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Melbourne

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vanessa_hocken

couple
1st visit

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trip-journal-location
Queens

Day 1 Itinerary

Places visited: JFK Terminal 8

JFK Terminal 8
JFK Terminal 8
JFK Terminal 8
JFK Terminal 8
JFK Terminal 8

JFK Terminal 8

*Sunshine Beers*

We have made it to that most magical of moments: Sunshine beers at the airport. The wonderful thing about sunshine beers, is that you are in such a good mood, it doesn’t really matter how poor the choice of brews is at the bar. Sure, I’ll have a Blue Moon, even! (But thank God they actually had a Brooklyn Lager).

So we’re sitting pretty at JFK, on the way to Down Under. But things weren’t always so rosy. Oh no, not at all. I offer the following exhibits:

Exhibit 1

The Lyft driver (whom I had booked the previous day), showed up in a Chevy Suburban (a fucking h u g e car in case you didn’t know) and kind of stopped before he got to our driveway. Hmm. I brought out the luggage and waved to him. He wouldn’t come down. So I trotted up to the entrance and began to smile as I approached, all charm. The driver, who looked like an angry bulldog, was having none of it.

"You think you going to JFK with all that luggage? If I show up in a normal car, where it gonna go?"

"Well, the car we ordered is for four people, and there are two of us. We have two suitcases that would fit in the …"

"No, you should have ordered an XL!" He cut me off. "You are not going to JFK like this!" Sort of like the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.

He looked at me as though he’d just seen me punch an old lady in the face.

"OK, I’ll do whatever, I just need to go to the airport."

"Not with me you’re not!" And with that, he drove off down the street.

Did you know I have some Romany Gypsy blood? I immediately applied a simple curse in his general direction. He will for sure already have suffered not one but two flat tyres by the time you read this.

Anyway, we managed to convince another Lyft driver to pick us up, and he was very nice.

Exhibit 2

We’re trundling along nicely down the I78, when Vanessa turns to me, ashen faced.

"Oh God!" She says.

"What, What?!"

"I think our flight is going to Sydney!"

(We are going to Melbourne!)

"What?!" I am basically speechless.

After the longest thirty seconds ever, she figured out that the PLANE we are taking to LA is going ON to Sydney. While we will change flights and go to Melbourne. Hopefully. Early days still and all that…

Exhibit 3

We rock up to the check-in counter. The Quantas lady asks for our passports. Vanessa hands them over and we stand there, waiting for the next instruction. Instead of an instruction, there comes a question:

"Do you have any other passports?"

"Er, yes...why"

"These passports don’t have a visa to go to Australia…"

WE NEED A VISA TO GO TO AUSTRALIA?!?!?!!

To cut a long story short, this turned out not to be one of those "spend all day at the Australian consulate" visas. In fact, it was just a sly money-grab of $50 per person, then we were on our way. But for a few seconds we thought it was curtains! (Well, with my UK passport, I thought I might be ok...but Vanessa? Game over, surely?! Turns out neither were any bloody use)

As we walked toward security, I said to Vanessa, "Well, now that the Australians have robbed us of $100, there’s no money for Sunshine beers. We’ll just have to sit at the gate and read a book."

She gave me a look. It’s funny how she always gets her way.

Day 2 Itinerary

Places visited:

Flying... amazing view 🤣🤣🤣
Flying... amazing view 🤣🤣🤣
Flying... amazing view 🤣🤣🤣
Flying... amazing view 🤣🤣🤣
Flying... amazing view 🤣🤣🤣

Flying... amazing view 🤣🤣🤣

02/29? Where have you gone?

Missed a day in our lives 😳

Day 3 Itinerary

Places visited: Bay Trail

Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail
Bay Trail

Bay Trail

Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie
Baby Charlie

Baby Charlie

Meeting my nephew Charlie 😍😍

trip-journal-location
Brighton, Brunswick

Day 4 Itinerary

Places visited: White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton - Melbourne School of Classical Dance

White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton
White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton
White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton
White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton
White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton
White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton
White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton

White Rabbit Restaurant Brighton

Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance
Melbourne School of Classical Dance

Melbourne School of Classical Dance

trip-journal-location
Melbourne, Sandringham

Day 5 Itinerary

Places visited: Flinders Street - Flinders Court Street Art - Sandringham Yacht Club - Ponyfish Island

Flinders Street

Flinders Street

Flinders Court Street Art
Flinders Court Street Art
Flinders Court Street Art
Flinders Court Street Art
Flinders Court Street Art
Flinders Court Street Art
Flinders Court Street Art

Flinders Court Street Art

Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club
Sandringham Yacht Club

Sandringham Yacht Club

Lunch time

Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island
Ponyfish Island

Ponyfish Island

A bar on the bridge

Day 6 Itinerary

Places visited: Queen Victoria Market

Off to get a new chair
Off to get a new chair
Off to get a new chair
Off to get a new chair
Off to get a new chair

Off to get a new chair

Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market
Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market

trip-journal-location
Victoria, Altona North, Campbell, Lorne, Peterborough

Day 7 Itinerary

Places visited: The Great Ocean Road Tours - London Bridge - Loch Ard Gorge - Craypot bistro - 12 Apostles - Great Otway National Park - Lorne - MoVida

The Great Ocean Road Tours

The Great Ocean Road Tours

Early morning

London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge

London Bridge

Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge
Loch Ard Gorge

Loch Ard Gorge

Craypot bistro
Craypot bistro
Craypot bistro
Craypot bistro
Craypot bistro

Craypot bistro

12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles
12 Apostles

12 Apostles

Great Otway National Park
Great Otway National Park
Great Otway National Park
Great Otway National Park
Great Otway National Park

Great Otway National Park

Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne
Lorne

Lorne

MoVida
MoVida
MoVida
MoVida
MoVida

MoVida

trip-journal-location
Botanic Ridge, Red Hill

Day 8 Itinerary

Places visited: Foxeys Hangout - Settlers Run Golf Course - Bang Bang RC

Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout
Foxeys Hangout

Foxeys Hangout

Settlers Run Golf Course
Settlers Run Golf Course
Settlers Run Golf Course
Settlers Run Golf Course
Settlers Run Golf Course

Settlers Run Golf Course

Bang Bang RC
Bang Bang RC
Bang Bang RC
Bang Bang RC
Bang Bang RC

Bang Bang RC

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