J'arrive!!!

Hello world I have arrived. AND I brought a present with me along with the mementos from loved ones in Auckland, only this particular travel companion I could have done without. Let me give you all a clue. My ears rather painfully, failed to pop as we descended into Melbourne. Guessed yet? Well, the sore throat, blocked nose and head filled with cotton wool should leave you in no doubt. Oh yes I got a cold so day one of my trip left me feeling more Bad, lazy body, get with the play I'm in Australia now stop waking me up at 4.00am. Office workers start at 9.00, cafes at 8.00 and shops at 10.00 so there is absolutely nothing, zip, zilch, zero to do at four in the morning. I tried to stay up as late as possible last night to swap from NZ-time to Oz-time and it seems to have worked quite well because I have made it to five in the afternoon without needing to head home to crash yet.

I'm staying with Debbie, a friend of my sister's. She's a Shore girl recently relocated to Melbourne and she has been absolutely fantabulous as a host. She has given me a blissfully comfy bed in a room all to my self (oh what decadence says the person who had planned to hole up in a hostel), clean towels that match and space in her bathroom cabinet! Oh the luxury. What a welcome.

Still it was strange waking up this morning to the sound of foreign birds. Where were the tuis? The minahs? Even the common sparrow? I'm not used to being serenaded by magpies, rosellas and ravens. It was quite disconcerting especially the ravens and their smaller cousins the crows. My word they are freaky birds swooping from the trees. It's like walking into an Edgar Allan Poe tale. They are like minahs on steroids and I am the helpless cat.

I've learned my first Melbourne lesson today. Always take an umbrella with you. It doesn't rain all day like it has recently in Auckland, in fact Melbourne is quite dry but when it does decide to precipitate you'd better run for cover because the rain comes straight down in drops that make you turn around to find the rotten kid that just chucked a water bomb at you. I think I may have to get a heavier duty brolly than I currently have.

Melbourne lesson number two for the day – how to order coffee. Step one enter cafe and be greeted by the Aussie-Greek beauty with the set of huge white teeth. She will most likely call you Darl or Luv. This is not a pass, it is the acceptable form of shopgirl hello. It's actually far nicer than you get from the fake NZ mall maids. Step two, order an extra hot double shot flat white. What you will get will be the equivalent to a single shot in NZ speak. Step three, kick back and enjoy a luke warm but at least strong coffee – ahhhh. I am happier with this discovery than I was on my last visit to Melbourne where I was pre-promised that the coffee would be good. On that occasion I was disgusted to find every cup weak and cold. I read a sign in a cafe window that said "Behind very successful woman is a vast amount of coffee." Coffee is my ticket to sit for hours in the one cafe. As long as I have bought the one cup I seem able to deflect the waiters from chucking me out.

Anyway here's a piccie of me on day one in Melbourne to keep the folks happy that I am alive even if somewhat congested. What a dill I'm going to look taking photos of myself around town but hey, I'm here on my own what else do I do. Here I am in the rain on Marine Parade in St Kilda. I'm looking across to Port Melbourne and the city. They have really great two lane walk and cycleways so there's no bikes sneaking up on you from behind.