>Well, it was certainly colourful. But also tiring! The girls and I found a spot along flinders street (unfortunately a spot where some overflow would sweep down the lane behind bringing with it an unpleasant odour) where we waited for over 2 hours for the parade to begin. Everywhere along the route was packed with people long before the parade was due to start at 19:45. Come 21:20 our knees could take no more and we burrowed our way through the crowd in search of something to eat and somewhere to sit! After Emma and I went for a drink at the Equilibrium bar, on the corner of Golburn and George street (upstairs opposite Scruffy Murphy’s). Julie had enough and retired early to the hostel, although Emma and myself headed back around 23:30 feeling a little weary.

I’ve also just booked an extra 3 nights here in Sydney back at my first hostel. I’ve spent close on 2 hours in an internet cafe this morning trying to decide what to do tomorrow (my check out date from Wake up! and planned day of moving on), and I came to the conclusion 24 hours wasn’t enough to pick through the information on hostel quality and locations, flights, but above all both of those to coincide with a destination – I looked at Perth and Adelaide but made no headway – I should have thought about this on Friday when I arrived back.

One option I am pursing is meeting up with Emma again in Alice Springs. Emma has booked a 6 day tour from Alice Springs to Adelaide towards the end of March. I have emailed the company to see if there are positions available for that, if so then I think I will book it. We’ll see what they come back with. That still leaves a couple of weeks between the tour and where I am now, back in Sydney, and what to do in between?

>Took a leisurely 1.5 hour stroll this morning through south Melbourne taking in Port Melbourne and St Kilda. Once I had cleared the forecourts of the car sales and other out of town DIY stores, twee victorianesque properties replaced industrial units. Along the promenade the architecutre was more mixed with victorian and ultra modern side by side with views over the straits (not always the best towards port Melbourne given it is a working port, where the ferry for Tasmania leaves, amongst other ships).

St. Kilda itself I found unimpressive. I was told it was great and most people fall in love with it. Supposedly a haunt of the rich, the beautiful and the famous. Since I am only one of those I guess it’s not for me ;p So after a coffee and muffin ($5) at Roy’s bar I took the tram back to the City.

Having walked the suburbs of Melbourne I can see it’s charm lies here, not in the City. I found Sydney to be the opposite. Perhaps I was walking the wrong suburbs of Sydney?

Have an early start in the morning. Leaving the hostel @ 7:30am to head back to Sydney. More from there….hopefully with some photos…over the weekend.