On the Edge - Thursday 31st March

I woke up in Skyla’s bunk bed and went to the top where Skyla was sleeping and we had a little chat about our books. Then Skyla went and turned the light on and we played with the Lego. Afterwards we went downstairs and had breakfast – Weetbix. In England there call it Weet-a-bix and in Australia they call it Weetbix.

Then Skyla had a big argument and started crying because she didn’t want to go to school. Eventually she went and I came with her. I met her teacher and I was very nervous because lots of her class were staring at me.

Then me and Uncle Adrian got into the car and he dropped me off home. Then I had a second bit of breakfast – Weetbix. Then we went on a tram into Melbourne. We went to the tallest tower in Melbourne called the Eureka Skydeck 88. We went up to the top – it had 88 floors in fast lifts. When we got there, I got a souvenir. There was this machine in which you put $2 then turn the crank and chose what design you want. But we accidentally did it wrong so we got the one with the tower on it. It prints the design on a little coin and it falls out the bottom.

Wait wait I got it wrong. We got the souvenir after we went outside. Before we got the souvenir, we went outside so we could see how high we were from outside. It was cold and scary. When we went back in we bought our tickets for the “Edge” and we waited with this buzzer thing that buzzed when it was our turn.

We went on the Edge with 2 other people. We had to put special things on our shoes to not scratch the glass. Basically it pushed out so we were separate from the people inside the tower. We were in a little glass box. At first, we couldn’t see because the glass was misty. Then it cleared instantly and we could see the cars below like toys because they are really small. Then they took our picture.

Then we went to Trafalgar Square, I meant, Lord of the Fries and got some vegetarian burgers and fries. I didn’t like mine because I chewed on something that was spicy. We watched a play in a little bit with Indian dancers in Federation Square and I read my book.

Then we went on the old tram and in the middle of the trip we stopped off at the Old Melbourne Gaol. The prison cells were small with wooden doors. Ned Kelly was in there. We then got an ice cream and Robert got some handcuffs. We took the tram back to Federation Square where we had a drink with Fi and Callum and Blake who used to live in Ide Hill. We had some tea and went home to bed and had a peaceful night until Megan woke me up in the morning. So that was the end of the day.

Visit to Melbourne Aquatic Centre – Wednesday 30th March 2011

We had breakfast in Mummy & Daddy’s room – which is on floor 16 in room 1603. Their room has a balcony looking out over the city and the cars look really small because we are high up. I had Weetabix but it is called Weet-Bix With Wild Berries in Australia.

Can I go to the bit where I was reading? You are typing what I say  Stop it.

I was reading Flora the Friendship Fairy. It is a holiday special with 3 stories in 1. It is about a fairy called Flora who makes sure everyone is happy and has friends. I was reading it on the balcony after breakfast.

After about an hour, we went for a walk through the park to the Aquatic Centre. Where first we went into the wave pool...I can’t remember what it is called but it is on the Punctuation Pyramid...ah yes, a “bracket” (and the waves were on as soon as we got in). We then went to the 50 metre pool and I swam 4 lengths which is 200 metres. Then my head hurt from all the swimming.

Then we got out and me and Megan were going to go to the outside pool but it was too cold I thought so we went back to the Wave Pool and it was the next wave session in 7 minutes. And Daddy arrived and he was the “PinchyBottomFish”. Then I had to grab on to Daddy because it was the wave session since I had to be “within arms reach or with an adult or 16 years old”.

We had lunch at the Centre and I had chips again and a sandwich and a Sprite which I didn’t drink. Then we went home to the Hotel called the Black Man. I packed and read a little of my book and went to Skyla’s house. I stayed there until the next morning “bracket” (I had a sleepover) “close brackets”. That was the end of the day.

[Photos are Melbourne Aquatic Centre and Phoebe & Skyla in the pool the previous day!]

Visiting St Kilda’s beach - Tuesday 29th March

I woke up at ten minutes to eight and went through to see Megan to ask where the toilet was because I forgot. Then I went to the toilet and then went back to sleep. A few minutes later, Megan came through and said it was nearly eight o’clock so I could get up!

