Australia!

Friday 18th

Well arrived at Melbourne airport at 7.35am after a long journey from Birmingham. Stopped over at Dubai for two hours and meet up with Jodi on her way to Perth. Then flew on to Singapore just for a fuel stop although we had to get off plane,then back on within the hour.

Then onto Melbourne and it was so good to see Elli waving and smiling to greet me. 

We stopped off at a McDonald's for a coffee then onto where Mick and Elli live.

Well to say I was gobsmacked is an understatement.  The house is in working progress and we are living in a huge corrigrated shed! I have my own bedroom and M &. E are sleeping in a tent! 

Within a couple of hours we had taken Klara (their lovely black lab)  to Tracy home. A beautiful rustic three bedroom house which M & E used to own and Mick had done a superb job in renovating it. Then Elli and I stopped off in Maldon fo a quick lunch. Back home picked up Mick and set off to Echuca to spend my first night in Australia on a Houseboat called The Mayflower on the river Murray. Popped to the shops for supplies had pizza for dinner. Early to bed slept till 8am.

Saturday 19th after a good cooked breakfast went for a walk around Echuca before Leanne and Antony  (Elli's brother and his wife) arrived to join us for two days on the Murray. After a chicken lunch we headed off,Mick had his lesson in steering the boat but had no problems. We went down stream for about 3 hours and moored up in a lovely spot. I made fairy sand castles until a speedboat went passed and the bow wave washed them all out. So sad.

Had a fab BBQ then played Canasta with Elli till midnight and she beat me by 45 points.

Sunday 20th I was last up! Had breakie then cruised off back up the Murray arriving back about lunch time. Went round the Echuca Discovery centre excellent guide and enjoyable tour. Paddle steamers, not unlike the canal boats, where the first form of transporting wool, and cattle from Melbourne to Sydney. And was the largest inland port in the 1870's . I then went round town brought a lovely top and skirt and ended up in a bar listening to a band and having my first beer in Australia! Dinner on the boat then said our goodbyes to Leanne and Antony. I won Canasta tonight!

Monday 21st 

Left Echuca about 10am and drove back to M & E weather has turned cool. Had a better look around the shed and the new house it will look quite impressive when it's built.  Went down to Castllemain for some food shopping and an adaptor for camera. 

Tuesday 22nd

Got up early 6.30am  (for me anyway) and went into work with Elli to Kynchya. A typical small country town. Walked round shops and brought some jeans and boots as it is much colder than I thought and haven't really brought enough warmer clothes. Elli did warn me it was still cold but I guess I chose to ignore her thinking I knew better.....wrong!

Booked my flight to Sydney for a week and a hotel very near the harbour for October.