Groomsman vs usher

When my oldest friend called me to ask me to be a groomsman at his wedding in Melbourne, I didn't really know what I was saying yes to, guessing it was the antipodean equivalent of usher. It was...but better. It's being an usher without the 'To Do' list. The most onerous task I had to do all day was ask people to board the bus to the reception. Other than that, I had the tiresome duties of dressing up to the nines, being chauffeur driven round the city in a vintage Jaguar, sitting up at the head table, eating exquisite food to the backdrop of Melbourne's city lights, posing in a few photos, and, of course, quaffing bubbly.

In the end, I made up my own duties:

-- Purchasing the nervous bridegroom his final beer as a bachelor (a more demanding task than you might think – apparently, he would not have been a happy man if singledom terminated with a Foster's).

-- Winding up the best man up about his speech ("that's a great gag, no of course no one will be offended"). Oops.

And, well, that's it.

A great do. Excellent to see my oldest friend and meet his new wife Emma. Since I have been in Sydney, I have actually ended up a lot of time with them. They have now headed off for a 7-month trip through Africa, no doubt gutted I am no longer sharing their honeymoon with them.

Other Melbourne highlights: Eating kangaroo and crocodile on my first meal out. Crocodile was strangely normal in a spiced sauce. Roo was very tender, quite gamey... sorry Skippy (and vegetarian friends).

- Catching up with my cousin Ed who has the biggest TV screen I have ever seen.

Am currently in the NSW coastal town of Terrigal, which has a flock of pelicans on the beach just around the corner from the little hostel I am in. More very soon (instead of the epic pause between this post and the last).

Hoo roo.