Hello from sunny Melbourne – a good week earlier than planned.
Why?? I here you ask.. because we well and truly screwed ourselves over by being totally blasé about our car documents/rego paperwork meaning just 24 hours before our rego (registration of car ownership to the UK readers) ran out, we were looking at a 4 hour drive to Melbourne, followed by super expensive return flights BACK to Perth just to have our ID certified. Or we could drive the 34 HOURS back to Perth? No. No way.

WHOOPS.

However, after a mad rush to Melbourne whilst simultaneously ringing the wonderful and ever helpful Shiner for advice AND booking an Air BnB a mere few hours before we arrived, we had a chat with a wonderful gentleman named Damo at WA Transport who made sure all could be sorted over the phone followed by a bit of faffing our end so we could FINALLY be back on the road.
Here is a little break down of our day:

09.30: Phone Department of Transport. Spend 10 minutes talking to an automated machine only to realise, it’s still only 06.30am in WA.
11.00: Phone Department of Transport (now they are actually open) and speak to super helpful and reassuring Damo.
11.30: Drive to nearest to Post Office to print forms and have our ID scanned. They couldn’t help.
11.40: Find nearest Library.
12.00: Find Library – have to register and obtain a Library card – There is a first time for everything, aye Dave?
12.20: Print forms – No money for printing forms.
12.25: Find Bank. Withdraw cash.
12.30: BUY COFFEE (so we had enough change to print form, obviously)
12.35: Print forms. Fill in forms. Scan passports and drivers licenses.
12.45: Find another Post Office. Wait in line for 25 minutes only to find Robyn has wandered off into a shopping centre with Passport.
13.25: Robyn returns with passport. Dave rejoins the line.
13.35: All ID certified by Post Office staff and SENT.
13.40: HOORAH!!

Tedious Library admin.

Nearly done..

Proud of his Library card.

Therefore, we are now without our beloved Pam until Monday, maybe Tuesday so what to do??
Well, we were lucky enough to time our misfortune with some cool blues and drum and bass nights in Melbourne over the weekend so we shall be sampling a bit of its nightlife whilst also making use of the free guided walking tours during the day and having a look at the well known street art throughout the city so all is well.
We are just incredibly grateful for the week of HOT showers before we head back off into the countryside to sample Grampians National Park, Mornington, Sorrento Beach and possibly Phillip Island (with the actual possibility of seeing some penguins this time) – thank you Katie for the recommendations – before we start along the Great Ocean Road, just as the weather starts to look up.

Winner.