First steps

Been in Oz now for a week and think I have walked further than I've ever walked in my life. And that's just been around Melbourne.

Have hooked up with the family who are either religious or fitness fanatics or miles away so have yet to find a reliable drinking partner beside myself. Still, that's never stopped me before. Cheers.

Had dinner with Daniel's church community last night in his place of work. What a crowd! There was even a little African child there on his own. And they took turns singing. I shouldn't take the mickey as they were really nice and the pasta was a winner, but feck me. Had to go to the dodgiest pub in the world for a pint afterwards - and it was dodgy. There was a bookies in it with all these auld lads smoking like feck - what a relief that was.

I'm actually looking forward to starting working as I've been all over the city and done enough tourist type activities to last a lifetime. Was up the Rialto Tower yesterday. Also saw pictures in an exhibition called the Earth from Above. Some of the pictures were in the Sunday Times years ago when I lived in Belfast.

Next week is Melbourne Cup week and the Aussies have a public holiday on Tuesday for the big race, which is like the Grand National back home. Dan lives about 5 minutes walk from the course so we reckon we might head down there and try it on. All the blokes get suited up and the birds go mental for hats. Wait till they hear my dulcet tones in my minging Converse trainers. Oh yes.

Just the start of what I hope will be a readable document of what I do in this massive country over the next year.