MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Well just a quick message to wish everybody a very happy christmas day!!

We have been relaxing in the house so far, as it hasn't quite been the Aussie Christmas any of us were expecting...... We have been cold, had some sun, rain and hail stones!! Oh well it has been different.

I am having a good day with Rod, Tracey, Lorraine, Graham and Emma!! Looking forward to our turkey dinner!!

Thank you to everyone who sent me a present, it is very much apprechisted. V impressed with this years pressie Fran!! Will know when everyones birthday is now!!

Sending my love to everyone - have fun!!

Love
Dawn
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Close Encounters with the Robster - I'm not complaining!!

Well pretty close anyway!
Emma and I left Rod and Tracey's place yesterday around midday and after checking into the hostel, having a shower and having lunch we headed off to the Telstra Dome to see how long the queue was and join it!!
We arrived there at around 3pm and me being me - I can't walk past the merchandise without getting something!! I bought a programme, a necklace thingy and 2 tops!! Oh dear, now I had to carry them round all night, oh well. We had gold standing tickets so we joined the appropriate queue.
We were probably only waiting about 1 1/2 hours until the doors opened, we all made our way in - showing our tickets (even though we were given wrist bands) 3 times before eventually getting them taken off us!! Emma and I walked down to the approprate area, namely right at the front of the stage and found a spot. We then had to wait again for ages!! A DJ started playing a bit at around 6.30ish and everyone stood up, we would've been trampled if we hadn't also stood and surged forward!! Plus we'd have lost our spot..... We ended up about 10 rows back from the stage which I was happy with!
After the DJ, Sneaky Sound System began to play as the support act - they were ok, kinda funky although we didn't know any of their songs. They were on stage for around an hour. We had to wait about another half hour before Robbie came on stage!!
He started with Radio, god we were close, and everyone was going crazy!! It was great. All in all he played (from what I remember) Sin, Sin, Sin, Make Me Pure, Advertising Space, Me and My Shadow (with Jonathan, get a life, Wilkes), Strong, Come Undone, Feel, Rock DJ, Kids, Rudebox, Angel, Let Me Entertain You and Mellenium......Back For Good and a few snipets of others!!
It was great, but I very much feel that he will no longer be touring. I was getting that feel from very early on in the concert and he kept saying he was going to miss this - good on him though, if it will make him happy! It was a great show by a fantastic showman and I even got into Rudebox!! Very proud of our man Mr Williams!!
Although he got in trouble for smoking on stage, he was still doing it!! He also talked about a girl he'd had in his room after a concert and when he asked what her favourite part of the show was she replied "the flames..." - how sweet! Him and Jonathan Wilkes mucked around on stage as I would imagine Dan and I would, although should never be done in public!!
The concert went on until just after 11pm and even with being squashed, having sore feet and being very tired - I loved it!!
I just hope he enjoyed it as much as we all did!! I have posted a few pictures on my site so check them out!! I will blog more next week after The Great Ocean Road and Christmas.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and a great New Year!!
Take Care
Dawn
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A week gone by......in Melbourne

