My First Week in Melbourne

After a rough nights "sleep" aboard the Greyhound bus, I found myself in Melbourne. I was tired, groggy and disorientated. After being basically thrown off I now had to find my way to the hostel in St Kilda. The station confused me somewhat, and so I resorted to Google. Apparently I had to catch the 96 tram, and so I set off to find the stop.

Walked the wrong way up the road, why does this always happen when I'm carrying my rucksack?! Once I'd corrected myself I realised there was nowhere at the stop to buy tickets. Second realisation that there were no tickets, but a MyKi Card, had me seeking a 7 Eleven. 5 minutes and $16 later, I was finally ready to board the tram.

I succeeded in not napping, no matter how much I needed to.. couldn't miss my stop! An hour into my stay in Melbourne, I reached Nomads St Kilda and relieved the weight of my bag. I couldn't check in until 2pm, it was currently 7.30am. I used the toilets and grabbed my sunglasses and suncream, deciding to explore the area.

I walked in a general direction towards the beach and found myself at some sort of triathlon? I followed the bikes along the road, it was a bit too cold to paddle in the sea. I couldn't believe how long the beach actually was, felt like I was walking for miles. Soon the clouds cleared and the sun came out! Unfortunately, this meant the flies were out too. So many flies.

I was a bit hungry now so decided to stop for breakfast. Found a nice place that I couldn't pronounce, right by the beach and next to a jetty.. perfect for people watching! I ordered a banoffee waffle and a cup of tea. Oh my god. This waffle was amazing! We're talking caramelized banana, toffee sauce, strawberries, blueberries, and an upside down ice cream cone filled with condensed milk ice cream. I felt so hipster.

After demolishing my amazing breakfast I carried on along the beach. My path soon took me through to Port Melbourne, and I saw the industrial side of the harbour. Quite something. Now I just had to walk all the way through the boring bits to get to the Docklands. I stopped by Woolworths to get some lunch and popped into the library for some shade. It was really heating up!

My method of just walking until I found something fun landed me at Federation Square. In the heart of Melbourne CBD, I was confronted with a giant water slide, water guns and summer hits blasting. So Australian, but also so expensive.. I just watched. I then took a few obligatory photos of Flinders Street Station, it was very impressive. Such a beautiful building!

Time to head back to the hostel, I checked in and dumped my stuff in my room. Once I'd organised myself and showered, I was hungry again. Popped to Coles to buy groceries and whipped myself up a dinner of chicken fajitas.

Having missed so many sunset opportunities at Bondi, I decided tonight was as good a night as any. I got to the beach just in time and sat myself on the pier to watch the sun go down. Little did I know there was a colony of penguins living at the end of the pier! I did wonder why there were so many people.

I joined the crowds, even though it was beginning to get very cold. I couldn't last much longer, and just as I turned to head back to the hostel.. a penguin! She was so cute, popping out of her home to welcome hubby back. They do make some funny sounds though, she made me chuckle with her little waddle. Not a bad first day!

~

Slept like a log last night, didn't wake up until after 9 so I clearly needed it! I packed my bag with my camera, suncream and water and was ready for the day. I grabbed a muffin and tea from Woolworths and hopped on the tram.

There was a free walking tour starting at 10.30am outside of the library in the CBD. Seeing as I had no idea where I was going or which stop to get off at, I think I did pretty well arriving at 10.28. Just in time! The three guys, dressed in bright green, that would be our Tour Guides counted us all and divided us. There were 31 people in my group and we had Courtney, a mature student who had lived in Melbourne his whole life.

The first half of the tour focused on the beginnings of the city and the gold rush that first made it so popular. We were taken past the State Library and along to Old Melbourne Gaol where we learned about Ned Kelly and his antics. Quite a fascinating story, I love hearing about outlaws and showdowns etc.. So exciting!

We walked through Carlton Gardens, stopping to spot possums in the trees, and stood in the shade by the Royal Exhibition Building. This was built in the "Marvellous Melbourne" era to host the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition (The World's Fair). Much like many other landmarks built specifically for such an event, eg. the Eiffel Tower, it's served many a purpose since and is still standing.

