This journal was written as a physical diary by me during my gap year. I am typing this up to share my gap year experience. At the beginning of travels I was 22. I travelled with a friend (Kieren) and anybody else involved will be introduced during the journal. For more details, check here.

To spend a year in Australia, we got working holiday visas. These allow up to 1 year of travel and work in Australia. Find more information here.

Check out the previous instalment here.

The Melbourne portion of the journal doesn’t always go day-by-day because I got a job to save up for future travels so I neglected the journal a bit. There will likely be less photos (sorry!).

10th November – 12th November 2017

I spent most of my time working at the restaurant. I wish I had a little more time off but at least it’s a nice place to work! The weather is getting nicer too – summer is coming! I did have a chance to sunbathe in Carlton Gardens, which was so nice.

Melbourne (and Australia) Fact File

  • The city has a free tram zone
  • Streets are incredibly long
  • Smaller streets that are perpendicular to these streets are often named after them
  • Drink sizes are strange (pot<schooner<pint)
  • Many Australians think I’m Irish
  • Target is cheap for clothes and shoes
  • Cheese and meat are v. expensive
  • Australian websites are not as well updated as English websites*
  • St Kilda is Australia’s best suburb for music
  • Australia has a hole in it’s ozone layer
  • Huntsman spiders are harmless
  • Possums are kind of creepy
  • Goon = cheap Australian wine product (not actual wine) in a box

(a) Melbourne ‘Fact File’ from the journal. (b) Tram stop at Elizabeth Street.

*I’m not too sure what I meant by this

13th November 2017

I had an amazing day off! It got up to 33 degrees today – v. warm! We got up early and headed to the zoo – it was so great! The tigers and the elephants were my faves! We spent the majority of the day there. We took a packed lunch and ate it overlooking the giraffes and zebras. Afterwards we went to St Kilda to watch the sunset from the beach and ate some cold pizza that I’d got from work yesterday.

(a) Lemur at Melbourne Zoo. (b) Drawing of a giraffe from the journal. (c) Melbourne Zoo information leaflet. (d) Melbourne Zoo map. (e) Tortoises at Melbourne Zoo. (f) Eating pizza on St Kilda Beach.

14th November 2017

We got the train to Brighton Beach, which is where the colourful ‘bathing boxes’ (beach huts) are. It was sooo hot today! We had fish and chips – shark, which was catch of the day, calamari and scallops (all grilled except the calamari). This was followed by ice cream – I got blood orange sorbet! We spent another couple of hours of the beach before heading back to the hostel. In the evening, we went to the cinema to see Murder on the Orient Express – great film!

(a) Brighton bathing boxes. (b) Blood orange sorbet in Brighton. (c) Ticket to Murder on the Orient Express.

15th November – 20th November 2017

I’ve been at work most of the time (40 hours in the past 5 days), but here’s some things on note that I did.

  • Went to Queen Victoria Gardens
  • Went to Australian Shrine of Remembrance (beautiful building and great museum)
  • Went to Arbory Bar overlooking the river with Emilia*
  • Went for drinks after work with everyone from work (Emilia, Romina, Michel, Gus, Ajay)
  • Moved into our new apartment!!!

(a) Kitchen of our apartment. (b) View of the Docklands from our balcony. (c) Balcony of the room. (d) Bedroom. (e) + (f) Australian Shrine of Remembrance.

*friend from work

21st November 2017

Shopping time to get supplies for our apartment! We had a great evening on the balcony of our apartment and finally tried goon! It’s so nice having our own balcony!

22nd November 2017

I got up early to go to the gym then had the best breakfast I’ve had in ages! Avocado on toast with poached eggs. I then went to St Kilda and spent a few hours on the beach. Came home and went in the jacuzzi for the first time – very exciting!

St Kilda.

Check out the next instalment here.