I can’t quite believe that the Madventure part of my trip is over.
From my monthly updates you know what I’ve been up to but I thought I would give you some stats and stuff.
We were away for 183 days visiting 27 countries, I have. 26 stamps in my passport plus 4 visas. We have travelled more than 25000 plus miles by truck, bullet train, private bus, sleeper bus and even a bus with massage seats and more recently planes. There have also been many taxis and tuk tuks.
I have slept in 76 different beds including one in a yurt.
To get to Sydney from Darwin we travelled 5419 Kilometres. There was one kangaroo encounter on the way. Not sure if the car or roo came off worse.
Sadly I’ve lost four people since being away. All of which were far too young. My love and thoughts go out to all affected ❤️
I have uploaded 115 albums so far on facebook and taken over 6500 pictures/videos.
I’ve gone through two ruck sacks and am on my third case.
I’ve bought three ugly pairs of walking sandals and two pairs of trainers. Plus two pairs of normal sandals.
Broke two sets of earphones and had to replace my phone cover which seemed to disintegrate in the cold.
Had a beautiful dress made in Hoi An to wear to the sydney opera house.
We celebrated Eurovision with Kiki – what a great night (Can’t wait until next year) and two birthdays on the way.
Ten of us started the trip and of the 9 who were meant to go all the way to Sydney 6 are left.
I’ve sent four parcels back home and One to Australia but my bag never gets any lighter!!!
My daily walking average has gone from 1.2km to 7.5km. As a group we have lost over 30kg; personally I have lost 7Kg
I sprained my knee which took two months to recover Had two chest infections. Been Bitten to death so I either smell of deet or tiger balm. I won’t start on the number of poomergencies (it’s a new word) I’ve had.
At our highest point we were 4820 metres above sea level and at the lowest 154 metres below sea level. We crossed the equator after Singapore and had a picture taken at Tropic of Capricorn.
I’ve watched Killing Eve Two (is she dead?), Poldark (can’t believe it’s finished) and four series of Peaky “fucking” Blinders; currently watching the fifth.
Had a “tattoo” albeit henna but who knows….
I’ve had five massages, one proper pedicure. One haircut and coloured my hair five times.
The next three months will be weird being on my own.
The adventure continues with see me going to four countries, go on 14 flights before returning home on 4th January. Straight to London and my mums Sunday roast.
Phew a lot happened in six months eh?!
Anyway as usual stay safe xxx
Walkabout in Melbourne.
Decorative Christmas arrangement at Ambiance Gift and Furniture store near Queen Victoria Market.
Looking up to the city skyline under grey clouds. The highest tower in the photo is the 88 floor Aurora Melbourne Central residential skyscraper which is the second tallest building in Melbourne and the third tallest in Australia.
View from the courtyard of the Old Melbourne Gaol.
The Old Melbourne Gaol a former prison and now a museum.
Located on the corner of Russell and Victoria Streets, The Eight Hour Day Monument to commemorate The Eight Hours Movement was erected in 1903. The Eight Hours Movement campaigned for an eight hour day on the basis of eight hours work, eight hours for rest, and eight hours for recreation and education. The eight hour day was implemented in 1856.
The Frosterley Building at the corner of Victoria and Drummond Streets was the first headquarters of the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology from it’s inception in 1908 until 1974.
Melbournia Terrace built 1876 – 1877 is opposite the Fosterley Building and is a National Trust classified terrace of seven private houses.
The Gordon Fountain in Gordon Reserve.
The Gordon Fountain near Parliament House.
Facade of the Princess Theatre with roof sculptures.
These crowds are gathered outside of the Old Treasury Building. Today is the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final eve public holiday and the building is the start for the Grand Final parade.
This is a row of new Toyota pickup trucks which will carry the players from the two teams in the AFL Grand Final in the parade. The pickup trucks have the words “Oh what a feeling” on the side – a Toyota trademarked catchphrase.
Fresh fruit in the weekly Queen Victoria Market.
Two people in Australian rules football costumes in the market.
The football shirt on the left is Guernsey FC and the one on the right is Richmond FC.
Large sculpture in Queen Street called “Fortuna 1992” by the artist Peter Corlett.
