Merry Christmas Melbourne!

Here I am again, back at the library, enjoying free internet access! Well, it's quiet here at the moment, so yesterday I actually spent way over an hour online, so I thought I'd best make the most of it while I can!

I had a very leisurely day yesterday, sorted out some bits and pieces with Qantas - they will charge me $40 to change my flights in person, but it is free over the phone. Thanks for making that clear when I spoke to you last week. Idiots! So, I think I am going to shave 2 weeks off Australia and 4 off New Zealand. That'll mean I hit Chile in mid-March, not the start of May. That'll be 6 months in South America and hopefully I'll be able to organise a way to zip up to Central America as well, funds permitting of course!

I then spent the afternoon geocaching, and found 6 in a few hours, which was good going, it's been a while since I had such a good run. I bet the summer sunbathers in Flagstaff park thought I was a nutjob though, walking from sculpture to flagpole to sundial, taking notes and then rummaging around in a hole at the base of a huge tree!!! Got to keep the locals amused I guess.

Today, it's a glorious summer's day, quite fitting as it's the longest day of the year. Weird - that coupled with Christmas music and decorations in all the department stores. I forgot to mention in my last post my thoughts thus far on Oz. It's expensive (oh yeah, I did mention that). It is also extremely similar to home, which was quite jarring at first. Melbourne is supposed to be the most European of all Australia's cities and the central area where I am staying is very like Manchester. Without the rain. There are big stores and churches and ornate buildings and trams and Christmas trees...

Well, not a Manchester sky...

There are also a high proportion of nutters as well; I thought Australia would bring a little bit of normality back after the madness of Asia, but I've witnessed drunken fights, tramps telling people they have no manners when people don't acknowledge their hellos, schizophrenics having arguments with themselves as they walk down the street, and drunks tripping over themselves as they leave the "bottle shops" - I'd forgotten how bonkers big cities could be!

So, I'd best make the most of my last few hours here - before the 12 hour bus journey to Sydney. It would only take an hour to fly, and would only cost $25 more than the bus. She must be mad, I hear you say... yes, but clever Emma has saved at least $25 on accommodation for tonight, $20 on a transfer bus to Melbourne Airport and probably $20 on the transfer from Sydney Airport. So that's actually a saving of $90, go figure!

There's a few more caches to find today and I am meeting a new Korean friend for dinner - and we are going to eat Korean food, yippee! Anyway, once again, Merry Christmas and don't get too cold over in the Northern Hemisphere!