After hearing about the start of Melbourne and Sydney's rivalry at Parliment House and marvelling the beautiful Princess Theatre, we headed to Bourke Street. This was and still is the main shopping street in the city. We visited two arcades and heard of the recent transformation of the laneways. Walking through Chinatown, I loved how inventive people had been with secret bars and cafes. Courtney recommended a few, most of which seemed to be on rooftops.

A quick break for lunch at Queen Victoria Square. I ate a pizza roll and then enjoyed a milkshake in the sunshine. Now was time to hear about modern, hip Melbourne. They like to think of themselves as the Coffee Capital of the world and boy are there lots of cafes! Courtney showed us a few hidden gems down the Laneways and  we obviously took a trip to Hosier Lane. Although the art work here was impressive, apparently Fitzroy was the best place to go for Street Art.

Our last stop of the day took us along Flinders Street, past the station and through Federation Square. Quite a controversial design, understandably. We walked across the Yarra River to the Arts Centre where we had a view of the skyline. It had been a great tour and I felt I had a feel for the city now and where best to explore more.

Most of the group headed back across the river into the city, I decided to go the other way. Once I'd thanked Courtney I made my way to the National Gallery of Victoria.

My favourite exhibit was a stain glass ceiling. There were stools and cushions scattered on the floor to lay on. I spent a good half hour staring up at the amazing colours and patterns, it looked so pretty in the sunlight. I wasn't as impressed with the artwork. I had to stop myself from laughing as I explored "Shut Up and Paint". What some people consider art is beyond me! I did love Kurlilypurru, by Aboriginal artist Tommy Mitchell. It was so simple and yet so very effective and I could have stared at it all day.

I didn't, however, and instead left the gallery to walk back over the river to the Old Treasury. I visited the gardens and walked the JF Kennedy Memorial Garden. Very pretty, with lots of water features.  Back past Melbourne Museum and Parliament House, I fancied a tour inside but was too late. I was also too late to visit the Library, so headed back to QV Square.

Here I indulged in a frozen yoghurt pot, covered with all sorts of goodies. It was nice to eat something sweet and people watch. Everywhere was starting to close and so back to the hostel.

I had some leftover fajita bits from yesterday so made myself a few more for dinner, and an extra for lunch tomorrow. Once I'd washed up, it was nearly time to head back out for my penguins. This time I was prepared, with my leggings and hoody on I could hopefully stay longer!

I caught the very end of the sunset and found myself somewhere to stand. I knew from yesterday that the penguins lived underneath the rocks, so joined the rangers in forewarning people. It didn't take long before the red lights were out, pointing towards the adorable Little Penguins so we could watch them.

It made my day when two penguins I was watching decided to waddle straight across the path to the other side. Right in front of me! So so cute.. I tried to video but there's only so much you can see under the red light. Now I could go back home and to bed. If I could sleep after so much excitement.

~

When I woke up I decided today would be a great day to go to the beach. I put my bikini and shorts on, and a t-shirt obviously, and headed out. It was one of those horrible tricks though.. when the sky is so blue and the sun is shining, but it's bloody freezing! Maybe I wouldn't be paddling in the sea, or sunbathing.

I popped back to the hostel to grab a jacket and decided to walk to the Queen Victoria Market. I got ever so slightly lost in my attempts to follow the tram route. I ended up on a detour through Albert Park. It was very nice, with a big lake and lots of dogs running around. Could I find a way out though? I could even see the city skyline, I just wasn't sure how to get there.

Eventually, I found an exit which got me onto a long street heading to the centre. It was like I'd stepped back in time. So many old buildings, possibly from the gold rush, were still standing. There were small shops and boutiques, bars and cafes. No chain stores anywhere. It was like the Wild West or something, I almost expected to see tumbleweed!

Back to civilisation, I'd made it to my destination. Queen Vic market is the biggest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. And it sure was big. However, like all markets the stalls were all duplicates; leather goods, shoes, opals, socks, tacky souvenirs, football shirts, phone accessories, hippie clothes... again and again.

I found myself in the food court and tried an iced strawberry drink. It was basically just a milkshake with a fancy name, but it was very nice either way! I wandered back through but it was packing up time, so I too took my leave.

