Fed up!

So....after welcoming a New Year and wishing everyone health and happiness.....I was up in the night being violently sick!I have spent today in bed and very close to toilet facilities!Ho Hum!

An unexpected penguin.

'And on the seventh day, they rested'.We were up late, had brunch and I went back to bed and slept for a few more hours in the early afternoon.When I did wake we headed out in a 'Tizzy' to St Kilda. I think everyone else who was out watching the fireworks last night had had the same idea because it was crawling with people. We wandered along the sea front and had an ice cream and walked out to the breakwater and there discovered that 'Little Penguins' nest there. Most were like I was, after a late night watching fireworks, still in bed, but one had ventured out to brave the crowds jostling for a peep.It made my day.

Happy New Year!

We went out last night and caught a fireworks display in Yarra Park at 9.30 pm.[gallery ids="5619,5617,5616,5618"]Then we continued into the city.

 It was packed.....I didn't know that many people lived in Australia never mind Melbourne.We wandered around to pass some time amongst the crowds and queued for ages for a latte and a dreadful hot chocolate before finding a spot in Birrarung Marr Park to watch the fireworks.[gallery ids="5622,5623,5625,5624"]I filmed the whole thing but here are edited highlights....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH9ZxGBNuoIIt was fantastic and I am so glad I was there.

Birrarung Marr empties.

Happy New Year everybody. We wish you health and happiness, sunshine and rain, peace and joy (with teeth). 

More Sights and the City.

Another day spent wandering through the city...

We will wander back in later to see the New Years Eve fireworks!

Of Dandenongs and 'Neighbours'.

We were a little lapse in rising early.....and half the day had practically gone before we were in a 'Tizzy.' (Tizzy being the car we have borrowed.)We headed to the Dandenong National Park, east out of the City and about 40 minutes away. On the way I suddenly remembered that I had been meaning to Google where they film 'Neighbours', the Australian soap opera and weirdly it turned out to be very close to where we were heading. We decided to visit 'Ramsay St 'on our way back.We stopped off at an Information Centre in Upper Ferntree Gully and a very helpful lady gave us a map of the park."If you are feeling energetic you can do the '1000 steps' walk," she said.I had heard of this before and again had been meaning to find out where it was in Melbourne....and we were in the right place again.It was just around the corner so we parked and set off. There are actually just over 700 steps apparently which climb uphill surrounded by tree ferns. It was lovely, very tiring and busy. Half of Melboure seemed to have come too and most in lycra. We decided that half the people attempting it were obese....which reflected us, as a couple. He beat me up as did a 12 year old boy whose mother kept saying "Come on! Push it! Push it! You're nearly there!"After I got my breath back we walked back down the Lyrebird track and back to the car and then drove around Sassafras and Olinda and found Bourkes Lookout on Mt Dandenong to catch a glimpse of the distant City.