I tended to have better success at the private games, where the rake was lower. There are pros at that level, but there are also egos, and drama queens, tilt addicts, super nits... And even the pros make bizarre mistakes which you wouldn't expect.
Melbourne is a great town. Next time an opportunity comes up, definitely take it, go to the restaurants, the theatres, the art galleries, the street art especially. It's amazing.
Now I live in Guadalajara, Mexico. I've been living here for a couple of years, but I still haven't checked out the casinos here