to get some good photos. 3.2 miles later, having walked the entire length on the track we had some amazing photos and some very tired little leggies! Although now, if you watch the Grand Prix you will know someone who has been on it first! We were very tired after this experience and headed off to bed with a glimmer of excitement...for Monday was Neighbours Day!!!!!

Melbourne (finally)

Our journey from Phillip Island to Melbourne was a little bizarre! Should have only taken 3 hrs but we had to change at Lang Lang and then after leaving there the bus broke down...so we had to go back to Lang Lang to get another bus! It ended up taken just over 4hrs to get into the city, and then we finally managed to work out the tram system here and arrived at the Nunnery, only to find out there had been a mistake with our booking and we were booked from the 21st March not 21st Feb and they were fully booked! Whoops!

The man was very apologetic and helped us find another hostel for the 1st two nights we were here and we managed to get a cancellation for tonight and are back at the Nunnery now for the next 5 nights! Only after he had apologised profusely and been overly helpful did we discover it was in fact our fault and we booked it wrong and didn't notice!! Oh well, they don't need to know! : D

So after dragging our stuff across town we found some lodgings at Victoria Hall (funny if you know Chris Hunter and his girlfriend). They were undergoing renovation work so the showers were on the roof! A lovely view from up there! Our first day in Melbourne was really Friday after all the catastrophes of Thursday and we decided to just explore the area around Victoria Hall. On the other side of the road there was the old Gaol. Used to house and execute the infamous Ned Kelly! It's pretty spooky, but really interesting, we also had a tour where we got arrested...I had set up a bomb scare and Amy stole her mums car and drove it without a license! Whoops! She locked us up and everything and we even had mug shots!

After our terrifying adventure there, we visited the Queen Victoria Market, it's pretty much like the other market we went to in Sydney, but a bit more organised, really pretty. On the way back we visited the old library which houses the 4000 year old Mesopotamian tablet, didn't actually see it...but it was there I'm sure! We stopped of to buy some food from Woolworths (don't laugh it really happened) and sat for a while watching some live music in the QV square. All very civilised.

Today we went over to Federation Square and booked our Neighbours Tour for Monday! : D Don't get too jealous mum! We also went for a tour around the...wait for it...Melbourne Cricket Ground! Yes the famous MCG has now been visited by a very excited me...and a not so excited Amy! She loved it though, I could tell, I can sense a conversion to the beautiful game coming on! Australia played Sri Lanka yesterday in a 1 day there so we saw all the notes in the player locker rooms about who needed which ice bath and for how long! I also sat in the players boxes! Eeeeeek! So tonight we are officially in the Nunnery and we are here until Thursday morning when we fly to NZ...can't believe it's gone so fast! Hope you're all well and not too bored by my chatter!

Update on Phillip Island!

Hi again! I have a bit more time today and am able to fill you in on a few details that got missed out in my previous blog! : D

I kind of feel that I made it out to be really dull and boring...sorry about that, in actual fact it was beautiful, and really chilled out, we sat on beaches and just chilled, which was perfect after our mad dash around Sydney! In Merimbula it is important to note that the kangaroos use their tail as a 5th leg! It's so cool to watch! We took a video so we can bore you with the details of it upon our return!

In Phillip Island we arrived in the pouring rain, and the lady at the front desk upgraded our twin room to a cabin, and we had our own private shower and kitchen! : D I even had a double bed! Amy however, slept on a shelf! Most amusing! I also mentioned we were going to see the penguin parade int eh evening, well we went...and the bus that was supposed to pick us up turned out to be a car, which was the only taxi running on the island that night! we arrived and sat for an hour in the freezing cold while the sun went down, and then around 9:00 little groups of penguins kept on coming out of the water! : D They were so full of fish that they waddled around and fell all about the place! So cute though! Phillip Island is just liek the Isle of White, we even stayed in the town of Cowes!

Goodbye NSW, Hello Victoria!

Hi there! It's been a while! There was very limited access to the net as we travelled from Sydney down the coast to Melbourne so we have lots to catch up on!