Walking through Melbourne Central Station was quite odd. Firstly, there was a humongous shopping centre sitting atop the station. Secondly, the building had clearly been designed to incorporate the Shot Tower, which has been there since 1888. It's an odd sight, but impressive all the same.

Back out in the open, the wind dropped and the temperature soared. I visited the State Library and deciced to pop in before they closed. The Reading Room was amazing and I stopped for a while to research a few trips and tours to keep myself busy over the week. The design and architecture of the room was gorgeous and, although I tried to blend in with the students and researchers, I had to sneak a few photos.

As I left, after a quick look around, there was a busker singing in the sunshine. He was pretty good, so I plonked myself down to watch for a while. Getting a numb bum, it was time to move on. Time was getting on and so I decided to walk home along the Yarra River.

My phone was pretty low on battery so I memorised the roads and streets I needed. I made it so very near, but got very disorientated and ended up doubling back on myself. Heading back into the city was the opposite of what I wanted, and with a dead phone I had to work it out myself.

Got there in the end, t'was a bit spooky, luckily it wasn't too dark or I would have been even more freaked out. It's never a quiet day with me!

~

I was up nice and early for a tour to the Great Ocean Road! I'd been super organised before going to sleep last night, my bag was packed and my clothes layed out. 10mins and I was out the door and onto the tram. We were meeting at 7.15am and I was at Fed Square at 7am.

Unfortunately, my hat was not with me. It was on it's way to East Brunswick. Gutted. I was straight on it, ringing the tram company.. only time will tell if I get it back.

There were lots of different buses all meeting at the same time, the trick was to find the right one. It didn't take me too many tries to find Paddy from Wildlife Tours. We had a cute 24 seater, and once it was full, we were on our way towards the best coastal drive in the world. Woo!!

Our first stop was a bit of a drive away but Paddy kept us amused with his stories and "Paddy Facts".. of course I had a little nap too. Woke up just in time to see the sea!! Lorne was described as "Melbourne's Manly", and it was a typical seaside town.

We were given tea and biscuits and a chance to explore. It was a bit chilly out so I had a quick wander up and down the beach and then warmed myself up with a cuppa. Treated myself to a banana bread from the cafe too, as I hadn't had any breakfast.

Back on the bus we made our way to the Great Ocean Road Memorial Arch. When soldiers returned from WW1, the government decided to settle them back into life with the construction of the road. A Great Ocean Road Trust was stated to fund the project. Survey work began in 1919 and the 243km long road was finally completed in 1932.

There has been three memorial arches over the life of the Ocean Road. The one that I excitedly photographed was built to replace the second that was destroyed in bush fires in 1988. Its a simple arch, made of wood and stone. The sun was starting to appear and made the sight even prettier.

Once we had all taken our photographs and admired the beach, it was time to move further along. The drive along the stunning coastline was long but the views were incredible. At points we seemed so close to the edge! Our next stop was another beach, had a nice 30mins just to walk around and take in the sights and sounds of the sea.

I was excited for our next stop, Paddy had challenged us to see how many koalas we could find. We arrived at Grey River and I set off with one of the other solo travellers, Stefanie from Germany. We found parrots first, two brightly coloured beauties just chilling in a tree. It wasn't so easy to spot the koalas. The three we found were all so well camouflaged, sleeping at the top of the trees. So cute.

It was time for lunch now. We all gathered outside the restaurant at Apollo Beach and waited for our lunch. I had ordered chicken and chips to take away. Me and Stefanie sat on the beach to eat. It was going surprisingly well until a gust of wind blew sand into my salad. Ah well, extra protein.

Leaving the beaches behind for a while, we drove through a forest landscape. Such a contrast! We stopped at Great Otway National Park for a short trek through the forest. It was so nice to be able to enjoy the greenery, and be able to do so easily. This was boardwalk and path, no awkward stumbling and slipping today!

The sun now had his hat on (hip hip hip hooray) and I was so looking forward to my helicopter flight!!! There were seven of us that had booked the extra, so the others were dropped off at the beach first. Paddy then took us in to 12 Apostles Helicopters and arranged our tickets. We all had to be weighed to calculate the balance etc etc.. I'm glad they didn't tell me the number!