We had breakfast and I had a roll, a French baquette with jam. Before breakfast, me and Megan saw hot air balloons in the sky. They looked like they were grey because we couldn’t see them up close. We went to Mummy & Daddy’s room and I read my book (“brackets”! My longest one because it was three stories in one and I am still reading it. I am on the third story).

We went down to floor G (I am explaining everything) and went out the door for a walk to Uncle Adrian’s. We went round the park where the Grand Prix track was. They were taking it down. Demolishing it. I think “demolishing” is also one of the Wow Words.


After that we walked to Aquatic Centre which I really wanted to go to but Mummy & Daddy didn’t let me. And I really wanted to have an ice cream which they didn’t realise. Then we went in Uncle Adrian’s car to St Kilda’s beach where we had lunch. Then me and Daddy went down to the beach and built a sandman called General Bob.

After that we went back to Uncle Adrian’s house and I had a bounce on the trampoline which is in the ground. I played with Zac and Eden until Skyla came home from her swimming lesson at school. We went swimming in Skyla’s pool and it was really cool because there is a waterfall in the pool (which rhymes). I swam under the waterfall about 3 times.

We had vegetarian sausages and I swam again. Then I had ice cream and did some colouring and went home to write my diary!

Seeing Skyla again - Monday 28th March

On Monday morning, we went to the airport and flew 2 hours to Melbourne. We met Uncle Adrian at the airport and he took us to our hotel in Melbourne. We dumped our bags in our rooms and then we went to his house. We all had a bounce on the trampoline “brackets” (the trampoline was in the ground).

Then we went to the beach and I wrote my name on the sand. After lunch, we went to pick up Skyla from school (I had chips again!) I didn’t recognise Skyla at first because she looked different and then we went to another cafe with her.

After that, we had a swim in Skyla’s pool and bounced on the trampoline. Then we played in Skyla’s bedroom and then I went back to the hotel. I started sleeping in the car so Dad & Mum had to lift me into the hotel. By the way, I was actually sleeping!

Arriving in Sydney - Sunday 27th March

When we got there, we went to our hotel in Sydney and then went to see the Sydney Opera House. It was rainy. Then we went to the Botanic Gardens and saw bats in the trees. They were really, really big and we saw a few of them fly. They fold their wings around themselves and hang upside down. They are black and brown.

Can I go to the next bit now? We saw lots of palm trees. After lots of walking, we found a taxi and arrived to lunch. I had chips and salad and a bit of Megan’s pancake. We went to the travel museum [Powerhouse Museum]. It had a train in it which was the first train in Sydney. There were people in it – at first it said that you should listen to the train to hear them discussing, but we couldn’t hear anything but by the time we got to the last carriage we could hear people talking on the train. So we went back and listened to the others. Then we went on a tour and he showed us the train and the man who flew using box kites. Then we went to see the first steam engine with a big wheel. The clock was behind it which showed Jesus and his disciples. They moved and Peter turned away from Jesus.

We then went up the escalator into the ‘80s tunnel and we had a little disco with Mummy. It was really colourful but also dark! And when we were going out, we saw a big Rubik’s cube.

[Photos are at the Royal Opera House on a rainy day!]

Leaving for Australia - Friday 25th March 2011

After school, we went home to finish packing and then we climbed into a taxi and headed to the airport (it was a very long journey). At the airport, we went through the check-in but we hadn’t got a visa so we had to wait.

Eventually (that’s one of the wow words at school which I used in my fairy tale), we got passed the check-in and went on and had bagels. Mummy went off to get me a book (or two!) whilst I did my Suduku book. Then we went on the plane and flew all the way from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere. It took 18 hours and we stopped in the middle at Singa...no not there...at Hong...no not there...at Bangkok.

It took 2 nights and I watched the Gruffulo and Ben 10 a lot – it is supposed to be a boy programme but I like it even though it is the first time that I watched it – and CBeebies. I also had a sleep and read all of my fairy book called “Lexi the Firefly Fairy”.

[Photos are Phoebe stealing her Dad's business class seat...then with her sister Megan incognito]

(As dictated by the author herself...including brackets)

This diary is dictated by Phoebe Critchlow to her faithful secretary and typist, Julian Critchlow. It includes "brackets" when Phoebe tells him to...