After that last action packed day in Sydney we spent a really chilled day on...wait for it...Bondi Beach!! Awesome! That was very fun, and we met up with a girl called Mel who Amy knew. She had been to Melbourne already so had some good tips for us! Bondi is also now infamous because it is the spot where Amy was pooped on by a bird! Much hilarity for me...she wasn't impressed though! We also booked our bus from Sydney down the coast...which seems ages ago now!! The route we planned to take was Sydney - Wollongong - Kiama - Batemans Bay - Melbourne - Phillip Island - Melbourne (for the week). As you will see, the itinerary changed a little bit (sorry to those who are following my progress on a map!) Our last couple of days in Sydney were spent taking a cruise to Toronga Zoo which was a very nice day out (until it hammered with rain!) We also visited the Chinese Garden of Friendship and the Art Gallery of NSW. So pretty much did everything there is to do in Sydney in a week! I'm just about ready for a break!

A chilled out break is exactly what we got...Wollongong was our first stop, about 2 hrs south of Sydney, we spent 2 nights there but the YHA hostel could only accomodate us for the first night so we spent the second in a horrible horrible hostel recommended by the Lonely Planet...will be having words with them! We arrived on Valentines Day so we went out for a nice curry to celebrate!! Hurrah! Wollongong has some lovely views (if you dont look south to the steel works) but it was so windy and other than the views...there is nothing to do. So 2 days there with not much sunshine was pretty dull.

Our next stop was Batemans Bay, we decided not to go to Kiama, as we couldn't get a hostel room and the bus drops you off faaaaaar from the town centre! Batemans is another lovely little place along the coast...spent two nights here in a lovely little hostel, but again as the sun din't shine and it was a Sunday (nothing was open) so there wasn't really anthing to do...although we did cook our first "proper" dinner...so it's all good! Watched Neighbours here too...felt that we should keep up to date with it all, especially if we are going to be seeing the cast in Melbourne! :)

Our next stop was Merimbula...booked at the suggested of the booking lady. We were so glad we did! Arrived fairly late in Merimbula but the bus didn't leave yesterday until 11:45pm so we had all day yesterday to explore. Not a huge amount to do but the lady suggested that we walked a little way down the beach to a caravan park where wild kangaroos live...and we did...walk 1hr 1/2 and back again...a 3hr walk...on the sand! Boy are we glad we did though!!! Real live Kangaroos!!! Amazing! Photo above!

So after 8hrs on the bus (and no coach sickness) we arrived in Melbourne and hopped straight on a bus again to Phillip Island (4hrs) where we are spending tonight watching the famous Penguin parade! Other than that it is another little coastal place with not much to do! Hehe! Very beautiful though! Will be adding more pics as I go along...so that's you all up to date!!

What I neglected to mention at all of these little places...as there wasn't much to do we just went shopping...bad bad...although I was very restrained...most of the time...and I did need another pair of shorts! :)

Sorry it's all a bit of a gabble but as I say there was very limited access...I hope you didn't get bored reading about it all! :) Missing you all lots...but not the cold English weather!

It's been a busy few days here in Sydney! We have had a lot of rain, but there has been plenty of sun too...well enough to get some much needed tan time anyway!


Friday was a pretty jam packed day, we pretty much did all there was to do in and around Darling Harbour. We visited the Wildlife Park, which exhibits hundreds of the creatures which live in Australia. We saw koalas, wallabies, funnel web spiders and the worlds deadliest bird, the casowray, we even touched a snake! The animals were so cute! We also visited the next door Aquarium where we got to touch sea urchins and star fish, and see sharks and manta rays, and even a Nemo exhibit! We didn't get to see a duckbill platypus because he was hiding from us, but we saw a photo...so I guess that counts!?

Just outside the harbour is the Powerhouse Museum, it is an old building which used to be a power station and now houses a large number of different exhibits including: Art, Design, Technology, Transport and many more. It was really interesting, but after all our wandering round all I wanted was a nice cup of tea...but they had shut the cafe and I was deprived!!!!!!

So we had yet another restless night...I don't think our neighbours get the idea that talking loudly on the phone in the corridor at 3:30am is rubbish! Saturday was pretty restful, it poured with rain so we went to the local market which was a roaring success, we spent loads of money! Only kidding dad! I obviously put ti all on the Amex! : D

We went on a hunt for some walking sandals, yes mum, laugh if you want, I have finally succumbed! The shops all started to shut though so we had to give up...I did however purchase a pair today! I wore them all day looking great! : D We did washing yesterday too! yay for clean clothes! In the evening we went to the local Imax and saw Sea Monsters...that was fun, but Amy nearly fell down the stairs on the way out...fortunately I was there to save her life! Go me!

