We began packing in late April 2008 – and then finaly unpacking in September 2008, around six months later, many kilometres and flying later. Moving from latitude 37¬? N to latitude 37¬? S was a bigger task than first envisioned. Not only did it take nearly a year and a half from first applying for the required visas to landing in Sydney, but there was also the packing the life that we had, getting rid of things that we could not take and spending many late nights running back and forth between places that had cardboard boxes.
Time it was all about time. The final seal went on a box the night before the truck arrived to take the boxes away to the port for their journey over sea to Melbourne. Then we left Japan about a week later.
The process after then was to land in Sydney say hello to the family about the place, then make a move for the southern capital. It was a quick journey to see as many people as possible before heading off on a day of constant rain.
By the time we arrived in Melbourne two days later, traveling down the Hume highway with two kids is not something that we really wanted to do in a rush. We found a host of parks after every two or so hours in the car where the Rina and Emma could let out a bit of steam and the folks could relax a bit as well.
Once arriving in Melbourne, we had booked a hotel online. It was one of those ones that you would learn to regret – it was too cheap to be true. The site mentioned that it catered for families, though we arrived on a Friday night and were also booked to stay on the Saturday. The catering to families should have had a warning that there would be a disco that runs to 2.00am both Friday and Saturday nights – okay for the kids but the folks had a bit of a hard time sleeping. THEN the kids playground that they mentioned was only available after 10am… the kids wanted to go there at 7:30am as they had seen it the day before. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Though it did have a decent size fridge and kitchen – something that we would come to wish for the next week.
Our next stop was a place on the main drag of St. Kilda’s restaurant strip. Just a stones throw away from the Espy, the famed Melbourne venue overlooking Port Phillip Bay. The atmosphere was much more suitable than the other hotel.
So while we missed the kitchen of the previous place, the atmosphere more than made up for the change. Being able to step on a tram and make it into the city, go for a walk along the shores of Port Phillip and generally look about the place was a far better introduction to the place that we intended to call home for the next phase of our lives.