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| Sunrise at Sydney Airport |
GOOD BYE SYDNEY. I've had an excellent 2 weeks here and I know everyone says it's great here, but I really do think it's a beautiful city. Especially seeing it from on top of the Sydney Tower and also the views from the ferry to Manly are well worth it. I've been shocked at how many people I've known that I've bumped into and been drinking with, it's been by far the most social place I've visited. Sydney was one of the highlights I looked forward to when I planned this trip and it didn't disappoint. No one should come all the way to Australia without seeing Sydney.
Day 14: bit of an admin day as I need to do laundry and get packed up ready for my early flight to Christchurch tomorrow. I'm treating Jon & Alison to dinner out tonight to say thanks for having me to stay in their flat for 2 weeks. I've been spoilt rotten here and will definitely miss living with them when I'm back out on the road alone in New Zealand.
Day 13: Somehow I managed to get out of the flat before midday to meet Tracey & Maddy at the Aroma festival at The Rocks in town. It was a festival of coffee and chocolate with lots of stalls and live music. It was pretty cool, but the busy crowds and the loud music were not doing my hangover any favours! We ate lunch, had a coffee and went to the Lindt cafe for more chocolate. No wonder I felt so sick later that day. Maddy & I were feeling rougher than Tracey and she got pretty tired of us moaning and grumbling the whole time! Having said that I'm glad I was there and it was sad to say goodbye to my cousin. It's been brilliant seeing her in Sydney, if a little strange as I've hardly ever in my life seen Tracey more then 10 miles away from Scunthorpe!!
Day 12: what a day - a rugby extraveganza followed by pubs, casino and night clubs. Jon took me to Penrith to watch him play rugby for the Northern Suburbs 4th grade club. It wasn't too impressive - the Penrith area or their rugby team - as Jon's team won about 75-5 ("about" cos I lost count and the score board didn't work). On the plus side the Penrith team are called the Emus, so I tried one of their legendary "emu burgers". It was tasty, but not sure what type of meat it was!
When we got back to Jon's flat it was about time to head down to his club's bar - a fancy joint called "Cabana" - to watch the Bledisloe Cup & Tri-Nations decider on their 10 foot by 10 foot screen projected onto the side of the building. After watching Australia lose we headed into town to the pubs. Jon & I met up with good friends of his called Celia and Jonathan. In a bizarre coincidence I used to work with Celia at Smith & Williamson in London! Now she works with Alison in Sydney and they have become good friends. Small world.
I met up with my cousin Tracey and her friend Maddy, and we headed over to the casino where we met Tony. We arrived just in time to watch the Socceroos lose to Japan on penalties in the Asian Cup - seeing the aussies lose twice in a night was terrible (ha ha!). I was up at one stage on the black jack tables, but ended up giving them $200 before we decided it was time to go and catch up with Tony's girlfreind's sister's birthday party in Kings Cross.
A big day and a bigger night. It's been loads of fun meeting so many people I know here, & new freinds too, and having such big nights out. I'll miss the social side of Sydney for sure.
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| Rugby |
Day 11: Didn't do much with my day but went out for a curry with Jon & Alison and Tony & jen in Crow's Nest in the evening. ordered a prawn madras which was about 6 times hotter then I wanted it to be! Lovely evening, lovely people.
Day 10: Another big tourist day today. I met up with my friend Kim (who I met on the Great Ocean Road) to get the ferry to Manly. (see how I introduced a female character to add some sexual intrigue to my story!). It was a cracking day weather-wise, another fresh but bright, bright day. We went for a long walk along Manly Beach in the sun, had a sandwich for lunch then walked to Cabbage Bay and Shelly Beach where the biggest waves were attracting a lot of surfers. It was a really nice area and mercifully it's winter so the place wasn't over-run with English backpackers! The ferry trip along the Harbour was beautiful and I got some great shots (see below).