So finally we come to today...it started off a bit cloudy but then the sun came out and it turned into a beautifully hot day! We got a better night sleep too because our neighbours checked out, and some new people checked in, so we'll see how that goes. We began our adventure today by heading down to the Rocks, which is the site of the first European settlement in Oz. It has some stunning architecture and a market at weekends which is really crafty...Amy bought an AMAZING ring! We then (after a minor detour) found THE bridge! It was pretty spectacular and we took hundreds of photos! We walked across it a bit and then got hungry and decided to go for lunch!

Then, after lunch on a rooftop pub (with fab views of the harbour and good Aussie beer) we wander around the Circular Quay and posed for yet more photos by the Opera House, also pretty stunning! Opposite the Opera House are the Royal Botanical Gardens which we wandered through on our way back to the hostel and did some much needed sunbathing! Finally we went to the Sydney Tower and looked at the stunning views of the city and taking in a Vitual Simulation ride around Oz! Who needs to see Uluru...we practically went there! Lol!

So the past few days have been pretty busy, trying to cram in things when the sun shines, but it's been good too...tomorrow is Monday and our last full day here is Wednesday, when we leave the relative comfort of our hostel for a trip down the coast on our way to Melbourne! I suspect though that there will be an update before then though! Catch ya later! x

Arriving in Sydney

G'day! Well our last day in Tokyo was pretty interesting...mainly in that it snowed...all day! We had to check out of our hostel at 11am but our flight wasn't until 9:15pm so we did our last minute wandering and shopping (and got frostbite) before walking to the station to catch a train to the airport.

Last night's sleepless flight makes it 4 nights I've been away and 4 nights I've had little or no sleep! Hopefully tonight will be a large improvement on that! We found out last night that Qantas international flights are not eligible for online check in, and after discovering we had to make a stopover at Cairns we decided to go to Narita airport super early to get good seats...4 1/2 hrs before the flight I think should do it! : )

We were able to check in for our flight but when we got to the check in desk the lady picked up the phone and was chatting in Japanese while me and Amy stood there in a blind panic! Fortunately she was a very nice lady and arranged for us to get on a flight which left an hour earlier and didn't have a stopover! Bonus! So we ended up on a jam packed Qantas flight and arrived 2 hrs before our original arrival time.

The funniest moment of the trip so far was Amy and I worrying about the customs checks at Sydney airport...they were opening and removing the entire contents of peoples suitcases! We were both very worried but when he saw we had said "nothing to declare" he just waved us on through!

Base hostel is pretty central and our room is nice (although it hasn't been cleaned because we were early checking in). So we spent some time looking around Darling Harbor and the surrounding area. It was really hot and sunny...so a nice change from the snow in Tokyo! Although I have been reliably informed that the rain is imminent so no jealousy at home guys!

Hope you are all well at home, keep me posted on current activity! x

Sightseeing in Tokyo

Stupid jetlag! After only a few hours sleep we managed to navigate our way from Asukusa - Ginza - Imperial Palace - Shinjuku - Asukusa and only got lost once! Even that was when we arrived at Asukusa again and came out of the wrong exit! Every station has about 10 exits and a host of underground tunnels which are easier to navigate and better signposted than the streets!
The Imperial Palace was pretty cool, although you can only see the gardens and we asked a random helpful man where the palace was and he pointed to some trees and said the Emperor was a "very special man" and the Palace is hidden from view. The other places we visited, Ginza (the shopping district) and Shinjuku (the business district) were not as peacful as the Imperial Palace but were your typical Tokyo scene of expensive clothes and flashing neon lights! We have settled for purchases from the Asukusa district where it is a bit old town and cheaper!

We had some traditional raw minced tuna for dinner, which Amy described as "interesting"! Apart from being a bit odd, I think it was a success!

So tomorrow we depart from here and head to Sydney...if we can ever master the online check in! Oh well, we shall see!

Tokyo - Japan

Konichiwa! Arrival in Tokyo was much nicer than expected (even though it was delayed by an hour and a half) as we managed to get an upgrade to club! It was a very nice flight, and (thanks to some masterful navigation skills on Amy's part) we managed to get the connecting trains to the hostel. Been exploring the area and the shops. All fun and games, and even braved a traditional Japanese restaurant and bought some "interesting" sweets...oh yes I fogot to mention the bottle of Sweat Amy bought!

All in all it is very nice here, currently 7:30 in the evening and it's strange thinking you guys are only starting your day! Hope it's a good one...speak soon.