So this week I have discovered that the best way to get to know a city inside out is to start hunting for a room in a shared house. And man is it difficult to find a room in this city!! There's rooms going on the advertising boards all the time, but there seem to be 20-30 people who literally pounce the second they go up. I guess I'll get lucky one of these days. As a result, house hunting is a pretty much full time job in itself at the moment, and the job hunt is on hold.
That doesn't mean I haven't been out and about and enjoying the sunshine though! In the off times when I just can't hack staring at a computer screen any longer and I am drawn out of the house into lovely sunshine (it's been blue skies and high 20s - 30s all week) I have been indulging in a spot of blatant tourism from time to time. Anyone who knows me well will be aware of my acute hatred of looking like a tourist but I am growing to enjoy it... (though I have been asked for directions at least 6 times this week - I'd love to know why I always seem to look like I know where I'm at even when I am lost!)
First stop was the Immigration Museum in the old customs building on Flinders Street. It was pretty interesting, but I was very confused by the special exhibition on the top floor - I still can't figure out what an exhibition of photos from India has to do with immigration in Australia... the photos were amazing though.
Next, I had passed the shrine to the war heroes a couple of times on a tram at the beginning of the week and thought it looked interesting, but that was about it. But then I passed it at sunset when the light was particularly awesome and I figured I just had to go see. And worth it it was, that place is pretty awesome. Certainly one of the most grand memorials I have seen, and in some ways more impressive than any of the memorials at Washington. I don't know if it was the beautiful day, but even amongst the tourists I felt a certain serenity about the place.
Today I went on a guided tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where the Sound Relief concert was last week. I find it quite funny that I have never been to St James' Park (except to a function room once), my own local stadium, but I have now been in the MCG twice in the last week! And will probably be going back again for my first AFL game next weekend. The tour was really cool actually, that place is ENORMOUS (well, it does fit 100,000!) and I managed to do the top tier vertigo free! Wahey.
All in all it's been a hellishly frustrating but good week. While house hunting is a massive pain, I'm still chilled and happy, and enjoying just being here. I've caught up with some old friends, and made some new ones, been to my first Aussie BBQ in the park and just generally discovered exactly why Jamie once described Melbourne as the most liveable city in the world. I've finally taken some photos too... if you're not on facebook, you can see them on my Flickr page, just follow the link on the right.
