While Kylie has been up in Brisbane, sweltering in the heat and dodging thunderstorms, I have been relaxing in the perfect climate that is the Melbourne summer.

I’m staying with Phil, an old Kiwi friend from my days working at a summer camp in the States (12 years ago!). Phil works in the local Science Museum which I’ve taken advantage of, with free entry to the museum and planetarium as well as free IMAX cinema tickets 🙂 Well – it would be rude not to visit, eh?

Pretty much the first thing I did once I got here was buy a bicycle. The combination of a bike and the excellent train network here in Melbourne gives me so much freedom to independently (and cheaply!) get anywhere in the city or surrounding suburbs. And to be honest its been brilliant just to be riding again.

Melbourne has apparently been voted the ‘Worlds Most Liveable City‘. Personally I think the word ‘liveable’ is awful, but I can’t help but agree that Melbourne is a great place to live! Its easy to get around, there is an abundance of sports (more on that in a sec…), shopping (not that I’ve done any), beaches, parks, cafes & restaurants etc. etc. In fact, as a cyclist, the only complaints I have are a) the trams and the tram-tracks – both are lethal and b) the weird Australian thing of ‘wait in the left-hand lane to turn right’. Seriously – what is that all about?!

Anyway. What have I been doing? Well – not working! I’m too old for the Working Holiday Visa (aw shucks…) and quite frankly I’ve just been enjoying having time to do everything I want to do each day!

Each week I play Ultimate Frisbee with about 40-50 others on a Saturday morning, followed by a ritualistic Chicken Parma meal at a local pub. I’m also playing some summer hockey on a Wednesday night at Altona Hockey Club. And I’ve joined a gym that’s round the corner from my house. I’m probably the fittest I’ve been in years!

At home I’ve been keeping my eye in with the world of web/software development. Lots of work on the Cambridge South Hockey Club website as well as teaching myself a whole raft of new web development technologies. Hopefully this should serve me well when I look for a new job back in Cambridge.

On Sundays I head into town to a church called ‘City on a Hill’ that meets in a cinema in the city centre.  I even got involved in their Christmas Lunch event for homeless and disadvantaged folk here in Melbourne.

My social life is mainly driven by a fantastic meetup.com group called ‘Newbies in Melbourne’ that run several events each week. You basically just turn up to the ones you like. Its a bit like that first week at Uni where everyone is new and wants to make friends with everyone else. Last week I spent a gloriously sunny and warm Christmas Day afternoon on the beach with about 200 other ‘Newbies’ sharing in a mass picnic for all those of us with no families nearby to spend Christmas with. You can’t replace the family Christmas traditions – but it was a good consolation!

As I said – sport is huge here in Melbourne. Unfortunately I’ve missed the AFL season but I have still managed to get my fill of sport-watching:

• Cricket: One-day international (ODI) between Australia and South Africa at the MCG. It all came down to the last over!
• Cricket: The first day of the hugely popular Boxing Day test match between Australia and India at the MCG with an old friend, Nick.
• Football: Phil and I went to the A-League derby match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory. 1-0 victory to City with the goal coming in the last minute.
• Cricket: Phil and I are also going to the ‘Big Bash’ derby between Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegrades at the Etihad statium on Jan 3rd.
• Tennis: The Australian Open starts on Jan 19th. Definitely getting in on some of that action!

So there’s been lots of positive aspects to life here in Melbourne. But it is a different life. And different can be hard. I have missed family and friends from home more over this holiday season. I’ve regularly had to conquer my introvert nature and step outside my comfort zone to meet people and get involved in things here. And I’ve had to ramp up my self-discipline to make the most of every day when there’s nothing I need to be doing!  But so far I’m happy with how I’ve adapted and I’m grateful for this respite period 🙂