I am starting to get into somewhat of a routine albeit still very tired, fell asleep last night at 7pm and now I'm wide awake and its 4.30 am! Arghh, why can't I just sleep proper hours?!

Learning a bit more about the city now, and starting to find my way around which is surprising as I usually have a very bad sense of direction! Before I arrived I knew that the city would be bigger than Bendigo, but I did underestimate its size. And like many others on this tour I am surprised that the city is not the dirty, grimy, smoking industrialised city of yesteryear but rather a modern city with trendy shops, rejuvenated old warehouses, street art and many modern buildings thrown in the mix. There is an eclectic collection of building styles, from the Victorian Regency style of the Town Hall, the old industrial red brick warehouses, the grandness of the train station, to the very modern university buildings ie the Owen building. Then of course we cannot look past the Student Union building paying homage to the city's steel roots with its pods which I believe are designed to look like music notes (hmmm, I question that!).

 I have most enjoyed exploring the outer city areas, the more residential areas and seeing the housing - the streets filled with terrace houses, row upon row of 'semi-detached' - What looks like one house is in fact two. In Australia we wouldn't stand for this as standard housing, certainly not in a regional centre like Bendigo anyway... Whilst we may struggle to get our quarter acre block these days we still all enjoy our space and privacy and 'detached' house. Looking down the sides of the houses here trying to get a peek into their backyards provides me with a glimpse of what little outdoor space they do have - but I guess with the weather here outdoor space is not utilised all year round as it is back home. I'm looking forward to the trip to Chatsworth coming up which will play right into my love of Jane Austen, and my visit to London on the weekend...

 - Jess Willman (Bachelor of Arts).