Two of our group went up first with another family. This left me and a group of four friends. Ideally, they send groups in sixes but the weights weren't even. Luckily we didn't have to wait too long and another lone traveller appeared. Perfect. We were ready to fly!!

The turnover between flights was so slick, our predecessors were off and we were on, buckled in and in the air within the minute. I was lucky enough to be front and centre, right next to the pilot. Oh my god. It was incredible! I wasn't sure if I'd like it, being my first time in a helicopter. I loved it!! We flew over the 12 Apostles and on towards Port Campbell with a running commentary from Mr Pilot. Nature is awesome.

Back on land we were off the helicopter and running back to the pen. I thanked all the guys and then it was across the car park to reunite with the others. As they weren't there yet I popped to get an ice lolly and had a lil boogie, I was still on such a high from the ride!

Now it was time to see the Apostles from below. A short drive got us to Loch Ard Gorge where we could follow the trails along the coast, and get down to the beach! We didn't stay at the lookouts too long and found stairs down to the bay. The sea was a lot rougher than I had anticipated, I didn't go in. Stefanie did though, and had a wave wet her shorts!

Our last scenic stop was at The Arch, formerly known as London Bridge until one archway collapsed. It was amazing, you could see the waves lapping at the base and through the hole. Paddy took the role of official photographer and we all had our photo in front of the awesome view. We made the most of his new job and ran to another higher lookout to get even better panoramic views.

I may have napped on our last drive, before I knew it we were stopping. Apparently we were to eat/buy food for dinner, the drive home was long. Me and Stefanie decided to get a few bits from Coles down the road. This way we could have one last stretch of the ole legs. I bought some chicken and mustard pasta, and some M&Ms.

Everyone was back at the bus in plenty of time.. apart from two nuisance brothers. We waited five minutes and then decided they'd probably be in the pub so did a drive by. One of the other guys even went in to find them. No luck. Paddy was very good, we drove back to the meeting spot and waited. I would have left them behind!

Eventually, everyone was on board and we left for home, 15mins later than planned. I didn't see too much of the ride back, but did catch a few Paddy Facts. It had been a great day and I was so glad the sun snuck through the clouds for us.

~

Another tour booked for today, this one of Phillip Island. As it didn't leave until 11.55am I decided I could have a little bit of a lie in! I set off from the hostel to get a tram, but the weather was much nicer than anticipated so I walked into the city.

I was still very very early, so I got myself a subway drink (read: ice) and sat on the Cathedral steps doing a crossword. It was a nice calming start to the morning, and I remembered  just how much I love a good puzzle. About 11.40, one bus arrived from Autopia. I was waiting for Wildlife again so stayed on the steps, assuming my bus would arrive soon. Turns out, I was on the Autopia tour, Dan the tour guide popped over to the steps to get me. Oops.

Once we had picked everyone else up from different stops throughout the city, it was on to the motorway. Or highway as they call it. As we were way ahead of schedule, Dan explained that it would be a super relaxed day, maybe with an extra beach. Perfect.

At Tooradin we stopped for lunch, a chicken salad sub, and tea and biscuits. It was a lovely spot, the water was so still and they even had mangroves! We were sitting watching the seagulls and giant pelicans when I noticed a ripple in the water. It was a sting ray! Not at all what I was expecting to see today.

The pelicans were really funny. There was a guy hulling fish so they hovered around waiting for him to throw the scraps. Easy meal, really. It reminded me so much of Finding Nemo, especially with the sea gulls there too.

When all the biscuits had been eaten/fed to the birds it was back on the bus. Our next stop was Maru Koala and Animal Park. I'd heard of this place; Mum and Dad had been and held a koala. Sure enough, we had a koala encounter offered, you had to pay though. As I'd already had a koala photo - that I didn't pay for - I gave it a miss. Bought some animal food instead to feed the kangaroos!

First though, we had a talk about the koalas and the park in general. The life of a koala doesn't seem too bad, they sleep over 20hrs a day, eat a bit and climb a bit. Most of their resident koalas were asleep so I moved on to see the wallabies and kangaroos. Because it was so warm, a lot of them were cooling off in the shade. Did manage to encourage one or two to eat from my hand, but they weren't all that fussed.

