Sakiko's Melbourne Visit

Hey hey

Here are some photos from my friend from Japan, Sakiko's visit to Melbourne...

On her first day we went to Port Melbourne beach on the tram with Hachiko to eat fish n chips on the pier.



mmmmmmmmmm




This is us posing at Captain Cooks cottage as his mother and sister...I think?


Melbourne at night along the Yarra river


Chinatown


Fashionable laneway called Centre Place, its a mini Harajuku....


Melbourne has a great cafe culture.


And its also famous for its street art.


and beatiful old arcades.


We went to the Aquarium...the stingray looks like he is happy.


It was very fun to look up at all the fish


After that we went to my friend Jarra's restaurant at Federation Square. The restaurants name is Tjanbi which is an aboriginal word for 6 seasons??? or seasons??? I dont know but the food is "oishi" which is Japanese for yummy...Sakiko got to try Emu and Kangaroo which she loved (I ate a vegetarian pasta). The restaurant has lots of aboriginal artwork, some of which show the traditional six seasons of Melbourne. This photo is all of us.


Federation Square.


We went to St Kilda beach on Sunday to go to the art and craft market (no photos sorry). Its very LA this area dont you think? The area is also famous for its cake shops down Acland Street and its fantastic coffee. (Sakiko loved Melbourne Coffee.. The coffee here is meant to be the best in the world because we have had alot of immigrants and they have each brought their own coffee which then all mixed to make Melbourne Coffee..I dont drink coffee by the way but Henry does and he HATED coffee in Japan and New York...We do have starbucks in Melbourne but it isnt popular with locals, just international students of which their are thousands *Sakiko thought Melbourne was very multicultural, like being in Asia one minute then Greece and then Italy*)


Luna Park in St Kilda with the worlds oldest still operating roller coaster called the scenic railway (which was sadly not open when we went because of refurbishment)


We went on a day trip to Phillip Island with my mum, Henry and my Pa (Australian for grandfather). The beach was beautiful.

We went to an Australian wildlife park on the Island so Sakiko could see some Aussie animlas up close. (You can see them in the wild, but you have to drive for hours, so this was easier). First up we have some Koala's. So cute.


And next a Mummy Kangaroo with a Joey in her pouch. Sakiko is feeding her.


It was a free range zoo, so you could get up close to all the animals and feed them...even Emu's...which was scary...An Emu attacked poor Henry (he is ok, it was just really funny)


Phillip Island is most famous for its "Penguin Parade" where hundreds of fairy penguins walk up the beach back to their sandy homes at sunset. You cant take photos because it can scare them so this is from their website. You can also see Penguins in St Kilda (We saw one sleeping in the rocks at the end of the pier in St Kilda, it was soooo cute...Sakiko has that photo)


So that is just some of the fun we had while she was here. It was good to get out and do things I havent done since I was a kid. I think Sakiko had a great time too which is the main thing. I miss her now and it was hard to say goodbye. The English barrier wasnt too bad because she has been practising with a new teacher (also from Melbourne) but sometimes she would say funny things or not know what was going on. And some of the stuff she found strange was interesting, like we went out to watch my friend Tony DJ and as we were walking past clubs she said "Why are there 2 men at every door?" I was like "They are security, we call them Bouncers" Basically in Japan there are no Bouncers at clubs and bars....unless "Gaijin" frequent the bar (gaijin is Japanese for foreigners) so she would never have seen them before...Japan is a crazy safe country...While Sakiko was here for 1 week she saw 2 fights, the year I was in Tokyo I saw ZERO fights. Australia isnt particulary dangerous, no one has guns, there is no need for tasers with mp3 players in my handbag...but you have to be carefull in some parts at night.

Anyway that is all for now. Sakiko said she will email me her photos from her mobile phone (It has a 5 mp camera) so if there any good photos I will post them.

If I had the Spank girls visit the holiday would be a little different...we would still go to see beautiful beaches and kawaii animals but also go to cool parties and amazing fashion boutiques and to all the op shops that I love. If Hillary came we would do all that and also go to art gallaries. I got kinda bored with Sakiko cos she wasnt interested in shopping at all...and Melbourne is great for shopping so she really missed out (She did buy 2 dresses though...but thats all) So I am reallly wishing that the Spank girls to make it down under and that Hillary does come with her bf Naoto like promised next summer...I cant wait! There really is sooo much to see and do here.

love forever Hayley x