HELLO - MERRY XMAS!!!

Cant believe how fast this week has gone by - we have all been typical tourists and trying to pack everything into a week! On the tues after arriving in sydney, me and Jill went to sydney aquarium, it was great, we were like big kids again! Was cool to see all the sharks and dungongs etc, got to feed some of the barrier reef fish from a glass bottom boat and even saw a few sharks and stingrays swim by! We were staying at the Westend backpackers on pitt street which was great as we were so central to everything but it was like being in thailand....or so im told. Some places were quite smelly.

On xmas eve we did some last minute shopping and huntin around for a hostel for new year (which we eventually got) and then at night went to the Shark Hotel which was round the road. Our hostel had a really annoying party guy organising all the events so we got to have our xmas dinner on xmas eve for free! was great and you had to buy a drink to validate your ticket which was fine as we were already going to be drinking. The meal was good and we went for a few drinks down the road where we ment suzanne, a girl from oban, at uni in glasgow but studying in adelaide. She was on her own so we sat with her and had a few drinks, was a really good atmosphere and santa even came at midnight!

On xmas morning stef was up early, she was the most excited as she had the most pressies. Me and jill bought each other small things, if you have a look at the pics, you'll see what they were wrapped in. After breakfast of bacon rolls we opened our pressies with a few glasses of pink champagne and got ready to head to bondi. Everyman and their dog were heading there for xmas so it was a bit manic getting there. We bought tickets for the xmas party where there was music and food, we thought we would be on the beach but we were actually in the pavillion. It was a good day and night, was just ashame we were lying on the beach all day as it was roasting!! It really didnt feel like xmas but its a good story to tell the grandkids!! I dont think there was an ozzie at the xmas party - was all brits and irish! Forgot to mention where we had xmas dinner - mcdonalds!! v classy but it was the busiest ive ever seen it!

On boxing day we got invited to a huge house in the seaforth area of sydney, for a bbq at angus' house who is from forfar! his cousin was there and jill went to school with her. We ate loads and drank more, was a lovely house - check out the pics, would love to live somewhere like that and was great just to get out the city for the day!

We spent the rest of the week doing typical touristy things like visiting sydney wildlife centre at darling harbour, it was ashame cos we didnt get to hold the koalas and i know some places that let you. Learnt some very interesting facts about koalas!!! At the wildlife world there was a woman holding a snake so we all touched it and i asked if it had a name and it didnt so i got to name it - HAMISH, what a big kid i am!! Spent a day on the tour bus seeing around sydney and bondi, well worth the money! also spent some time at china town and paddys market. On Monday we had to move hostels to an area in sydney called Glebe, the Hostel is ok. Me and jill are in a room with 2 german girls and 2 german guys...on the ground floor, so me and jill didnt get much sleep worrying about the spiders! Staying here for another 6 nights and heading up the coast which i cant wait as this place isnt ideal but it'll do. Only has 2 toilets for loads of people, not good when you have a dodgy stomach!!! Went out in manly last night for dinner and to meet some guys Nicola knew, had a small pub crawl and a good time. Got the ferry there which i didnt enjoy - just glad i didnt get the ferry back after a few drinks!

Its another scorcher today - im thinking it was about 32 degrees, we went to coogee beach and soaked up the sun, had to come home about half three as it was far too hot! glad my tan is comin on nicely! We still dont know what we're doing for New years eve which is tomoro, the place to be is near the bridge to see the fireworks but i think it will be a bit mental as the whole of oz go there! Fingers crossed we see them for real and not on the tv!