Melbourne!

It's sunny, warm, and bustling here in Melbourne City, Victoria, Australia!  Melbourne's population is nearly as big as New Zealand's, so it's nice to be in a city that can compare a bit to NYC.

Rony, my big sister, picked us up from the airport and took us to her mom, Susie's where we're staying until we're sorted with jobs and a room.  We arrived to home-made pasta bolognaise, salad, and red wine, not to mention the most comfortable double bed ever (or maybe it just feels that way after camping for 10 days)!

Day 1 in Melbourne, we walked a LOT.  We took the tram to the city center and explored the main streets, the little laneways (tiny off-shoots from main roads), ate sushi at a place where the dishes are served on a conveyor belt (plates are priced based on the color of the edge!), bought running shoes to get our butts back in cardio shape, and took in the sites.  It's a beautiful city where fashion is a priority, you can eat any type of cuisine you desire, and university students run rampant!  Feeling the miles in our legs, we took the tram back "home," and then popped out again to buy some flowers for our host and explore the local area a bit.  When we got back home, Susie had picked up an organic rotisserie chicken, so we made a salad and had a healthy meal.

Day 2: We kicked off our day with a run in the nearby parkway followed by an ab workout.  Woohoo!  Afterwards, we had a nice long breakfast with Susie while working on our resumes for jobs.  Around noon, we headed to Victoria Market, which is the most amazing market you've ever seen!  In an old market building, you have a range of fish shops, butchers, cheese shops, produce, and everything you could possibly want!  We walked around while Susie did some shopping, and then Nolan and I snuck back in to get a Borek, a piping hot, long bread roll filled with spinach and cheese and spicy lamb for Nolan, all for $2.50!  Shortly after, we picked up a sushi hand roll each, also for $2.50.  After the food prices in NZ, it's refreshing to have cheap, international food again and sushi EVERYWHERE!  Full and happy, we walked to Federation Square, where the information center is, and picked up some maps.  Afterwards we headed to the National Gallery to view an eclectic collection of Australian art...for FREE!  Yay!

We've spent the rest of the day back at home searching for jobs and apartments.  We've just had a Campari spritzer with Susie and are reading our books/writing blogs in the garden out back before going to meet Rony for dinner on Brunswick St, a cool uni street full of cafes and restaurants.

More soon!