This park also had albino kangaroos, adorable. I found a little one who was being fed by one of the girls on my bus, I offered to take some photos for her. Then it was my turn to feed the little guy, while Gunhild photographed. He was so sweet, clinging on to my hands so I wouldn't take the food away!

I still had lots of food left, maybe I would brave the emus. Bad idea. Scary bugger nearly bit my hand off. At least that's what it felt like. I dropped the food and quickly retreated. Went back to feed a few more wallabies, they were way more gentle! The last of my feed went to the joeys in the respite area, they were asleep so I just filled their bowl. So cute.

We were given the choice of beach or chocolate factory next. It was a close call, but I went with Cape Woolamai Beach. It was free after all. Here was the first time I actually put my towel down and lay on the beach. Glorious. We had an hour to spend chilling so I then strolled along the sand and chatted to Gunhild. Bliss.

Our next stop, and final beach before the penguins, was at Cowes. We had just over an hour to find some dinner and enjoy the views. There was so much choice, but me and Gunhild joined forces with Jessica and popped to Coles. We then decided pizza was in order.

Sitting on the pier eating my pizza was great. I could people watch, and yet I also had company! Having a conversation and hearing what the other girls had been up to during their time here was lovely. We might be going to the outdoor cinema tomorrow, yay!

We next drove past Summerland Bay to get to the Nobbies. The landscape here was beautiful, so many colours. The green hills scattered with red, yellow and purple flowers in stark contrast to the bright blue of the sea. It was quite easily my favourite view so far. We hit my favourite time of day too, just before sunset where there's that mysterious glow. Gorgeous.

We took the boardwalk towards Nobbies Blowhole and saw a penguin on the way! It was so cute just randomly sitting on the grass getting a bit of sun. It was really windy now which only made the waves more impressive. They were bashing at the rocks, even the white wash looked dangerous. Geez. You wouldn't want to get stuck in those tides.

Finally, what we'd all been waiting for... it was Little Penguin time! We arrived just after 8pm and Dan gave us all our tickets. We were advised to stay in the visitor centre as long as possible to prevent getting too cold outside. The temperature certainly had dropped.

The visitor centre was great fun, the three of us sat on the floor to watch a welcome video. We then browsed the gift shop and stroked the cute cuddly toys. I bought a magnet. I made sure I'd been to the toilet, didn't want to miss any penguins! Before heading out we found an education area where you could see inside their burrows and learn about the daily routine. The penguins leave their burrows at 6am and spend all day fishing for themselves and their family before returning home at sunset. Wow.

We couldn't wait much longer and wrapped up warm to find ourselves a spot. I say warm, I zipped my jacket up as far as it would go and tied my scarf around my waist. We'd soon see if that would keep me warm, we had quite a wait. It wasn't quite dark enough for the penguins yet. They wait until birds of prey can't see as well to reduce risk of being caught. We weren't allowed to take any photos, with or without flash just in case it stressed the lil guys.

After what seemed like a lifetime, we finally spotted little groups cautiously making their way across the beach. They were so cute, waddling out of the water and then waddling back in. They'd do this a fair few times until they decided it was safe to go for it. I was surprised at how fast they were!

After watching from the top balcony for a while, lots of people had started to leave, and so we stole seats at the beach. Here we could see the penguins much better, and distinguish them from sea gulls. So adorable! The best way to see them was to follow them home, so after five minutes or so that's what we did.

I lost the others quite quickly, there were so many people. I squeezed into tiny gaps so I could watch the penguins waddle home. The sounds were incredible! Much like at St Kilda but louder. Making my way up to the bus I watched as one by one the penguins would leave the group and go their separate way. You could just imagine the conversations; "see you tomorrow Bob", "bright and early", "good job today Dave"...

The drive home seemed long, obviously I was asleep for the majority of it. Still, by the time we'd got back to Flinders St and I'd hopped on a tram to St Kilda.. It was 1.30am. Bedtime!

~

After a long day yesterday I deserved a lie in. Made the most of it, staying in bed until 11am. Very unlike me, but I did read a bit too and apply for a few jobs. I wasn't completely lazy.