Eglwys Gymraeg (Welsh Church) board.
Eglwys Gymraeg.
Large pocket watch in Melbourne Central Shopping Centre.
Space invader mosaic. There is a french guerilla artist called “Space Invader” (also known as “Invader”) who has left the same tag around cities in the world.
This is part of a street art project by mosaic artist Sankar Nadeson. Sankar has been working with schools and various art programs to teach people how to make ceramic tiles and then putting them up onto the walls of Drewery Lane.
The theme of the art work by Sankar in Drewey Lane has been Legacy. Legacy, based in Drewery Lane, is a charity organisation that supports families of defence force personnel who have been injured or killed. Many of the tiles were made by children with strong ties to the defence forces.
Sculpture on the facade of Baroq House, a corporate event venue in Drewery Lane.
30 foot mural of Kim Kardashian and Em Ratajkowski in Sniders Lane by Australian street artist Lushsux reproducing their topless selfie on Instagram within two days of it being posted to the social media site.
This was in Caledonian Lane and seems to be a cross between street art and grafitti, possibly on purpose, but with words of wisdom.
Another wall mural in Caledonian Lane.
The scorpion and elephant are by the artist Sunfigo who uses shapes and square lines to produce his artwork with a mix of stencils and adhesive tape. The scorpion was spray painted on with a stencil. The elephant is made out of tape.
The old General Post Office building on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Streets is still owned by the Federal Government and is now almost entirely occupied by H&M, the Swedish retail company’s first store in Australia opening on 5 April 2014.
Street artist at work.
Street art in Presgrave Place.
Collection of framed pictures on the wall in Presgrave Place.
The artist Sunfigo (see earlier photo) is famous for his animal artwork and this lion is a regular piece he creates.
Star Wars Storm Trooper helmet wall art.
Mosaic in front of the lift in the foyer of the Manchester Unity Building which is a mixed-use building.
This is the last remaining escalator of two originally installed in the building. The two escalators were the first in Melbourne.
Manchester Unity Building.
Commissioned by Melbourne City Council is titled “Princess”. The work stands at 24 metres high and 17 metres wide, it is located in Russell Place.
Facade of Bar Ampere in Russell Place. Uniquely this bar is situated above an aging operational electrical sub-station and this is themed into the interior with exposed power cords and with bare light bulbs.
Decorative window grills on the Italian restaurant Sarti in Russell Place.
Established in 1938 Quists Coffee Shop in Little Colins Street is 100% Australian owned and operated.
Two pair’s of shoes hanging by their laces from a street light. Street art or “shoefitti” ?
Street art in AC/DC Lane that was named back in 2004 to pay tribute to the Australian rock band. The street art features all kind of musicians both real and imagined.
The Beatles Yellow Submarine at the top.
Melbourne rose mural in Duckboard Place on the corner of AC/DC Lane and Flinders Lane.
Old pairs of shoes tied by laces hanging on a powerline in front of a wall mural in Duckboard Place. There are lot of urban ideas surrounding why people through pairs of shoes over powerlines across the world from losing bets to gang and drug dealers marking their territory or it is simply “shoefitti”.
A duck in Duckboard Place. Duckboard Place was once the place where World War II troops came to be entertained and let off steam, the lane now attracts a more discerning client despite the area covered from the ground up in street art and grafitti.
Mural of a man carrying a tree in Duckboard Place by Australian street artist Fintan Magee. Magee has been called the “Australian Banksy”.
This artwork unveiled in 2018 in where else but AC/DC Lane honours the memory of AC/DC rock band member Bon Scott who died in 1980. The piece depicts Scott bursting through a brick wall into the lane, screaming into a microphone just as he did when on stage.
AC/DC Lane is home to the legendary live music venue Cherry Bar. This piece of artwork appears to pay homage to the bar.
“Parachuting Rat” by Banksy. Banksy created several of these parachuting rat stencil art pieces during a 2003 visit to Melbourne. This one has faded naturally but at least one has been removed accidently in the past by contractors brought in to clean-up graffiti.
A 1993 street sculpture called “A History aparatus – Vessell Craft and Beacon” by Chris Reynolds in Russell Street.
Sun beginning to go down behind the city skyline.
