Ok. I’m going to say it. I know it’s not a popular opinion but…
…Melbourne is unbeliveably dull. There, I said it. It’s out there over the internet. I’ll say it again. Melbourne. is. boring.
This does not bode well for the next 6 months, I mean, if all of Oz is like this, it’s going to be a long 6 months.
As far as the city goes, it’s just like home. The weather is terrible, raining alot. ‘But it will get really hot soon,’ people keep telling me. Great, so I have to endure the cold in my shorts and Tee-shirt ‘cos if I buy anything warm it’ll only be wearable for 3 weeks. The mix of people, in terms of ethnicity, is remarkably reminiscent of London. So much so that, unsurprisingly, I constantly feel non-plussed by the place.
Australia is much more difficult to travel around than even the most remote part of S.E. Asia for one significant reason -$$$. To move around you have to get money, this requires a job which in turn means that you have to spend at least a fortnight in any one place. At least. My current job is approximately 3 weeks long (it’s labouring,) and Lauren’s goes on indefinately. So we’re stuck in the dull, dull, dull city until at least Christmas because we’ve had to buy our N.Y.E. flights to Brisbane this early becuase they were going up at a whopping $40 a day. To demonstrate how boring this place is, in Asia I was averaging 150 pictures a week. This is my second week now and my camera is still collecting dust at the bottom of my bag. Still, I can always go shopping, or go to a trendy bar or do all the other million things that can be done in London, opps, meant Melbourne.
Sorry about the long rant, but I feel somewhat cheated by everyone who has ever tried to convince me of this city’s greatness.
We have our appartment now. It’s nice. I’m working Mon-Fri 7:30am till 4 and Lauren is doing shift work in this clothes shop that she loves. I’m just counting down the days ’till we move on. Shame really.
Tags: Australia, Travel
mikeloken
Came across your blog on the bootsnall blog page. Can’t help it, I have to defend my home town. The problem is not with the town, it’s you. (In the nicest possible way). I know because I felt the same way about Vancouver. When you’re no longer travelling, but bogged down in finding somewhere to live, work etc, cities seem too similar to home to be exotic, but just different enough to be really irritating. You’ve shifted out of the tourist/traveller mindset. You haven’t even taken your camera out of your bag despite the fact that Cup Day would have guaranteed you some brilliant pictures. Hang in there, It will get better.
Good points, well made. They do ring true. Unfortunately though, (or possibly luckily!) this has affirmed my suspicions that my time in Oz may be better spent in the countryside rather than in cities. Now, just to convince my girlfriend the same thing…
Thanks for your response. Sorry I was so hard on your hometown, I’m sure I’ll love it by the end of 2 months.