Victoria for the win!

Banksie's ranch on the Peninsula, a photo by Gypsy Saskia on Flickr.

A quick lazy post before I go to New Zealand tomorrow. Victoria has been good to me! I stayed with friends in Carlton North and West Melbourne, made a trip to the Yarra Valley with Em and spent two wonderful days on my mate's ranch in the Mornington Peninsula. I've been to heaps of wineries and drank some great coffees! Boxing Day test was fun, even more so when we won. And I bought two pairs of shoes today (oops...).

Can't upload pics directly from my iPad but there are a few more on Flickr.

Melbourne!!

In about 48 hours I should touch down in Melbs. Fingers crossed I won't have a 60 hour delay like last time. I cannot wait to catch up with my dear friends, spend Christmas in my mate's pub, spend a few days in the G and drink loads of fantastic coffee. Oh, and sun. Sun is good. Woohoo!

Brighton Beach

Colours
Originally uploaded by Gypsy Saskia

Jetlags suck but on the upside: thanks to the jetlag I was out and about at 7.30am this morning. Off to Brighton Beach, to see the cute beach huts. Not surprisingly, I had the beach to myself bar a few locals walking their dogs.

After Brighton, I managed to fit in South Yarra and Prahrad, the botanical gardens, little Vietnam (yummmm pho) and the city. I am now properly sunburnt and my feet properly hurt.

On the way to little Vietnam, an old dude by a tram stop looked at me and said 'You're sunburnt, you're a pom?'. When I told him I was Dutch, the first association was not drugs, cheese or tulips, but airplane bombers for a change. He made up for calling me a pom, by calling me a 'youngy' later. and for telling me the cricket score.

Melbourne!!!!!

Bloody hell what a journey. A broken plane engine meant my Wednesday noon flight was delayed til Friday midnight. So rather than arriving in Oz on crimbo eve, I arrived this morning. Having missed the first day of the boxing day test at the G. In good old Emily style, she was still intoxiacted from last night's party and had to ask a friend to drive her to the airport to pick me up. On the upside, I managed to catch up with my bro who was in the Dam for a few days as well as with friends from NY who were in town.

But all's well that ends well. I am sitting on the couch in Carlton North, along with Em and her flatmate, each with our laptop on our laps, watching the cricket on a ridiculously big television. Just went out for brunch and hell it is good to drink a fantastic latte in the sun.

Oh, and Em's mum got me a christmas present, how sweet is that?! Three bodybutters that I am sure I will need after days in the sun. Life is good. Sas is happy!