Why Australia? Why Melbourne?

so melbourne, originally uploaded by alandot.

These are questions I get asked constantly. Why do I want go and live for a while in Australia, and why Melbourne?
Australia has always been kind of a dream destination for me. Ever since I was still very young. I'm not sure exactly why, maybe I watched to much 'Neighbours', maybe it is because it's so far away and it seems so adventurous. But the more I research about Australia, the more I like it. Somehow all Australians I've met seem to be extremely friendly and relaxed people. The weather is a lot better than in Belgium (even in Melbourne, even though Australians claim Melbourne has the worst weather ever). The nature is incredible, with plants and animals that you can't find anywhere else on the planet. I recently read the book 'In a Sunburned Country' by Bill Bryson. And reading this wonderful and funny book about everything in Australia, I only got more and more excited to go to Australia.

And why Melbourne? Well, at first I wasn't really sure where to go in Australia. Sydney seemed like a good option, but the more I got to know about Melbourne, the more I liked it. It doesn't have any big monuments, like to harbour bridge and the opera house in Sydney. The only thing I knew about Melbourne was that the Australian Open (tennis) is held there. But it's slightly smaller, slightly cheaper, there's a lot of cultural things going on there and many Australian people tell me it's an awsome city. And I've also discovered that Melbourne, together with Vancouver in Canada, was the best city in the world to live in. Off course I'll have to see it when I get there. If, for some reason, Melbourne turns out to be not so great I can always move to Sydney, Perth or Brisbane...