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 It was a hot day in Melbourne, that Thursday.
We had made plans to gather at the stage door early in the afternoon, and, as I made my way to the round building beside the river Yarra, I was thankful that the stage door would be in the shade.
As you approach the Melbourne Concert Hall, it appears to lie low on the landscape.
It is not until you reach the building that you realise you have been duped, because much of it is below road level, beside the
river. This is a big place!
On my way, I came across Annie and Scott, obviously enjoying the sunshine, heading in the opposite direction.
Was I too late? Was Michael already safely inside? However, nearing the Stage Door, I was relieved to see a small gathering of fans.
Michael was still to arrive.
I had already discovered that time seems to pass very quickly at the stage door.
It seems to be easy to chat to others who share the same passion, in this air of excitement.
It's a lot of fun. I guess the group grew to around thirty - some from the UK tour group, from the US, some Aussies and some Kiwis.
As people came and went by way of the steps to the Stage Door, we wondered from which direction Michael would come.
Would he arrive in the limo we had seen in Wollongong and Sydney? A fan from Melbourne pointed out that there was a chance he was staying in a nearby hotel, in which case he'd walk.
We'd enjoy that.
"Here he is," said one of our number - with the greatest of self control, I might add.
I turned to see Michael, with Scott, ambling across the road, looking so relaxed and happy, subtle Aussie cap on his head, and sunglasses.
He just seemed to move in amongst us and chat away, as if it was the sort of thing we all did every day.
Maybe we gave the show away a bit - cameras we were au fait with, suddenly became complicated technology in trembling hands.
Michael gave out a few instructions, here and there, saying he had got to know how to use quite a range of cameras.
A couple of times, he helped people out, by holding the camera at arms length, and taking the photo himself.
He appeared very comfortable in Oz.
Gradually, Michael made his way up those steps. As he finally disappeared inside, we stood around sharing a happy contentment.
The day was still young. Michael may have disappeared for the time being, but amongst us, there was now great anticipation of what lay ahead.
This was another dream come true. My seat was centre stage! Even from the second row, I felt that, if I reached out, I could touch the stage. This was an elegant theatre, just as Melbourne is an elegant city. Historically a conservative place, the inhabitants pride themselves on their appreciation of the arts. What will they make of Michael Ball?
Once again, I was spellbound by the atmosphere - lone instruments glistening in the tumbling mist, under that eerie lighting. Easy to sense that something special was about to happen.
With roll of thunder, followed by those first few phrases of "I Was Born To Love You" - the curtains at the back of the stage parted and Michael appeared. He looked great, and all set to begin the evening with his audience in the Melbourne Concert Hall. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to see Michael Ball in concert, knows that from beginning to end, he gives his all. This night was to be no exception.
From a comment he was to make later in the evening, I wonder if Michael felt that this particular night held a new challenge. Maybe the audience was a little quieter to begin with - except for the first few rows, of course, but it wasn't long before a warm response became apparent. Interaction increased as the audience showed that, yes, they were aware of his work, yes, they did know about Aspects of
 Love, about Les Mis, Phantom Of The Opera, The World Cup, Chitty and more. And yes, they were so pleased he was here!
Some in the audience, will not have been aware, though, of why Michael looked so pleased with himself, for managing to make it safely down the stairs at the beginning of the second half. He had a "See, I can do it!" look on his face. It was a moment to share with those in the know.
He talked about how much he was enjoying being in Australia - even though he had encountered 42 degrees in Perth. "It's not normal to live in those temperatures!"
It has to be a brave man who reminds an Australian audience that, "It was a pity about the World Cup." Probably not a bad move to point out, very soon after, that he was actually Welsh. After reminding us that Wales didn't do so well, we all joined him in the singing of Wales Forever. Great fun ... and, I'm sure a memory that Michael will take with him, to the next Wales V the Wallabies match!
There were moments when I wanted time to stand still. Michael Ball, so close, making this wonderful music. The audience was entranced. "They said Melbourne would be quiet!", Michael confided. As he acknowledged his audience before finally leaving the stage, I turned round to confirm what I suspected - the entire audience of the Melbourne Concert Hall on its feet. Michael, yet another audience has taken you to their hearts.
It never seemed to take long to discover where we were to gather to meet Michael after the concert. Word travelled fast.
Tonight, it would be in the main downstairs foyer. Waiters moved amongst us, offering glasses of wine. There was an air of contentment within the group, everyone agreeing that we had all greatly enjoyed a wonderful evening's entertainment. And yet, there was excitement too, as we knew, for us, there was still even more to come.
It still amazes me that a man who has given his all, during the past two and a half hours, should be willing to give even more. Surely this was the time to relax and unwind amongst good friends. The job was so very well done, after all. But this is Michael Ball we're talking about here. So often willing to give that bit extra.
This was an opportunity to talk to others who made the evening happen. Callum, Annie, Kaye and David, the Australian backing singers, Danielle Everett ( a fabulous "Christine"), and members of the band mingled amongst us. Paul Fanning, the producer, was there too. Some years ago, Paul and his lovely wife, Anne-Marie, were wondering what they could do next. Who could they bring to Australia? Anne-Marie had seen the video. "What about Michael Ball?" she said. You wonderful people!
It wasn't long before Michael was welcomed into the room, looking comfortable and relaxed, in blue jeans and a cream jacket. After a few words to us all, he was given space behind a long table - plenty of room to greet fans, sign programmes and lean across to put his arm around a fan for that photo. He gave his time generously. People stood back after their time with Michael, and gradually, it became apparent that the evening was coming to an end. Our time with Michael in Australia, was almost over. He had his back to us, moving away along the table. I had to say goodbye. I called to him, hoping he may hear me, and wave over his shoulder. He did hear me. He turned and came back to us, arm outstretched across the table, to shake hands with Barry and me. Goodbye, you special man. Thank you for coming. Please come again soon.
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