Common People

My Virgin Blue flight left the Western Australian Tarmac at around Midnight Sunday (Monday morning) and touched down 3 hours later in Melbourne at about 6am. From a 33 degree day in Perth, it was now 18 degrees. I was unimpressed. I got off my tram ride at Beacon Cove, Port Melbourne where Mark was to meet me and show me back to his place where I'd be spending my stay in Melbourne. The sky's opened and chucked it down with rain. I was even more unimpressed. Though after 3 hours sleep it was midday, and the sun was shining, a bit.

The two of us ventured into the Melbourne City Centre and I gained some orientation of the main sites. With the Commonwealth games opening ceremony a few days later, there was a strong festival atmosphere brewing. Flea met up with us, and I got to sample some pretty legendary Gelates.

The void between arrival and the Games opening ceremony was filled with some site seeing, mainly on a trip to Phillip Island, South East of Melbourne. The Island is home to the Australian MotoGP which ran a few weeks previous to my arrival, and for it's penguin phenomenon. The waddly ones flock on to the shores each day at late evening. However, we wanted to be back in time for the Games opening ceremony.

Into Federation Square, the place was rammed with other travellers and of course Australians wanting to be part of the buzz; watching the opening ceremony on the big screens. The teams marched out, the queen said her bit, and the place went nuts with fireworks and much cheering and jubilation. We could see all of the cities sky-scrapers which were a central part of the display.

As the thousands filtered the streets back to the train station, we carried on the part for a while on the Yarra Rivers South-bank.

Day 1 of the games, I started out by borrowing Marks bike to go check out the Triathlon training and some coastline beyond. In the evening it was time to go check out some of the Commonwealth games first hand. I'd gotten tickets for the first night of Rugby 7's where England would play Sri Lanka (and beat them heavily) and then Australia. This match was what everyone had come to see and the Telstra Dome went crazy when the old enemies ran out on to the field. The Australians went one try in the lead, and eventually after half time, England drew level. Our boys then got a second and the Aussies had to chase the game for the final minute or two. They got there try, but with the final kick of the match to even things off, they missed their conversion and the White & Red army made themselves known... 14-12, the final score.