Ok a quick update of what I have been upto as I'm sure its really exciting!!
Right well we returned to the Queen Vic night market, ate some curry and had some wine. The band wasn't as good as the week before, it was a Beatles cover band and they didn't look like them and didn't sing good either. We didn't stay late.
We got back to the hostel and decided to head into the hostel bar. We had a few drinks, chatted to the barman (hairy man!) and when he finished we asked if he wanted to join us. We had vouchers for cheap beer - which was not a good idea. We got pretty drunk but had a laugh so it was ok. I think the night ended around 3am. It was fun.
We also headed back to the free outdoor cinema on Friday (I don't know what it was with this week...) with a bottle of wine! We watched Muriels Wedding and drank our wine, it was nice. We got back to the hostel bottle shop and got another bottle - all in all we went through 3 bottles between us, were a little drunk - went to bed and then remembered we wanted to have french toast so got back up, went to the 7 eleven and got eggs. Made and ate that at around 3 am!! Yummy.....!
The city on Saturday morning was hot and smoky...there are loads of bush fires in Victoria at the moment and the smoke had been blown into the city. We moved into Emma's uncles on Saturday morning time. We chilled out there and then in the evening headed to the outdoor cinema again. This time for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (sp?), no wine, but we did have fish and chips. I had a really yummy grilled burrimundi with some parsley sauce on it. I have to say thats one thing I prefer about the fish and chip shops over here, you don't have to have it battered. You can choose grilled, crumbed or battered. Anyway, the film was ok and food was good. We got the train back afterwards and off to bed.
I did not sleep well but we had decided to go to St Kilda on Sunday morning for the market and the beach. Another really hot day, got up to 42 degrees!! We got to St Kilda and ate some breakfast and then wandered round the craft market. I had forgotten my hat and so bought a new one, was too hot to be on a beach in direct sunlight without some protection. After checking out the craft stalls which were rather nice we headed down to the beach.
I got changed in to my swimming stuff, yes I cover up, which consists of shorts and a protective t-shirt. We found a spot and Emma sat down, I headed into the sea - oh my god it was cold!!! I eventually managed to get right in, tried to snorkel but that was rather boring as it was just sand and further out was really cold.... I chilled for a bit in the sea and then came out to dry. Emma then went in for a bit. We chilled on the beach for a while then went off and had a sorbet each and a drink. We met back up with Rod, Emma's uncle, and headed back to the house in the boiling hot car!! Watched a film in the afternoon and chilled for the rest of the day.
Now yesterday we didn't do much during the day, popped to the post office, had a drink and cake.... Last night though we had Neighbours night!! Yes it is sad..... Yes it is tacky..... And yes it is full of British people!!! But we had been promised Stuart (Blair), Toadie (Ryan) and Steph (Carla) and I wanted to get a picture with them!!!
There was alot of waiting around, you wait at the start for them to come out and then they do a couple of, stupid, questions each and then you wait for them to make their way round the crowd to you.
When Toadie came out he had someones question in his pocket and moaned cos he gets asked alot of the same stuff, he pulled it out and it was something like "How did you get that blonde cos you're so fat" his response was "Every time I fu#k your mother she gives me a cookie" - I felt it was appropriate. There was cricket talk....which got all the Engliah singing Barmy Army!! Toadie was quite a bit smaller in real life, not fat at all!!
Steph seemed a little drunk but very happy. She had stupid questions too.....one was "Why did the turkey cross the road?" and the other was "You don't really use f#cking soda stream surely?" - apparently she has done an advert for it. She was really beautiful though and petite.
Stuart......well what can I say but perfection!! I would quite happily sleep with this man, marry him and, if he so wished, have his children too!! He was very sexy!! I liked him alot!!! As did Emma, she was going crazy clicking her camera taking pictures of random parts of his body - he did have a nice arse though! He was asked a Do, Date or Dump question with Mrs Mangel, Helen Daniels and Madge Bishop. In their order in answered Dump, Date and Do (apparently just to piss Harold off).
After the random questions we went and stood at the bar and then had to wait for them to come round. Toadie reached us first, he wasn't very chatted, he asked if we wanted our pictures taken and I was like "well thats why we've come...." which he just laughed at! We then said to him that he didn't really need to go to the UK as it comes to him in this bar. He seems to do these evening quite often, which makes you questions his life!! Although apparently he is married with a baby! There is a bit of a season finale happening here where Toadie gets shot.....I asked if he died and he said no - I think he was just saying that!!
We then had Stuart, wow, and he has just returned from the UK so I asked if he had done panto (kinda taking the piss) it turned out he'd done 2.... Dick Whittington and Cinderella (played Buttons)!! Ha ha. I think he is returning to the UK. He was just the right height and was a really friendly guy. We liked him best....
Steph was next, her body guard had a bit of work!!, she was a bit all over the place. Seemed good fun though as she was dancing around and really happy. She seemed happy to chat as well but I didn't really know what to ask her plus she seemed pretty drunk. We got our pictures taken with her though and she was really nice.
I think these nights, although possibly annoying, make them feel really famous!!! Its quite funny. I liked meeting the stars but the rest of the concept was not really me. They were doing a quiz and other competitions while the stars were working their way round. It was quite a good night. We stayed until all the famous ones had left and then we headed off. I am glad I met who I did, I don't think I'll feel the need to go to another night.... We do have the neighbours tour booked for Christmas eve with Lorraine and Graham though which will be ok!
Anyway so there is my week, we have Robbie on Sunday and then we are off to Adelaide to meet Lorraine and Graham and do the Great Ocean road back!! Should be good.
Hope everyone is well.
Congratulations to Louise and Phil who were married on Saturday!!! Well done, you guys looked great - my mum emailed a couple of pictures! xx
Dawn
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Melbourne....Still

