Cheating bloody Ities...

After watching the Croatian game in Federation Square with around 20,000 other people I really had a good feeling about advancing another stage. The atmosphere was amazing and yet again we dserved to win and were victims of some dodgy refereeing... and then last night... I can't believe it, with 5 second remaining the overacting football shysters managed to get a penalty to sneak into the Quarters... there were a few tears in the pub last night and any Italians around soon made themselves scarce at the end of the game. It also looks like England are going ot sneak into the Semi's without even playing a decent game as they'll be up against a severely depleted Portugal team next Saturday.

Anyway, enough football bitterness... roll on the Ashes! Actually on the issue of the Ashes I haven't managed to get hold of any tickets. Despite being a member of the 'Australian Cricket Family' which supposedly gives me priority I wasn't able to get through by phone or on the internet as the network was constantly rammed. Looks like I'll have to wait until Cricket becomes a bit less popular again in a few years time!

Worked another Neighbours night last night and met Toady, Ned and Stef and was also treated to Dr Carl's and his band the Waiting Room playing afterwards... uh, they were crap to be honest. I have a day off today for the first time in a week but as I only got in from work at 7:30am this morning, have spent most of it in bed, and am then I'm back in work at 6am tomorrow to get rid of all the kegs at the pub, it hasn't really felt like it.

Not much else to report really. I have a couple of days off Thursday, Friday so we're planning on hitting the Crown Casino on Thurday night (apparently the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere) not to gamble but just to wrok our way around the 17 bars they have on site... should be interesting!

As they say, sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes he eats you.

Neighbours

Just a quick update that I know will interest all you people back home. I am working at a pub called the Elephant and Wheelbarrow in St Kilda which also happens to be the venue for 'Neighbours' night on a Monday. As some of you may know this entails several of the cast members coming and mingling with the paying public for a few hours. Last Monday I had the pleasure of working behind the bar while the night unfolded and met Boyd, Max and Ginnel. It was surreal to say the least, a bunch of British and Irish girls slugging back several hundred bottles of white wine, singing the Neighbours theme tune repeatedly and screaming madly as a couple of minor soap Celebrities wandered around the pub posing for photgraphs. Max actually stayed for most of the night and got hammered slugging back Tequila slammers at the bar before staggering off swearing to himself - brilliant.

I'm working it again next Monday so I'll keep you updated.

Take 'er easy

This is the hostel footy team getting in a bit of pre-match practice. We played in a mini-world cup and after a few dodgy decisions (isn't there always) lost on goal difference. You'll notice I refused to wear the the team 'Liverpool' strip but luckily had my Wales top with me!

Melbourne

...Worlds most livable City?

I can understand why it won this title a few years ago as the place is great. I'v been living here for about 2 weeks now and still keep discovering something new and interesting each day as I wander around differentparts of the City. I'm currently stying in a backapckers in South Melbourne called 'Bev and Mick's' which is a little hostel/bar full of friendly people (and more importantly reasonably cheap beer!) and is just across the road from South Melbourne Markets which is great.

I have a job at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow in St Kilda and am working the next three days inculding Monday which is Neighbours night. For those of you who are unitiated this is where several of the stars of the show turn uip and mingle with the general public for a price... should be interesting if nothing else! Apparently the guy who plays Toadie was banned from coming for a while after being caught 'inflagrante delicto' with several patrons in the toilets, lets hope I don't get sued for libel after writing this!

Anyway, not much else of importance to report, just plodding along enjoying life as it comes.

Take 'er easy.

I was just wandering along in the middle of Melbourne when I saw a sign saying 'Welsh Church'. Intrigued I went in the direction indicated and found a.... um.... Welsh Church - brilliant!

On the way down...

Me scared...? Never!

Coogee Bay by night

Sunset up on the point at Coogee

..on the road again....

Just a quick update.

I made it to Sydney and have been staying in Coogee for the last week. I'm staying a thirty second walk from the beach and more importantly a twenty second walk from the nearest bottleshop and pub. It's nice to be back on the coast and smell the sea air again and the scenery is fantastic.

Having said that I leave for Melbourne tomorrow morning. Basically work has been quite hard to come by in Sydney and it is far from being my favourite City. It's just a little too big for a simple country boy like me! I pretty much have a job lined up ready in Melbourne working in a bar during the World Cup with the only down side being that it is even colder down in Melbourne than it is up in Sydney. I know it sounds like I'm just moaning for no reason but trust me, while it may have been 7 oC last night it felt as cold as any below freezing mid-winters day in Wales as it lashed with rain for twenty four hours.

Anyway, the exciting news for today is that after getting up at 5:40 am this morning to catch a bus out to a little airstrip in the middle of nowhere I went up in a plane to 14,000ft and then jumped out of it! I can't even begin to describe the sheer exhilaration of voluntarily throwing yourself out of a plane at that height and then hanging in the air with seemingly the whole world spread out before you. I will posting up some pictures soon of my face rippling in the wind as I plummit towards the ground at 120km plus. If you ever get a chance I can't recommend it high enough, it is the ultimate thrill ride!

That'll do for now, I'll post up some pictures soon and will write another update once I've settled in my new City/State... I should be in this one for at least a month... but then you never know!

Take 'er easy,