We've just had the Cleggs to stay. Ros's cousin Rebecca and husband David have spent the last two weeks with us. With the exception of last weekend we've continued to work so Rebecca and David have been heading into the city to do all the touristy things Sydney has to offer (with Niall tagging along on several occasions). We've then been meeting up in the evenings and doing trips together at the weekend. It's always good to have friends/family from home and the Clegg's are good company anyway. If nothing else you realise how much you take for granted after living in a place for a while. We went to Shelly Beach on Saturday to do some snorkeling, for example, and they were blown away by the number and variety of fish just off the shore. We are aware that this sort of thing is special when compared to home but we're no longer amazed by it, is that a bit sad?
Since Rebecca and David wanted to catch up with friends in Melbourne we all took the trip down there last weekend. Melburnians Keith and Andrea played host to all four of us in the end so we spent a couple of days travelling down the Great Ocean Road and two days in the centre of Melbourne itself. The road trip was fabulous, as the name suggests the road hugs the coast as it winds south of the city for over 200 km from one dramatic bay to the next and so on. We had perfect weather for the most part, clear and sunny, so we were looking out over azure water as far as the eye can see with waves smashing into and over beach after beach. There are a series of stone stacks at one point, the so called twelve disciples, vast gold coloured rocks projecting upwards, the highlight of the brief trip without a doubt.
This was our first trip to Melbourne and we were struck with how European it felt. It was tempting to make comparisons between it and Sydney. Sydney has it for the natural beauty of the sea, the harbour and the beaches but Melbourne has far more sophisticated architecture and as a bonus a more efficient transport system (the lack of which is a daily frustration in Sydney). We intend making another trip back to Melbourne before we head home that's for sure, it did have a good vibe going on.
Here are a couple of sets of photos:
