More local pics

Pelicans, all over the place, they sit above you on street lights, and casually stroll the beach, but they look amazing creatures...I'd hate to see the windscreen after they've plopped on it :)

There was also men and women hanglinging off the local cliffs, amazing to see, it can take some time to become airport, you just have to get a good wind then you soar. I've got a leaflet from Sydney today about tandem skygliding, always wanted to do something like that or out of a plane....just not on my own as I wouldn't remember the instructions...I've a brain the size of a pea..Anway doesn't look like I can afford it, would take too much of a bashing on the plastic :(

some people leave footprints in the sand

but not me

Narrabeen and the beach walk

Libby lives on Pittswater Rd, Pittswater Lake is close by and we are also surrounded by beautiful beaches, today after we woke late, or rather I should say I woke late we went off to a market locally alongside the lake. No bargains... Saw some lovely paintings but they were framed so impossible to bring in my already over filled suitcase!! It would be nice to find a water colour or original painting of something Australian, to put on the wall in my house.

Weather today was again excellent! Libby drove me around lots of places where there are small beaches. And we took loads of pictures, some are on her camera as my batteries died, will post them tomorrow as everyones asleep at the moment. We spent quite a while watching some hanggliders hopefully they will be good for posting here.

Oh I'm going to have to pace myself here or my veins will be pure alcohol. When we returned we then changed and all 3 of us went to the beach club for drinks. In the middle of the afternoon *shocked at myself* after 2 glasses I had to go on to lemonade. I've decided Australians like there meat and beer....One I can live without and the other I cant handle hahaha...looks like I'm destined to stay a pom !!

arrived Sydney

Arrived Sydney airport, 1 hour late, the flight was delayed for some technical reason, not the right paperwork or something, it had had a mainteneance check. Anyway finally we were off and up in the air, I landed thinking I hope I recognise her from the photo's, and sure enough, my wrinkly old Aussie was a familiar sight as I walked through the doors. Libby took me on a detour home to Collaroy showing me some of the lovely sights instore!! I went over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and you could see groups of people doing the climb, that will be me on Monday 16th !!! We arrived at Libby and Macca's, and I was introduced to Macca, who seeems a nice warm friendly person. Macca left to go to some school reunion and Libby and I chatted and chatted.....and chatted heaps catching up on each others lives drinking Champagne he had left us, then we went out to a bar, haha I've found a kindred spirit, Libby is a lightweight like me and gets tipsy quickly so 2 drinks later we are trying to walk the straight line home..... not very successfully. Libby made us both a cocktail callled a Cock Sucking Cowboy, it's made from Baileys and something else, I'll ask when they wake later.... and that was it after 2 of those we decided it was time to give in and head off to sleep.
Here I am 7-7.30 and wide awake.... and no reason for it I've left my 5yr old (Shannon) alarm clock back in Melbourne :)

The Aussie Men

For the girls at work

This truly is the best I've found so far...

Goodbye Melbourne

Well as promised the last few pics, to show you lot at home a taste of Melbourne life!!

More pictures of Melbourne.

See I just couldnt get enough, and there are still many not placed on the blog.

Well this is my last night in the State of Victoria in around 9 and half hours I will be seated on a bus heading to the airport.. It has been a great experience to which I have to thank Paul, Emma Shannon and the immovable bump. They opened there home and lives for me to experience a different way of life, and I have loved every moment of it.... xxx Thank you.

Melbourne Pt 2

Good morning England !!! haha I sound like Robin Williams, and it's actually afternoon here, we've had a quiet day been out for a snack lunch and to a Big W for Emma to get some baking dishes, poor old Paul, he's going to suffer her pastry now :) Oh btw RM if you are reading this Mummykins has sent a package as I cant fit it in mysuitcase, keep Liam and Daisys at our house till I get back ok.

Anyway back to yesterdays trip to Melbourne

After Cooks Cottage I grabbed an icecream and walked through Fitzroy Park and into Treasury Gardens, nice open space surrounded by offices etc, many office people were just sat outside and working from there, seemed a relaxed thing to do.

Then I took my life in my hands and crossed over the road and tramway and decided to walk a few streets, however its so big I decided I didn't have the time left to get lost and hopped on a tram and criss crossed till I got back to Flinders St , which is where the train station is that I started from, i then asked this friendly bloke the way to the Shrine of Rememberence, explaning I didnt know which direction I needed to head to as I had my north, south east west bearings gone!

Anyway he turned me 45 degrees around and said trams that direction all go past the shrine. With that I went red and hurried myself of in that direction, and sure enough I found it. This was the last place on my itinerary !! phew.... after that my time was free...to do whatever, but my legs and back were aching.

I enjoyed the Shrine but it was quite sombre, and a very peaceful place. It just brought back memories of Grampy.... who like the Anzacs served in Galipoli in WW1

Anyway you can stantd at the top of that Shrine and take photo's, and although I didn't take any inside the Shrine I used that opportunity to grab some good shots.

