The week in Victoria was a lot of fun and a welcome break from the norm. Tuesday was mostly spent wandering around Melbourne checking out a few tourist spots and sampling some of the restaurants. A tour of the MCG was also part of the day. I'm not really one for cricket, but I did at least appreciate it as a unique super-structure.

Melbourne is a fascinating city, one of age and classical architecture. Brisbane doesn't have that same feeling and I can see why people speak so fondly of Melbourne's suburban living. Everything seems to be telling a story. Melbourne's central business district seems like a multidimensional painting of tall and contrasting buildings, parks with cathedral-like tree arrangements and high sketchy canopies, suspended and subterranean railway systems with interconnecting bridges, tunnels and stations, streets in a neat grid cris-crossed by shuffling trams; lined by decaying stone, laced with fallen leaves. I snapped a lot of photos.

Wednesday was another day of city exploration and later travelling south to see someone I've known online for a long time but never had the opportunity to meet in real life. Long before I knew him online I was using software that he plays a major role in the production, development and community of: POV-Ray. It's funny how paths cross. That was a lot of fun and I only wish I'd had more time to stay and chat, because we both could have talked for days! Alas it was back to the road and this time right around Port Phillip Bay to Phillip Island, heading through St Kilda to eat and see a hand-full of attractions (obligatory pics of the Luna Park face). We reached Phillip Island at dusk and just in time to witness the Penguin Parade, which was well worth the travel time and distance. The roads in Victoria are really good in comparison to Queensland and the distances seem shorter. Perhaps that's just because it's new landscape to me. Then all the way back to Melbourne again and more food sampling!

Thursday was an early start (after a strange night - explosions in courtyard backing on to Matt and Katie's, followed by fire trucks and police arriving - I'm still at a loss as to how they were able to fit a fire truck through that maze of cramped alleys and corners) and another long trip, this time heading north and inland to Mt Beauty and Falls Creek via a myriad of towns such as Wangaratta, Myrtleford and Bright. The region between Mt Buffalo and Mt Hotham was ablaze in blends of tan, gold, red, brown and yellow trees. Bright in particular was... well, bright. The road from Bright to Mt Beauty was an elevating and twisty road which was to set the scene for driving to Falls Creek. An overnight stay with our friends Tony and Fiona in the motel which they've recently taken ownership of in Mt Beauty and the next day we awoke to snow - the first time in four years that it's snowed in Mt Beauty. So up the mountain via another winding and snow-laden road to Falls Creek where mother nature really turned it on. That day was probably the most memorable for me... a huge amount of fun and a chance to try snowboarding! While the conditions weren't perfect (-2 with high winds, very poor visibility and wet), everything was blanketed in thick fresh snow (which is, after all, what matters)! The snowboarding was great and with the help of a lovely instructor, Elisa, I picked up the techniques quickly; before long I was having a blast, and not too many falls! My chin was thoroughly iced numb, but that's a small price to pay :) Now, I just want to go back.

On Saturday afternoon Melbourne was the destination and again it was time for a little exploration. We managed to see a few more interesting sights (like the infamous Bathing Boxes) before making our way back to meet Matt and Katie, who were returning from their holiday in Queensland. On Sunday they took us out to one of their favourite cafés and for a look around before we left for the airport and ultimately, Brisbane. Two hours, Brisbane, dinner, then home to the bay.

Last week was then spent recovering! For the second time this year I caught the flu and I've been coughing non-stop for more than one should ever be forced to endure. It's finally beginning to subside, though, which means I can finally attain a state of sleep.

Whew! I'm back in Melbourne today after arriving yesterday and heading off to Anglesea through Geelong and Torquay last night. The landing was a little turbulent but the flight was enjoyable overall; the weather on arrival was typical Melbourne: rainy, windy and freezing. Our car was upgraded free to a Pajero because someone crashed the car we were supposed to get the day before we arrived.

Today was spent driving along the Great Ocean Road from Anglesea through to Terang via Lorne, Apollo Bay and Port Campbell, then back through Camperdown, Colac and Winchelsea. The landscape and vistas were spectacular, with the Great Ocean Road like something out of a car commercial (you know, the ones where the car is cruising along the snaking mountain-side road). The weather emphasised the harshness of the cliffs with gale-force winds and heavy rain at about 5 degrees.

Due to the cold (and condensation caused by the rapid changes in temperature), pouring rain and buffeting and cutting icy winds, taking photos was a challenging adventure. My camera has never been put through such a punishing experience and I don't think I've ever felt so cold. By the end of the day I'm sure everyone had come to the conclusion that I must be insane, as it's not rational to be out in such weather conditions taking photos. It was a huge amount of fun though, and I wasn't the only one doing it! The Twelve Apostles were an amazing sight, as were the Arch, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge (which gets its name from an incident where half of it collapsed, leaving two tourists stranded on the other side - I'll remember it for the bullet-like horizontal rain). In a weird show of chance and coincidence, the guy I sat next to on the plane and who I'd been talking to about the Great Ocean Road, ran into me on the "great pillar" lookout at the Twelve Apostles!

Now I'm taking a few minutes to flick through some of the photos before heading to bed. Tomorrow promises to be another busy day!

Well here I am halfway through flight DJ314 heading to Melbourne, running a little late due to headwinds. Takeoff was a cool experience; the power of these things is quite impressive - pure, smooth and instant acceleration with a steep ascent into thin air. A minute later and everything is in miniature, like looking down on an infinitely detailed model. Another minute and the Brisbane River resembles its map counterpart, finally allowing its true structure to be seen, with the buildings becoming like blades of grass on the edge of a small winding stream.

Last night was Matt and Katie's engagement party, which was held in the Valley at the RG. Very enjoyable and friendly, and good to see them again after what seems like such a long time. We'll be using their place while in Melbourne as a base while they're holidaying in Queensland.

But for now it's back to playing Jawbreaker ;)

The last week has been busy but fun as well. A lot of time recently has been spent on the kiteboard designs and testing the printing process. The initial test produced pretty good results, considering the plastic that was used was the older plastic which is incorrect for the new process. The new plastic will be coming from overseas at some point, which is when the serious work will begin. It keeps being suggested to me that I should take up kiteboarding as a hobby, so I suppose that will happen eventually (when the weather and water are warmer!). It'd be a shame to be producing designs for boards that only other people get to enjoy, though I know I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing other people using them too.

Although designing for kite/snow/etc boards was something that had always appealed to me, I never imagined that I'd get the chance to do it. It's opened up an entirely new perspective on things outside work as well.

Yesterday was long. A very early start and a lot of driving. My car had been recalled because of a problem that could potentially cause what was described as "a loss of braking performance", so it had to be taken into a dealer for them to change some little thing. The day wasn't a complete waste of time, though I was glad to be back home at the end of it. My body clock was rewound slightly, which will be useful in the week ahead.

Nearly everything is organised now for the trip to Victoria. I booked all of the flights and vehicle hire and we leave this weekend, returning at the end of next weekend. There's been some powder at Falls Creek, but most of it has been melted in the last few days by above 0 temps and rain. The snow season starts this weekend and a cold front/low will be moving through, which will hopefully provide enough for some fun when we get there (which will be later in the week). Matt and Katie's engagement party is on the night before we leave, which should make things interesting! ;)

Sarah (who's just had her wisdom teeth out) and Kieran (who hasn't) dropped by earlier tonight. It's good to see familiar faces again as the frequency with which I see old friends is decreasing of late - some more than others, some without regret and some without a say in the matter. I now understand how it hurts when your friends change, but change is the essence of life.