So I thought I should do a quick update. We haven't done a great deal here. We have spent many hours in the DVD room watching films, walked around all the parks in Melbourne, along the river and down to the docklands. I particularly enjoyed a walk I did alone to Fitzroy Gardens.
I walked round the gardens, through the conservatory and also around Captain Cooks Cottage which was bought over here from Yorkshire about 70 years ago. It was tiny and wasn't the full cottage that they had lived in as half had been knocked down, while still in Yorkshire, for a road. I paid my $2 entry and wandered round the tiny kitchen and then up the stairs to see the main bedroom - I thought it was really nice a sweet. They had also put in a herb garden.
I then walked on to see the Fairies Tree, which is just a tree for children with lots of carvings in it - I was expecting something slightly more magical. I suppose it was different though. I also checked out their miniature Tudor village, nothing compared to the ones we have at home. It was however a gift to Victoria from a little village in UK because Victoria had helped them out with food shortages after the war. That's nice.
I really like Fitzroy Gardens with its tree lined paths and fountains. The day I was there there were also a load of Asian women dressed in wedding dresses - this confused me. Maybe 10 of them got married at the same time, I think they were just playing dress up!
We also had a walk right along the river, past Southbank and onto the docklands. We stopped at a park and played on some swings and twirly things on the way. Saw the Telstra Dome, where Robbie will be playing. We have booked into the hostel for that night as its walking distance.
We've watched The Princess Bride at the docklands on the free outdoor screen, was bloody cold though but we stuck it out - classic film. We will prob be going again over the next few weeks as there are showings every Friday and Saturday night, we have The Notebook and Gremlins on at some stage - have to see them.
We have been out for dinner a couple of times, which has been ok. We've also checked out a few of the cafe/restaurant bound streets but not eaten there yet - maybe go with Lorraine and Graham when they arrive. Lygone Street is like Little Italy, seems quite nice, with all its pizza/pasta restaurants. Brunswick Road is a bit alternative, bit rock and roll maybe and has quite a few cafes etc. I quite like them as they are older buildings which haven't been painted in a while - different to the city.
We have also been to the Queen Vic Market, once on a Sunday morning and once on a Wednesday night. The Wednesday night was more crafty and we got some dinner there along with a couple of wines but by far the best thing about the night market was the Victoria State Police Rock Band.....they were hilarious. They sang Green Day, Black Eyed Peas and a load of Australian songs we didn't know. It was just so funny seeing some middle aged policeman rapping to the Black Eyed Peas "Don't Lie", just great entertainment. We will be returning to the market and just hope they are there again!!
We went to Rod and Tracey's, Emma's uncle's, for a BBQ on the Sunday just gone - its great BBQ in December!! It was really nice to meet them, since I'll be spending Christmas with them, and we had a relaxing time chatting and eating. We also swapped our DVD's and got a whole new batch while we were there.
On another note we are in a dorm, mainly by ourselves, and get the odd visitor which has been interesting. A week or so we had two Australian girls who were slightly more than friends!! Kept me awake, and feeling not too great, with their shenanigans - then to top it off when they fell asleep they snored! We had another guy from the UK, Russell, who we had a laugh chatting to so he was ok although he was due up at 7am the next morning and seem to wake up 2 hours early!! We have also had Mr Scribble...... Mr Scribble was very smelly. He arrived the night that Russell Russell was there. He got up quite early and went out. He didn't come back until really late that night and knocked saying his key was playing up and reception were aware (this confused us because Emmas key had been playing up and they fixed it right away!). This night was the worst, he stank so badly that we put tea tree oil on our pillows and under our noses!! The next morning after he had gone our we decided to complain, which is what we did, and it turned out that he hadn't paid. Reception said to go down when he came back that night. We were in bed when he started knocking again at 2am - we didn't answer. Anyway he has since come back and taken his bag so we hope that's the last we see or smell of him!!
We now have a 19 year old guy from Germany and he is so young, I am bored of him as he just invades our space and starts talking crap...well thankfully he leaves tomorrow so hopefully we'll have the last few days to ourselves.
We should be moving into Rod and Tracey's in a little while so that will be quite nice. Thanks to them!!
Not too sure what else to say.....we have been quite bored a lot and so wandered around quite a bit. No work as yet so looks like I'll have to wait until the new year. I will be staying in Richmond when I come back to Melbourne for 6 weeks which is just East of the city - I should be able to walk in.
Well I hope everyone is doing well.
Take Care
Dawnie
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