Pack your bags - you're off to Dandenong

Before we get down to business, I need to poke you in the direction of Dirt River Radio - the keyboard player is my (sort of) cousin's mate. I have listended to and bought a Dirt River Radio CD - the full one coming out around July/August 2009.


Now, I had been working around 10 minutes from (where I have been) calling home but all that changed recently.


Do not get me wrong, the thrill of working at a paper for more than one day a week is awesome - my portfolio is expanding, I am meeting new people and having so many different day to day experiences it really is becoming my dream trip. Three days one week, two the next, then four is greatly expanding my budget.


However, this Dandenong is out of my comfort zone at the moment being a bit far away and all and having to get driven and picked up all the time I feel like a bit of a tool. Not that I am complaining, the main editor is based here - a fellow Pom (there seems to be an awful lot of non-australian's in australia!) so suck it up and impress you trainee foreigner?!



Outside of work, I have sent some papers and a 2009 Melbourne calendar back home to show off to Mum and Dad, my Albert Park stint has finished but I have seen Burnley (Melbourne) - funny how England and Aussie places have some of the same names...not that we invaded them or anything.



This Saturday is Anzac Day, an Australian memorial day, I will post about that any other things later - decision time is approaching on whether or not I spend my 22nd Birthday here.

V FESTIVAL

I put the title in caps because this is my first ever festival. Thanks to my (sort of) cousin I have seen some brilliant music here in Melbourne.

However, V Festival had love , awesome live music and more great bands/artists than you would care to poke a stick at.

I even got a T-shirt.

Personally, my day consisted of (in no order at all) The Killers, Snow Patrol, Kaiser Chiefs, Duffy, Madness, Elbow, Razorlight and a little bit of Tame Impala.

wow.

I took so many pictures I'm surprised my memory card isn't full, drank so much beer that I'm surprised I didn't pass out and got a pleasan't surprise about 2am in the morning while searching for money for that takeaway - someone else's keys?! Still unsure what exactly happened there.

Deffo go again but I am not great with chlostophobic spaces and at times did feel a little bit, well, squished but the music (and beer) took my mind off that enough to have one of the best days of my life.

I just wish I had my camera lead to show you some pics and vids. Hopefully that won't be the only musical experience I have while I am here but I can see why some people are festival-heads.

It's early April

Grouse, Fair Dinkum, Mate and No Worries but no Foster's beer apparently.


I have decided to do a monthly thing at the moment.


Australia is quite nice, the weather, the sights and staying with my relatives is awesome.


I have seen a Melbourne Victory Game, the MCG and AFL football, although the team I have to support, due to my Cousin, (Richmond Tigers) are not doing that well but the relatives I am staying with go for Essendon Bombers, who are doing a bit better.


The sights are quite spectacular - I wish I had brought my camera lead to share some of the pics - Melbourne is a very nice city compared to what I am used to ;) However, my first set of 150 pictures were deleted and despite recovery attempts only some have been retrieved :(


As I said before I am employed as a casual journalist and after a lot of e-mails and phone calls I have secured a one day a week role at The Journal newspaper, owned by Fairfax papers in regional Victoria.


Trips to local radio stations, including PBS and Triple R, proved unsuccessful but a meeting on Feb 17 gave me a starting date of Feb 25.


I have been there a month now, patrolling the Maroondah, Yarra Ranges, Monash and Knox regions like Jon Snow on Channel 4 but only on Wednesday's! But many articles have already been added to the porfolio and the trip has been extended to early May.


I have been to Preston (in Melbourne), Lorne to see the 12 Apostles and Great Ocean Road, the Moomba festival, helped my (sort of) cousin house-sit in Albert Park - seeing the F1 Practice and seeing the band Dirt River Radio live while mixing with a dog, three cats, 4 birds and plenty of fish in a quite little suburb I now call home for the next however long.