The Official Neighbours Tour

I'm back in Melbourne for a few weeks due to work and family commitments and so I inevitably caved in after all this time and booked myself a spot on the Official Neighbours Tour.

Despite being extremely lucky to have had an exclusive access all areas tour of the Neighbours set earlier on in the year (put on by the lovely people of the Art Department), I felt that because I was there on a professional level, I couldn't let my true inner fan girl shine through and it took all of my will power to condense myself into an acceptable amount of crazy at the time. For months I have been really annoyed that I didn't take any photos of the exterior sets when I previously had the chance to and I've been desperate to go back ever since.

The tour guide was particularly enamoured by my jumper

Bunyip Tours provide this much needed service and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Our tour guide was called Nat and she was a wonderful human being who was full of banter, encouragement for our fandom and very willing to take photos of us in various compromising poses.

We set off from the city at 11am and drove straight to the Nunawading Studios. Nat was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining on the journey there and although I already knew all the facts she told us, it gave us the perfect opportunity to get really excited for what was to come and reminisce about all the wonderful Neighbours memories with a group of likeminded nutters.  When we got to the studios, we were escorted around the exterior sets by the most delightful security guard...despite my dodgy start where I may have strayed a bit too far on a quest to make friends with a flock of galahs whilst everyone else was queuing up in an orderly fashion to have their photo taken next to the 'Welcome to Erinsborough' sign.

After that we were allowed to roam free amongst various sections of the exterior sets and I was happily running about like an extremely excited person unleashed into her ultimate happy place.

Below you'll find quite an extensive selection of photos from the day.

The Handy Woman...the number one place for mulch in the whole of Victoria!

Fitzgerald Motors, run entirely by Brennans 

Better than Hungry Jacks

The Bric-a-brac shop...

...for all your taxidermied galah needs!  

The bus stop of contemplation!

Am I (a) deep in thought about the terrible life decisions I keep making or (b) trying to fart without anybody noticing?

I managed to book a night at The Backpackers...

...just so I could sit underneath the only [open planned studio] room that ever gets any sexy time and to drink some mushroom tea!

I'm not sure but I think this may be the little enclosure that once housed Warnie the wombat

Sonya's Nursery 

If Amy's yard ever runs out of mulch, you can always get emergency mulch at Sonya's

The exterior of the hospital...which looks considerably more weather worn in comparison to the new brilliant white interior sets they now have. 

The History Wall..or the wall where you go to pash all your greezy students

Don't mind me, I'm just popping in for an AA meeting at the Community Centre

The last time I was here I was in full Daaron wedding prep mode. The space looks a lot smaller without the marquee and the masses of balloons everywhere. 

The infamous grove of grotty trees!!!

Lassiters

They did a remarkable job of renovating the old place after the latest explosion (RIP Josh)...but they forgot to add a few floors and Paul's penthouse on top!

I have a slight obsession with luggage trolleys and this one was an absolute joy to peer through the window and gaze longingly at 

The best coffee in Melbourne 

The Waterhole...what's so great about The Waterhole???

I literally can't remember the last time there was live music at The Waterhole!

I've been waiting for my drink for 20 minutes now but there's still no sign of Sheila!

Rebecci Law, home of justice to all of Erinsborough

The weird bridge over a pool thing in the middle of the Lassiters complex

Down by the Lake

The book exchange, where all books are heavily highlighted for Piper's pleasure

If I sit here long enough Mark Brennan will come back from the dead and I'll get a hug from Adventure Girl! 

I wonder how many engagement rings and Right Prescription CDs are at the bottom of this lake

No matter how much I begged, nobody wanted to be my Mark Brennan in order to recreate that glorious scene at the rotunda where Kate Ramsay got shot.

I amused myself for ages reading all the wishes on the Wishing Tree

I'm guessing this was Elly's "Mark and Paige should be together" wish

This is what everybody wishes for!

I mean...who wouldn't want a Tanaka sandwich!

The abandoned workout area, untouched since Josh got squashed. 

Ramsay Street

I'm not a Dr K groupie I promise [this is 100% a false statement]

Strewth, she's been run over!* Someone call an ambo!

Ah she'll be alright...there's no blood so she'll make a full recovery after a very short stint of paralysis!

I really really enjoyed my trip to Erinsborough and although I had already been to the studios and Pin Oak Court on separate occasions before, I got a whole different level of enjoyment from going with such a wonderful group of Neighbours nerds this time around and it was a truly wonderful experience.

* I would just like to clarify that the car in the background of those photos didn't actually run me over.