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Went to Melbourne this weekend. Great coffee, great bars, great restaurants and great shopping. Melbourne is my favourite city in Australia to visit. I highly recommend the  trip down from Sydney.

We got cheap flights with Virgin Blue and stayed at the travel lodge on the South Bank.

A little bit about Melbourne.  When you get into the heart of Melbourne its like walking into a smaller version of London. It’s busy, bustling, and full of eccentric people; it has alleyways that hold the most amazing cafes and small boutiques that have wears that you won’t find anywhere else.

The weather is terrible and you will more often then not have 4 seasons in one day. The people are friendly, there is lots to see and do and the biggest novelty, Melbourne is the only city in Australia that still has trams!

Cool huh.

So we decided not to make our weekend about the shopping. (We always seem to go to Melbourne to shop) We were strapped for cash being Christmas and all so we decided to try and do and see as much of Melbourne for free as we could. Activity wise anyway. We had to eat and have coffee so that of
course cost us money.



We started the day off with a coffee at a funky little café/restaurant on the South Bank called; World

It was sunny during breaky so it was really nice. Coffee was awesome. I got my trusty Soy Latte and I was impressed! Nick got a Large Latté 2 sugars-he seems impressed also. Good food, good location being on the South Bank, good weather. Cost;$30.00 for 2 coffees, toast and green eggs and ham.

We then caught the free tram around Melbourne, which turned out kinda perfect actually. It was raining off and on and  the Circle tram does a loop around the city and stops at all the land marks and places of  interest. So we got our bearings and decided it  would be cool to see the National Gallery of Victoria. Free. And the sound exhibition at ACMI. also free.

The sound exhibition was cool, You can interact with the exhibition and learn about the birth of TV, Movies and sound. Sounds a bit geeky but when it’s free and it keep you busy for a good 2 hours it’s worth a mention. PLUS; weird thing – Nick’s dad use to be a sound engineer and his name came up on the credits of a special sound installation that they had put up – talking about how sound was so important to movies. Nicks dad, Barry Brown did the sound on Walkabout. An Aussie movie from the 70’s.



Check out our quick video of the day. Not all was captured – but you get the drift and you can see a bit of Melbourne at the same time.

Belle. Over and out.

 

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We love ANZAC day here in Australia. Sydney goes mental! We rise at 5am to pay our respects to the boys that died in Gallipoli; we go to the pub, get drunk, play two-up and hang out with our mates.
It’s the one holiday in the year that actually means something to me. It means more the Christmas, Easter, the Queen’s Birthday, bank holidays  ...maybe not Australia Day, actually  ANZAC day for me is a close second to Australia day, for obvious reasons.

I’M lucky, I’ve been to Gallipoli. I was 23. It still, to this day, remains one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have never ever ever felt more proud to be an Australian, then when I was stood on that beach, listening to the last post – knowing our boys did what they had to do, what they could only do, to try and secure a tiny piece of the Turkish Coast. It’s more than our duty to get up at 5am and pay our respects, it’s our history and it’s our right. Those boys fought for something and we’re proud to remember that.
So every ANZAC day, I get up for the dawn service, I play two-up with my mates and I spare a thought for the boys at ANZAC cove.

If you ever get the chance to go to Gallipolli. Go. It’s something you just can understand until you go.
If you’re ever in Sydney for ANZAC day- you’ll see. We Aussies love our ANZAC day.
Places to check out if you are lucky enough to be in Sydney for ANZAC day.
The Australian Hotel ( the best pub in Sydney for ANZAC day)
The Rocks ( just a bloody good place to be when our nations at it’s best )
The  Harbour Hilton ( for all those who can’t get over the bridge )

Have a toss and think of the ANZACS when you call heads or tails.

A little more about the diggers game: two-up Add a comment

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Stopped on the way down to Curl Curl, to take the dog for a walk, at our usual coffee place.

I really really didn’t like their soy latte today. It was way to bitter. I’m sure it hasn’t been that bad before – I don’t know why, today, it tasted so bitter.

I think I’ve been turned off. It’s like if you drink too much tequila when you’re 15 – you can never drink or smell tequila again as long as you live – I feel a bit the same way about this coffee I just had. So disappointing. Reckon Ill have to find somewhere else to get my dog walking coffee. Add a comment

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Went down to one of local cafes at Dee Why today. Sea Change.

We usually go here if we have missed the normal breakfast hours of our other fav spot down at Dee Why. Sea Change serves an all day breakfast and at 2pm on a Sunday, you couldn’t ask for anything more.

I had a soy latte – large. Mistake. I didn’t need the large with my Spinach, eggs and hollandaise. I think I ruined the coffee with all the other flavors. It was all too much. Way too many different tastes.

Have decided to go back and just have coffee and banana bread – and then I fell like Ill get a good gage on what the Sea Change coffee is really like.

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