Right thats it for now will add the last pics of Melbourne tonight before bedtime... time to get ready we are having a goodbye meal out tonight.

Melbourne

Wow what an exciting fun filled day I had today, crept out of bed early and showered and put a face on to go out and face the world. Emma took me to Frankston and I left them to go via train to the City, armed with a map and destinations that I desperately wanted to see and a promise that I wouldnt go shopping. Armed with an itinerary I made my way to Flinders St, and headed to the tourist office to get advice on getting around the city and seeing the places I wanted to see without zig zagging back and forth and wasting time.

First destination was the Victoria Street Market, but that meant taking one of the modern trams across the city. Me, the girl who can't get on anything in London other than a train, but hey I did, and got myself right outside it. Look at what they sell in the deli section :(

What a huge place, I could've walked around it all day. some lovely food there too.Next was the Melbourne Gaol, which I decided was easy to walk to, rather than sort a tram, and yup I found that easy enough, was beginning to get rather proud of myself and this independent me. If I can do this on my own, then I can do anything !! So into the gaol I went. Walking in the footsteps of Ned Kelly before me.

Onwards and upwards, right this time I needed to catch another tram, this time it was one of the cute older trams, and it took me too Capt James Cooks Cottage, in Fitzroy Park. Got a little lost with the map, and turned it upside down and voila!! I arrived at the edge of the park, very beautiful park right in the city, a few photo's on route and fially I found the cottage that had been transported from Yorkshire to Melbourne Australia.

Cooks Cottage

Well it's about midnight now so will add more stuff in the morning...so goodnight all....

Curry Night

Yesterday, was a fairly quiet day, Emma had a prenatal appt at the doctors, and still we have no baby... unless she has it Friday I'm going to miss it :( It was my turn to cook again so instead of Emma's apparently wet rissotto we had curry, and even I ate some of it, the family would be proud !! Legs hurt for most of the day, but not as severely, today it's more a backache than a leg pain....must be my age!!

Been a bit upset that the family back home have hardly kept in touch, looks like they prefer no me there :( but as for friends and workmates.... you are stars ...the texts make us smile An for the umpteenth time....NO THE BABY HAS NOT BEEN BORN YET hahah

Ouch...my legs hurt

Not much to write today, woke early, and we lazed around the house till lunch doing washing etc, went to Frankston to book the Skybus to get me to the airport on Saturday, fingers crossed that the baby isnt being born, cos I have no idea where the corner of main st and queen st is to catch it..I have visions of me running down the streets with my suitcases. also on the list of jobs was head to the train station to sort times etc, on Thursday I plan to head alone to Melbourne and I needed to sort times and prices.
Then did a little shopping therapy, and had a late lunch, and then headed to the post office, they dont seem to have postboxes like we do in UK on street corners. Then it was back to Mornington to the information centre, to get leaflets etc to organise myself and plan an itinery of places I want to see in Melbourne, like the Melbourne Gaol where Ned Kelly was hung, Queen Victoria Market and the Shrine of Rememberance, and maybe even the Melbourne Observation deck. Time limitations will decide tho.

Bit worried about my legs at the moment, I am getting bad pains in my calves, don't think it can be a thrombosis as it's ages now since the long flight, but I am keeping an eye on them, I just can't bear them to be touched... but they are gorgeous ....according to Emma's Paul haha

Just wrapped some of the gifts for 2 nephews and think I may post them back to UK and hope I catch one before he leave to get to uni....
right off to watch the biggest loser on tv..... night night all..

Everybody needs good Neighbours

Woke early this morning, and off we went to a picnic area, they have a great idea here they have public electric barbeques in most of the open spaces/parks, free, just turn up with the food and away you go!!

After we’d had BBQ brekkie (Paul took over once we'd nearly finished cooking) we went down to the beach, where I sat to write my postcards, hope you all like them, meanwhile Emma rested and Paul and Shannon paddled in the sea. It’s supposed to be autumn here, and here I am sunburnt. We drove by the Dandenongs and headed to Melbourne and………..

RAMSEY STREET !!

Shannon wanted to have her picture taken with her Neighbours hero Harold, but I was hoping to catch Karl…phworrrrr but.....NO SUCH LUCK!!

Today they were filming on the street so there was no access to the public, however from the roadside we were able to watch some filming and see a few of the characters, Ned, Elle, Carmella and Ringo… NO KARL !!
Will be watching now for an episode where a white van has crashed on it’s side on the street and a brown car has a dent in it, with the above characters involved.
My arms and chest are on fire, god help em when its summer here. !!
Not sure what I am doing tomorrow yet, but I am running out of days now and hope to head off on my own into Melbourne at least one day. Still no sign of the baby showing, keep getting emails from the girls at work asking me to let them know when it comes, I will but I bet you it’s when I’ve left here…..

Here's some more pics of the Mornington area.

Can you see Melbourne in the distance.?