I know, I know... I've been on the other side of the world for three whole weeks now and still no blog. What the heck has she been doing with herself, you may ask? The answers lie within...
Let's go to the beach, beach
Or more specifically, Half Moon Bay. We'll some have more of that please...
Woolamai Beach, Phillip Island
A deserted beach? In the middle of the day? Very kind of you, Oz. Wait, what's that? Another?!
Cat Bay, Phillip Island
Ah, seclusion. As you can see, culture has stepped dutifully aside so I can get my fill of Ozzie beaches. Well, Melbourne beaches. With Sydney on the cards before Xmas and Fraser Island & the Whitsundays featuring in my east coast travel plans for 2015, the best is yet to come!
Many beaches offer long stretches of sand as far as the eye can see, warm rock pools hiding exotic species of fish and glorious tranquility broken only by waves crashing rhythmically onto the shore, making the coastline an ideal shout for some gorgeous walks or a spot of 'sunbaking' - otherwise known to the typical Pom as sunbathing. Which brings me to...
Negotiating language barriers
It's taking rather longer than usual to respond to people or figure out what the bloody hell is going on when 'thong' and 'bush' are perfectly acceptable words to use in everyday sentences. Or how about a 'sanga' for lunch and a 'tinny' to wash it down? Here are a few 'translations' I've picked up along the way:
Goon = boxed wine
Esky = cooler box
Thongs = flip flops
Ute = pickup truck (short for 'utility')
Doona = duvet
Sanga = sandwich
Tinny = can of beer
Capsicum = pepper
Pudding = specifically chocolate pudding; otherwise use dessert
Bottle shop = off-license
Gum boots = wellington boots
Glad wrap = clingfilm
Arvo = afternoon
Smoko = cigarette break
The bush = outback/country area
Not to mention gastronomic differences
I don't know what magical power the humble avocado is blessed with, but Australians have it with everything: eggs, toast, salads, you name it. Which is a bit of a shame since I'm not its biggest fan (what's wrong with bacon and eggs? Bacon to jazz up a salad? Maybe it's because, in Melbourne at least, there is a noticeable emphasis on being health conscious - heaps of foods are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, wholemeal, etc). Matt has made it his personal mission to make me like 'avo' and I've even tried putting beetroot in an otherwise perfectly normal ham and cheese sandwich. However, the one thing I will absolutely, 100%, resolutely NOT be training my taste buds to get along with is Vegemite. Soz Oz - it's nasty stuff.
Meeting the locals
The wildlife fanatic side to me hasn't been disappointed so far - I've seen koalas in the wild (most up high in the trees although one was strolling along the roadside just metres away from us), wild wallabies bouncing across Phillip Island and 40cm tall 'fairy' penguins waddling up the beach after sunset, moving with caution from the ocean to the bush to rest after a day of fishing. Echidnas (or spiny anteaters), cockatoos and kookaburras have also made an appearance in and around Matt's - a rural region about an hour north of the city - and a quick stop off at an animal sanctuary gave me the opportunity to get up close to kangaroos and more koala bears.
The Great Ocean Road
This famous stretch of road was top of my must-sees, and now it's top of my must-see-agains. The colours! Deep blue ocean, rusty orange cliffs and saffron yellow sands all teamed with cloudless skies...it's just beautiful. At some of the lookout points, the ocean was a patchwork quilt of blues; the rugged coastline and tiny beaches serene, entirely devoid of people. Time limitations meant we couldn't stop at the lookout points (I can't wait to self drive the route at a more leisurely pace) but we did get to see the Twelve Apostles and take a walk through an ancient shady rainforest, home to black carnivorous snails and the tallest flowering tree on earth.
Exploring the city
The coast will always win in a game of favourites but I have to hand it to the CBD; usually I can only hack four days maximum in one place but I spent seven in Melbourne and could easily have stayed longer. From cauldrons of soup bubbling down bustling laneways to quirky rooftop bars in the north of the city; from gushing fountains in beautiful parks to hidden street art tucked down narrow alleyways; from the pockets of kitesurfers at St Kilda Beach to the lively Queen Victoria Market, there's a lot going on. There are some things I don't like about Melbourne, namely that the beaches are a fair way out of the city, the buildings aren't hugely impressive feats and the weather is startlingly similar to England - rainy and overcast a fair bit (though still warm) even as the country gears up for summer. Could I see myself living here? Potentially...
Watching Game of Thrones - season three & four SPOILERS
For winter is coming! Oh, wait...
While comparing the temperature in Melbourne and London has fast become one of my favourite pastimes, I have to admit that the lead up to the festive season just isn't the same without the biting cold, icy winds and the prospect of snow. I've started my advent calendar, finished my Christmas shopping and even seen someone wearing a Santa hat on the beach but I'm just not feeling it. The joyous event of Joffrey FINALLY being killed off almost propelled my spirits into the festive realm, but ever since Robb and Catelyn Stark's unceremonious departure from the show, I suspect something may be lurking around the corner that will bring them crashing down to un-Christmassy lows! I'd been under a Matt-enforced GoT ban since the end of September so now we're reunited - and living on a farm in the middle of nowhere! - we've been chain watching episodes until 3am and readying ourselves for the new series that premiers in, err...April.
So what next? Obviously, the chain watching will continue until we reach the end of season four, and then I'm going to book myself a little pre-Xmas trip to Sydney :) VERY excited. Back here for Xmas and New Year, then activate my bus pass to travel up the east coast come January 2015!! Then probably back to Melbourne for job and boring grown-up stuff blahblahblah. And quite possibly banana/citrus/strawberry/cherry picking for three months so I can extend my visa! God help me. The most positive review of the compulsory agricultural work I've heard is that it's 'an experience'...guess I'll find out exactly what that means soon enough!
