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  Melbourne, Australia
Saturday, February 5, 2005

As we came in to land at Melbourne Airport the cloud was really low and it didn't clear until we were just about on the runway. After an incredibly bumpy landing I got off the plane and through customs fairly quickly. I went to pick my bag up off the carousel and found it was covered in a gooey white substance which was oozing out of my bag all over the carousel and all down the front of my trousers. On opening my bag I found that my brand new bottle of shampoo had burst all over my bag. I spent the next half hour cleaning it up.

Anyway I finally got on the bus and into town where Hamish met me off the bus and very kindly carried my rucksack for me. Went for dinner and then checked into The Nunnery which is a fantastic hostel in the centre of town. I booked into a 4 bed dorm and when I got into it I realised there was no way I was going to get up on the top bunk. It was really high and there was no ladder

Melbourne Pier during the storm

. I tried climbing up on a chair but it wasn't working out and I didn't want to break my other foot so I headed back down to Reception. It was about 10.30pm by this time and there was no one about. I had to sit for about half an hour. Spud, the night manager then ran all over the hostel trying to find a bottom bunk for me, which eventually he did. After cleaning up my bag some more and realising I couldn't use my toothbrush and it was caked in shampoo, I fell straight into bed and to sleep, only to be awoken at 3am by the girls checking in. The following day I moved into an 8-bed dorm where I still am.

On Wednesday morning I went for a walk along trendy Brunswick Street and sat in a cafe for a while - anything to get out of the rain. It was absolutely pouring down with rain and even though I had my foot in a plastic bag my cast managed to get soaking wet which was thoroughly unpleasant. I also had a big hole in my heel where the cast was starting to cut into my foot so I decided to go to the hospital and see if they could take it off for me. I managed to hobble up to a nearby hospital - only 2 blocks from the hostel - the rain was so heavy I was dripping wet by the time I got there. The woman was very polite but told me there was nothing she could do for me - thanks a bunch! I got back to the hostel and by this time my foot was in a pretty pathetic state. I got a map and found another hospital

The streets of Melbourne during the storm

. For some idiotic reason unknown to me I decided to walk, rather than getting a taxi, which was a fantastic idea considering at this point the rain was horizontal and the roads where turning into rivers. I waded my way to the hospital with recollections of my time on Stewart Island. I eventually arrived at A&E, dragging my foot behind me and totally soaked to the skin. I said to myself at this point if they couldn't help me I would get the next flight home - I was so fed up!! Anyway I stood dripping a little puddle on the floor at the reception desk until a very kind doctor took a look at my x-rays and told me that yes the cast could come off and no I wouldn't need another one. YIPPEEE!!!! It took about 10 minutes and I was free. I left the hospital and decided it would be an excellent idea to take a taxi back (my foot was quite sore to walk on at this point). I stood waiting for ages until a taxi showed up and then he said he didn't want to go where I was wanting to go. Great!!! I eventually gave up and decided just to walk, so it was back out into the rain. Realising I was limping the taxi driver followed my and picked me up - much to my relief.

If you think I was exaggerating about the rain I was later to find out that this was the worst weather Melbourne has ever experienced - at least since records began 150 years ago. In 31 hours we had a quarter of the annual rainfall. I seem to attract bad weather wherever I go!

Anyway, despite the forecast the weather has been good ever since. I've been walking lots - now that I can - even though my foot still hurts a bit. Yesterday I headed out to St Kilda with Priscilla who was looking for somewhere to live. A lot of people have told me St Kilda is a great place but I wasn't overly impressed, it was nice enough, but I prefer Fitzroy where I'm staying at the moment.

So at the moment I'm hanging out in Melbourne and trying to plan my trip round Oz. It's a huge country and it's a bit of a nightmare trying to decide what to do on my limited budget, but I'll email again soon and let you all know what I'm up to...

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