trinityvixen | The past few days in a nutshell... (Reply)

Saturday: It seems that every trip to Melbourne must begin with a trip to the Queen Victoria Market, and my family's was no exception. Friday night, they got to Melbourne, we did dinner, they pooped out on me, and I went out with Alex from karate and met some of her non-karate friends and another girl from karate I hadn't met yet. Saturday, off to Queen Vic, where the girls went nuts wanting everything but finding next to nothing they actually wanted to buy, Dad wanted slippers he refused to go back for when time grew short, and Mom and Linda Miller walked around, bought around, and then we were off...

...to the Penguin Parade! Suffice to say, my family went the tourist route--bus tours--down to Phillip Island. We stopped at a farm to feed and pat some extremely lazy kangaroos, saw rather boring koalas at a conservation site, and then went to the Penguin Parade itself. For those of you not down with that lingo, the Penguin Parade is a nightly occurence whereby these tiny peguins, called Little Penguins, march up from the sea at night to their burrows on land. It's ADORABLE--they're tiny, 8-9 inches tall, they waddle like penguins and some of them had to run to catch up with the rest, and believe me when I say the only thing cuter than a penguin waddling along (with its wings thrown out to make it look totally ridiculous) is one run-waddling along. They come up in groups, 10-20 or so, spaced out at intervals, and they're just cute cute cute. On a side and more bizarre note, Mom bought a penguin stuffed animal and is planning to make it...clothes?

All and all, a great, cute, cuddly day, despite being more exhausting than any other I'd spent in Melbourne so far. I slept over on the couch in their hotel so I could be there for the next trip which left at the crack of butt in the morning.

Sunday: The Great Ocean Road tour was mucho fun despite being waaaaaay too early to start. The bus driver praised me for my footy love and gave Dad hell about 'gridiron' (=American Football) being less interesting and less challenging. It was good to have someone on my side! Also, the family got to try vegemite, and what was truly scary was Mom not thinking it was so bad. Weirdo.

The Great Ocean Road had lots of scenic vistas of the coast line, which is a sheer drop to the beach level. The water comes up and washes away the edge on these large islets that stick out into the ocean, and has slowly worn their attachment away from the shore. Some used to be attached to the coast line, but then they formed an arch, the arch collapsed, and then they're all on their own. The day started with a visit to a surf beach, which was interesting--doesn't matter what day of the year, people are stupid enough to go out in the coldest waters to surf. Then we saw the actual ocean! Melbourne's on a bay, so ocean is like yaaay! even if it is sandwiched between here and Tasmania still anyway.

I have to go back over the GOR with Carrie in a rent a car or something, because it's fun, beautiful, and then we could have more time to explore. Plus, aaaay, driving on the left side of the road and the right side of the car! Again, return was exhausting but made worse by possible the WORST MOVIE EVER, well, of recent memory anyway. It was about some girl shipwrecked and having to live in Australia (orphaned, naturally). She lives with her aunt and uncle, develops a crush on her cousin who sleeps with their tutor and then later, in a fit of drunken jealousy, tries to rape her. Woo. Oh, and she owns a paddleboat bought with money from her parents death, right before the banks close and she loses the rest, and then she marries the ship-guy who's skeevy. BORING. And gah, you couldn't escape it.

Okay, Monday and Tuesday were likewise good and interesting and deserving a postage, but I need to get to FAS and like my second real class (non-tute) for the week. Woo for slacking to spend time with the family.