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15/02/2010 thankfully left the flies and the Alice Springs fly swat wave behind as we arrived in Sydney, The price's for accommodation are high due to an AC/DC concert (they are a big band down under) the Chinese new year and the gay Mardi Gras festival (starting on 20th), The weather is a fair bit cooler at 29 degrees. On Tuesday we met Ed & Nicky (who used to work at Uncle toms cabin, Cookham) they have been out here 6 years now, They took us on a tour of the north shores, And lunch at Palm beach, Its the beach where Home and Away (soap opera) is filmed, A shame for the Oonagh, they weren't filming. A lovely day catching up, finished by a walk across the harbour bridge (spectacular sight every time we see it). On Thursday evening we did the harbour bridge climb again, this time we did the 3hr climb at sunset, which is awesome, finishing in the dark with the lights of Sydney well below , Emily Watson the actress (Angela's ashes )was also climbing. We watched Avatar the movie at the Imax 3-d cinema at Darling harbour which has the biggest screen in the world at 8 storeys (really good special effects). Friday at Bondi beach we witnessed Australia's Skate boarding championships, they are really very good and fearless as they do some crazy stunts. On the beach the waves were far to big for us to ride.(maybe another day?)
On Saturday 20/02/10 we left Sydney as it became gay town ready for the Mardi Gras, and came to Melbourne for 5 nights, The city has a really relaxed and easy feel. With a mixture of old and new architecture and a tram system running down the middle of the road, which makes it even harder to cross the road, but it is free on some routes, And giving us another means of transport to travel on. We met up with Simon and Debbie Ratcliffe from Cookham who took us for a sightseeing tour on Sunday, stopping for lunch in Southport area, a cosmopolitan area next to the river Yarra buzzing with people and street artists. Tuesday was Oonaghs highlight, Ramsey street, the home of Neighbours, (Life doesn't get any better) a tour of the mythical Erinsbourgh, School, studio, Street, and yes met an actor, Lucas (who? I hear you ask) Yes, the actor Scott Major, Who did look to me and mutter "You don't know who I am do you", I just nodded to confirm I didn't to the shock of the 12 other devout pligrims..24/02/10 IT'S FREEZING our coldest day since leaving home in May, 23 flipping cold degrees, the temperature dropped 10 degrees over night and with the wind blowing up from the south pole you can really feel the difference, Today was another one of Oonaghs, highlight days, A Chocolate factory with free sampling, even making your own bar, (some better than others) and we know who ate hers before we left the factory. Then to a Koala bear sanctuary and then on to Penguin parade on Phillip island (loads of wild Roo's on the way) Each night at sunset thousands of little penguins march (waddle)up the beach to the burrows, it's a really entertaining sight a shame no cameras are allowed.(wish I had a coat though).
In Melbourne, as in most cities in Australia, we are eating mainly in food halls, where Chinese, Indian, Italian and local kitchens share the tables/ chairs between them, You are just charged for the size of the plate, For £5 (large) you can have your fill of top tucker including roast beef. Its really good food. Melbounres big problem is the changeable weather as the locals say"4 seasons in just one day"
No worries the Chaffer's
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