When I'd finally decided to leave the hostel, I planned to walk to the city. I was about halfway when the clouds started to look a bit menacing. Quickly popped into Subway, hopefully it would pass. After I'd eaten my lunch it was raining. Now I could go back to the hostel for my coat or get to the city in my jacket alone and find shelter.

I chose shelter. I walked to the Shrine of Remembrance, a very large and impressive war memorial. Inside, I toured the galleries and learned of the Australian role in the First and Second World Wars, and all conflicts since. I also visited The Crypt which had flags of every regiment and a statue "Father and Son" honouring those who had fought in WWI and WWII.

As I was heading up to The Sanctuary, I could hear the Last Post. I felt emotional as I stood reflecting alongside the other visitors. The Sanctaury itself was incredible, beautiful architecture, with stunning carvings. The Shrine is designed to have a ray of light fall on the "love" on the plaque depicting "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN". It was a very humbling experience.

The rain continued on as I left, but how could I complain about it after what I'd just read. I zipped up my jacket, pulled up my hood and braved it. I was only going to walk to the Arts Centre after all.

I made it as far as the Gallery before I was wet through. I looked like a drowned rat as I made my way through the entrance. I found myself in the Garden Cafe and ordered a vegetable soup and hot chocolate. That should warm me up!

I had brought my tablet along for the ride and so sat drying off for a good hour reading. My soup was delicious, although it did feel slightly wrong having such a winter meal! Once the rain had eased off, I braved a walk into the city.

I walked through to Chinatown without getting too wet or getting poked in the eye with an umbrella. The weird thing is that it's warm rain. So if the rain wasn't enough, you also sweat!

Contacted Gunhild and booked my ticket for the Moonlight Cinema. It was Fantastic Beasts tonight, but I dont mind seeing it twice! Jumped on the tram so I could eat and get changed. Turns out I was going in the wrong direction. I didn't realise this until the very last stop, where I was now a good 45mins from where I wanted to be. Oops.

Finally made it to the hostel, got changed super quick and had some noodles. Then it was back on the tram to get to the Botanical Gardens. There were so many people chilling on the grass.. I was so lucky that when I arrived Gunhild was in the food queue!

I thoroughly enjoyed the film, laughing even more than last time. The gardens are beautiful, definitely going to have to visit in the day. Maybe tomorrow.

~

After seeing some pictures online, I  decided I wanted to visit Brighton Beach. On the map it didn't seem too far away so I decided to walk. I put my bikini and shorts on, popped a t-shirt on and packed my rain mac.

The first part of the walk along St Kilda Esplanade was a bit windy but not too bad. The sun was trying so hard to get through the clouds, but it was looking worryingly grey. I grabbed my rain mac. Good job too, before I knew it, I was getting soaked. Not from rain, but from the crashing waves alongside me. Wow.

I was the coldest I'd been in a long time. The wind was cruel and the waves kept overspilling onto the pathway, and me. However, I was determined to get to the beach huts. And so I kept on going, all the way along Bay Trail. I past Elwood Beach, North Point, Brighton Foreshore..

Finally made it to Denby, rocking the best wind-swept look you've ever seen. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit disappointing. Sure, there were several colourful, cute and creative beach huts. But I still prefer the British version. They seemed so out of place in Australia.

After my crazy walk I decided to treat myself. Walked into the town to find some food. It was starting to warm up a tad and I could finally take my coat off! I really wanted some chicken chips, which I knew I'd find in Woolworths. Apparently, not this one though. Gutted.

I wasn't braving the coastal walk back, instead I walked through the town. The view wasn't as nice but I wasn't getting blown away. The walk also didn't seem as long.. once I reached St Kilda, I braved the foreshore.

There were kites everywhere. All I could see on the horizon was the multicoloured fabric blowing in the wind. Clearly today was a perfect day for kite surfing! I watched them for a while, you could tell who the professionals were. There was one guy doing tricks, quite impressive.

Made it back to the hostel a little worse for wear, a hot shower was in order! I didn't realise just how early in the evening it was, it was only 5pm. I also didn't realise just how badly wind burnt I'd got... my face was bright red!