In the evening I went to Coogee Beach for dinner with Shelley (old Shell friend), her boyfriend Josh and her friend Holly. They took me to the local RSL which is like a cross between northern working mens clubs and the Royal Legion - full of old fellas drinking cheap beer! But the restaurant is what we were there for and it was delicious seafood. After that we all went back to Shelley's for sex, sex & more sex. (I hope this is more of the kind of thing you guys were after!!)
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| Manly trip |
Day 9: Jon & Alison arrived home this morning and woke me at 8am, quite unsociable! Great to see them and to get the lowdown on the Palmers' wedding and his brother Tim's wedding. Today was also another good tourism day as I went to the Sydney Tower to do the Skywalk, which is 270 metres up - the highest place to see Sydney from unless you're flying. After the magic and satisfaction of scaling the Bridge yesterday I wasn't expecting too much from the Tower. But the views were soooo much better. Being the highest thing in the city, we had 360 degree uninterrupted views for 85 kms in every direction! The bridge was good and I still recommend it, but you must do this too! It's much cheaper and the views are much better, if you get an awesome day like I had. See some of the views below, and see me in my sexy jumpsuit. I was up there with a middle aged gay couple and during the group photo one of them standing next to me got a bit too friendly when our guide asked us the sqeeze together for a photo!
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| Skywalk, Sydney Tower |
Day 7: a very lazy day after the big weekend. Nothing to report.
Day 6: I don't even want to talk about it. The combined effect of the past 2 nights is taking its toll. I managed to make it over to Double Bay for a pub Sunday lunch again with Alex and her mates - she really stretched out the birthday celebrations to the max! Mikey Taylor and his better half Rachel also popped in for a quick drink, great to catch up with him. We arranged to meet up again properly later in my stay. After 2 small beers I was wiped out so went home.
Day 5: oh what a hang over! I managed to get to Paddy's Market (near chinatown) before lunch but walked around in a daze feeling very distant. It was a very touristy market with lots of cheap souvenir stalls. I bumped into Shrek & Donkey and then Sponge Bob Squarepants, that just added to the surreal feel of the day! I had to go back to bed in the afternoon, then by 8pm I met up with Alex and the girls again for her joint birthday party in Surrey Hills, followed by a late club in Kings Cross. Another big night. I'm having lots of fun though, it's great to be out with people I know for a change rather than other backpackers I've just met.
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| Sydney day 5 |
Day 4: had another lazy morning and then headed into the city again, this time having a closer look at the Sydney Harbour Bridge, an area near the harbour called The Rocks, and a wander around chinatown and the George St retail district. In the evening I went to Alex Wallace's 30th birthday drinks at the Opera House bar. It was a mini-Shell reunion! For those that know them, I was drinking with Alex Wallace (obviously), Shelley (and her sister Ang & their friend Holly), Tammy, Fern & Lisa Byrch, plus Cindy Tink is turning up in town tomorrow for the next drinks. It wasn't such an unlucky Friday 13th for me - I was drinking with 7 lovely ladies!!
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| Sydney day 4 |
Day 3: eventually found the right bus to the city. Glorious sunny day wandering around the Opera House (it's very beautiful, but should it be a new wonder of the world??), took in Circular Quay. In the evening cousin Tracey & her mate Maddie came over for dinner, great to catch up with Trac. (Be prepared for a lot of views of the Opera House in these pictures, I quite liked it).
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| Opera House |
Day 2: lazy day nothing much to report. Woke late, went to supermarket, did laundry, introduced myself to the cats - Max & Purdy.
Day 1: arrived finally after a 12 hour bus journey from Melbourne. The guy sitting next to me sniffed the whole way, luckily my iPod drowned him out most the way. Except for the last 90 minutes when the battery ran out. I was about ready to elbow him in the wind pipe ninja sty-lee. Top man Tony (Big Jon's buddy) picked me up from the bus station and took me to Jon & Alison's flat where I am now staying in comfort.
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