The visitors have landed

THIS week, we took delivery of our second set of visitors. Fresh from three weeks in Sydney, came our 18-year-old niece and boyfriend.

They've spent the last couple of months working at jobs in UK to save up the funds for the return flight and sustainance allowance that will keep them going for the five months they're over here.

Last night, we took them for a Thai meal in town, that wasn't before making a pitstop at the grog warehouse to pick up some supplies. They were made up to be going out to a restaurant where you could get out your six pack in full view of the restaurant staff who didn't bat an eyelid. A six pack of the bottle variety, of course. Anything other would've raised some eyebrows, for sure.

So the BYO (Bring Your Own) restaurant was a hit and then we headed off to hit the hotspots of the town and in a moment of madness, I agreed to bypass the lengthy cab queue and walk the 4km walk home. In heels. And with a girlfriend with higher ones than I.

Not one of my best decisions but an hour and a half later, we were home and ready for zzzz's. It's a tiring business, this entertaining lark. I need to take them snorkelling at our local beach to swim with the sealife and if they want, all the local attractions of the area that we now, as residents, take for granted.

A visit to Melbourne wouldn't be complete without a trip up north into the city for the annual Moomba Festival. The free community festival, covering four days, claims to be the largest in Australia and here we have it. Right on our culture-vulture doorstep.

The art, music, sport and cultural festival is in it's 55th year and one of the attactions I want to catch is the Birdman Rally when fearless birdmen and women take to the skies in their madcap attempts to fly across the Yarra River.

But I really will need to make all efforts to stay off the Yarra Valley wine on whichever day we eventually decide to go in on. Or I can see the Birdman Rally getting itself a last minute entrant.