The Neighbours Tour
- by chrismoore
With a day left in Melbourne, we took a last look around the Federation Square and decided to take a look in the information centre. We then came across a leaflet advertising the popular Neighbours tour. I am a massive fan of the show, or I was when I was younger, but the two lads I am travelling with didn’t share my enthusiasm for it.
When we embarked on our travels we each decided to carry an Ace Card. With this ace card you could force the group to do anything you wished. Everyone was given a card each that could only be used once. I decided to use my Ace card to force the boys to do a Neighbours tour. They weren’t impressed!
We booked the standard tour for the ultimate tour only runs on weekends. The ultimate tour allows you to see even more sets and its only $15 more expensive. Both tours guarantee that you will meet a star of the show, but the star varies. I was hoping for the legend that is Karl Kennedy! We paid $50 each for our tour and with this ticket you get free entry into the neighbours karaoke night that is held for a Monday if you are still around. We didn’t get a chance to attend but I am told it’s a great night, fan of the show or not. You see around 6 or 7 stars there!
We caught the tour bus from the neighbour’s offices in the centre of Melbourne, within walking distance from Federation Square. Our tour bus was filled with some twenty Neighbours enthusiasts, with their eyes glued to the dvd playing some famous episodes of the show at the front of the bus. We set off on the road and our cheery tour guide began telling us what was in store for us.
Our tour guide was from Scotland and I am positive that there is not a person on the planet that could rival his Neighbours knowledge. He knew everything there is to know. He also pointed out some of the many flaws in the show like incorrect ages, names and locations etc. After a pleasant twenty minute drive, we arrived at Eringsborough high, which is an actual school. It is a school for international students that are learning English. We saw some of the famous camera shots of the school used in the show and were pointed out some famous parts of the school that featured in the school.
Ten minutes after viewing the school, we arrived at the famous street, which is not actually called Ramsey Street. We got out of the bus for the first time and walked up the street. I was taken back by just how small it was. I imagined it to be so much bigger. People actually live in the houses and so we weren’t able to wonder more than the pavement but seeing the outside of Harold Bishops house and Karl Kennedy’s house was more than enough for a die hard Neighbours fan.
We were then given a Ramsey Street sign and took a barrage of photos outside the different houses. A photo well worthy of a Facebook profile picture! The tour guide told us more things about the show, its history, some facts and some funny stories. We also were pointed out many things about the houses and integrate details on how the show is filmed.
Next on the tour was a look at the actual sets. We were taken to the Car garage and the café and then came the die hard fans dream, a meeting with a star from the show. I was mortified not to see Karl Kennedy come out of the set. Our star was the new mechanic on the show. I was at first a bit gutted but chatting with the star, he was a really great guy and he really did make the tour. After the meeting our tour was pretty much over. I only wished that we could have done the ultimate tour and/or hit the karaoke night to see Karl perform with his band and to see Libby Kennedy sing! It was great fun but the tour really is only for die hard fans!! Non-fans will be a little disappointed.
March 18th, 2009 at 9:46 am
[...] Check out the blog on our Neighbours Tour here!! [...]
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
[...] own DVD player, and gas stove. We began our epic trip in Melbourne, where we toured the famous Ramsey street and visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground. We then drove the Great Ocean Road before heading north [...]