To finish off the day I decided to be a tourist and visit the Eureka Tower. It stands at 301m and I was going up to the Skydeck on the 88th floor! I went all out and booked an Edge experience. Basically a glass box extended from the building.. exciting!!

The security in these places does make me laugh. You put your bag and jacket in a tray, walk through a metal detector and pick your belongings back up. They don't seem to mind what's actually in the bag?! Bit backwards if you ask me.

Climbing in the lift up to the 88th floor, my ears popped. The sun hadn't set yet and so we were at my favourite time again. The city was glowing. It was a beautiful sight, reflections on the glass made it hard to take good photos though. Ah well. Without a camera in my hand I was able to actual look at what I was seeing and figure out where in the CBD I had visited.

I enjoyed watching the sunset from a nook I'd found. Bought myself a hot chocolate and sat on the floor watching as the sun faded and the city lights started to appear. I loved seeing the tiny toy cars on the streets and boats on the river. Makes you feel so insignificant, in a good way of course.

Soon, it was my turn to go out on The Edge. No photos allowed and we had to put those plastic bag things over our feet. It was then time to crowd into the box and be extended 3m. The sound effects were brilliant, if a little childish.. lots of creaking noises. I was trying so hard not to laugh at the two teenage girls squealing as much as the young boy in our group. The glass then "smashed" and we were left with 360° views.. very clever. Once we'd had photos taken in our groups it was back into the building.

It was about 10 o'clock when I reached the ground floor gift shop. I bought a magnet and decided to call it a night. I walked back along the Yarra to catch the tram. The next one wasn't for 16mins. And so I decided to play a little game and see if I could nip and see the Shrine of Remembrance lit up, and still get the same tram.

I made my way up the hill to see the eternal flame outside the Shrine. It was still glowing, and warmed me up nicely. I took a few photos and got down the hill with maybe 30secs to spare before my tram appeared. Beats standing and waiting!

~

I had meant to be checking out this morning, but extended my stay last night to stay in St Kilda until Monday. I was super excited to be staying with the wonderful Daryl (some of you may remember him from my Jamboree blogs) after that. Yay! I still had today to play with and it was forecast to be hot hot hot! I missed the Sunday markets last week, so today was my chance to see as many as possible.

My first stop of the day was St Kilda Esplanade Market. When I arrived at 10.30am, the stalls were already lined up and it was already busy. I opted for a quick walk past all the stalls and then to go back to ones I liked. I loved seeing all the handmade crafts and locally produced gifts and gizmos. If I didn't have to carry it around for a year, I could quite easily have bought everything!

My next stop was at the Docklands Market. Having had to walk further than I envisaged from the tram stop, I was sweltering by the time I got there. I was about to buy a drink when I noticed a drinking fountain, so I filled up my bottle and saved some dollar. This market wasn't as big as the previous one, and the stalls seemed more corporate? Safe to say, I didn't stay long.

Before my next market I stopped off at Southern Cross Station for some lunch. Here I also found a large outlet centre, we'll cheat and call it another market. I got some bargains, a pair of shorts and a drawstring bag. All with change from a 20.. can't be bad!

South Melbourne Market was my last of the day. This reminded me of Queen Victoria Market, in that most of it was indoors and it was open other days of the week. This was my least favourite of the day and I decided to go back to St Kilda.

Earlier on in the day I'd spotted a henna stall, but the queue was long so I gave it a miss. Deciding to get a tattoo and then have it dry in the sun on the beach, I first got changed at the hostel. Didn't want to smudge anything.

I got a delicate flower design flowing from my little finger to my wrist. I forgot just how much I love henna, and how amazing the artists are. My design must have taken 3mins top, and she was chatting to me the whole time!

Beach time! I found myself a nice patch of sand near the pier, suncreamed up and settled down. I set an alarm just in case I fell asleep. Which, of course, I did! Another layer of suncream and time to swap sides. I couldn't believe how hot it was, or how long the sun stayed up, it was 7 o'clock before I realised.

As I've had no luck on the job front so far, I decided to upskill and booked myself on a barista course. Fingers crossed I'm not terrible at it and something comes of it. Only time will tell! In the meantime, it was time to pack ready for a new adventure in the suburbs.