See Melbourne through Beth's eyes - first impressions of Australia

6 days ago I landed in the city of Melbourne. Having never been to Australia before I had no idea what to expect other than what people had told me. Here's my observations of what I've experienced so far.

Wildlife
I may be in a city, which isn't home to kangeroos, koalas and other things I may expect to find in other areas of Oz, but the one thing I did notice were the birds. Palm trees litter the city, and taking refuge in their heights are thousands of Lorikeets.

The friendly fellow pictured above was from West Midlands Safari Park, the ones below from Melbourne.

As well as these chirpy little creatures, I also spotted a pair of cockatoos nesting in a palm tree this morning. The first time I'd seen something like that in the wild. The marina is home to little penguins and huge water rats - and the crazy fisherman who feeds and talks to them. The crows here make a weird noise, like they're laughing at you, and the pigeons actually dig in the dirt with their beaks to find food. No free chips for them round here! As of yet I still haven't encountered any spiders. I'm starting to think everyone was lying to me about those.

Bohemian
Currently I'm staying in a hostel in a nice little area of Melbourne called St Kilda. It's just outside the city centre, and full of bars, restaurants and beaches. It's very bohemian and reminds me a lot of my home city of Brighton, for it's quirky shops and bars. Down the road from the hostel is a veg garden
which looks a bit like allotments, and has privately owned patches, with accessibility for the public to view. People showcase their weird and wonderful homemade garden sculptures and its a nice place for nature and art.

Hostel Life
This is my second experience of living in a hostel dorm room. My first being in Paris, where the only stranger in the room was a very happy Thai man from Newcastle, who didn't actually sleep in his bed but told us when he got back in the morning all about his exciting night - though he didn't remember too much of it. Hostel life isn't all that bad once you get used to it. If listening to some poor drunk swedish guy throw up all night is your thing, then perfect! But seriously, it has it's good and bad points - no privacy, sharing with strangers; but it's also a great place to make friends and get advice from people who have been to the places you're going! It's a lot cheaper than booking private rooms or hotels and is good for short term. If staying in an area for longer, it's best to get a flat, or a job with accommodation, or the choice we've made - buy a campervan!

Active people
Everyone in Australia loves to keep fit. This is awesome to see and makes me almost want to take up jogging. Everyone is always jogging along the beach, or cycling, or swimming. The other day there was a kids triathlon going on down the road, with thousands attending to take part and show support. It was awesome to see so many young athletes loving keeping fit. Other than not being fat, Aussies are generally friendly and helpful, and a little bit crazy at times but that's why we love them.

Transport
Maybe I won't appreciate this so much when I realise how much I'm being taxed while I'm here, but the transport in Melbourne is great. They have buses and trains, though most people seem to use the tram service as it seems pretty frequent and reliable. On first trying the tram I found it was a little confusing. You have to purchase a card, and top it up with credit in advance, then scan it on the device in the tram when you get in. No tickets, no time wasting.

Money
I was told that Australia had a higher cost of living than in the UK, which isn't great when coming with the money made on our UK wages. But actually, Australia isn't all that expensive. Petrol is about $1.13 and diesel $1.09, which is the equivalent of about 60p in Sterling - ridiculously cheap. Most other prices of things work out similar, though going out for a drink is usually where you'll break the bank. About £4.50 - £5 equivalent for a pint of beer, and more for cocktails and spirits.

Weather
Australia is hot. Currently it is autumn, and today is a pleasant 33 degrees. Over the next few weeks, the temperature in Melbourne will decrease as we come into winter, and I've been told it actually gets cold! Which means for us it's the perfect time to hop in the van and head north.

To sum it up, Australia is awesome - and to prove it to you, here's a video of a moonwalking seagull.