Nearly a week has gone by!

The Great Ocean Road trip part two was scenic and rocky. The weather was mixed but held up pretty well. The third most visited natural location in Oz was busy but the guide assured me it was nothing like it is in Summer. I can believe him. We popped in to a rainforest boardwalk (another one!) and yes it was me who found the carnivorous snail. Small, shiny black shell, snail-like. It was amusing to watch tourists trying to get excited about a snail. Some of them even took photographs. I took one but it was blurry! Damn fast these creatures. A long bus ride back to Melbourne and my last YHA of the whole holiday - Melbourne Metro - and what a hostel. Fairly new, good rooms, great bathrooms (including a bath!), a rooftop lounge and terrace, a cafe and well equipped kitchen. And it was completely non-smoking. I submitted and had a pizza and chips from the cafe for dinner and wasn't disappointed. In fact, I couldn't even eat all the chips! I spent the evening chatting to a Kiwi who writes travel reviews and collects old books. Shows what you can find out if you offer someone a share of your chips! Probably the best hostel in my travels.

Tuesday I made my way over to West Brunswick (I believe the 'west' is important) to see out my days in Oz at Lauren and Michael's place. It was lovely to stop and sit down, chill and chat, catch up over a cuppa.

Since then, I've been mooching about, dropping in on what Melbourne has to offer and getting ready mentally to come home. Normally, if you've got ten days to go that's pretty much a whole holiday but that's not how it's been feeling. To be honest, I'm suffering separation anxiety! I want to go home but don't want to leave Australia. I have managed to visit Queen Victoria Markets more than once; the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia branch); botanic gardens x2; St Kilda (the seaside in Melbourne); Melbourne Museum and Melbourne Zoo. General shopping has happened and I have to finish my pressie finding this week! I've discovered the source of a most amazing carrot cake, ploughed my way through an over-sized slab of Death by Chocolate and eaten a couple of pizzas. Fruit and vegetables have also been consumed. Of course.

Staying with Lauren has been great. Not having to share a room being one feature but a cat to play with is an added bonus. I can even cook in a kitchen, on my own, and find things in the cupboard that I can use. Melanie lives only round the corner so she and I have also spent some time together, putting the world to rights. We went to the Winter fireworks on a Friday thing in Docklands which was good. Having given up on watching football in the middle of the night once the Socceroos and England failed to escape the first round of the World Cup, I've had nocturnal tennis to watch. I stayed up for the local interest, Nick Kyrgios beating Rafa Nadal, and then last night I watched the amazing final between Federer and Djokovic.

So, my time here is drawing to a close. Hopefully, my next posting will be more upbeat.