Helllooooo Australia!

I've barely begun and I already have so much to share..I'm not sure how I will be able to write about it all!  What a whirlwind of a week this has been!  It took longer than expected but I touched down in the land of Oz finally on the 11th after my original flight in LA was cancelled due to the plane having a "small fuel leak." I really don't find the word "small" all that comforting when you're talking about a flight to Australia.  Anyways, after a long, uncomfortable night in the LA airport, a small argument with the check in lady about re-checking my bags, and a day of occupying myself as best I could within the airport, I was on my rescheduled flight and FINALLY on my way down under! The flight, thanks to my having no sleep the previous night, actually went by incredibly fast.  I woke up as they announced our descent into Fiji to re-fuel and then we were on to Sydney and lastly, Melbourne!  Once I landed things went smoothly enough, all my luggage made it and the shuttle from the airport to my hostel was a breeze so I was a happy traveler.

My first few days the weather was rainy but luckily not as cold as I had mentally prepared myself for!  I got to catch up with my old friend and roomie from my time studying in Buenos Aires (she is here on an internship) over dinner the first two nights and I explored the city the first couple of days.  I found Melbourne to be a very diverse city architecture wise, there is a lot of old mixed in with new and it's actually pretty compact, the downtown area is not very big at all and it is easy to get around by walking.  Also, just a little tidbit of information I picked up on my tour:  Melbourne has the largest tram (trolley car if you prefer) network in the world!  Here are some photos from my time in the city!

My first view of Melbourne from the St. Kilda pier on my first night in Australia

St. Paul's Cathedral

Flinders Street Station

 

The fountain and the Royal Exhibition Center in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne

Carlton Gardens

The Eureka Tower.  If I heard correctly on my tour, it is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.  It is also has a bit of a history lesson behind it - it is named after the Eureka Stockade, an uprising that occurred during Victoria's gold rush in the 1800s.  The gold at the top of the building really is 24 karat gold and the red streak symbolizes the blood that was shed during the uprising.

 

The Shrine of Remembrance - a memorial for the men and women in Victoria that served and died during the Great War of 1914-1918.

Hosier Lane Graffiti

I took a stroll through Chinatown on my walk through the city center.

Hungry Jacks...otherwise known as Burger King

The Yarra River that runs through Melbourne (it wasn't the city's most photogenic day given the weather...)

And that's not even the first week!  I also went to Phillip Island to the "World Famous Penguin Parade" and I am now currently writing to you at my new home in Torquay, where I will be helping with the bed and breakfast and working as an au pair for the next 6 months.  My new family in my home away from home has been very welcoming and while I would love to share more, I am about to fall asleep on my computer! So I will get back to uploading my most recent pictures and telling about the Penguin Parade hopefully tomorrow so long as this new au pair is allowed a break from her au pair lessons!