Trust me to go to flipping Sydney when the Pope was in town and World Youth Day was one! Flying back to Sydney was a tad strange... I was coming back to a city where I had begun my travels almost 8 months previously but this time it was going to be without all the people that I had met before. Doing the over night crappy flight from Broome was a pain in the arse but at least I was getting to where I wanted to go.

I was knackered when I got to Sydney as I didnt have enough time to really recover from my trip up the West Coast. I needed a bit of a boring sorting out day so I literally got my hair cut in a dodgey asian haridressers which I now regret as she didnt seem to understand what a trim was! GRRRR.

On my first proper day I wandered around Circular Quay and watched the digeridoo players a chilled out in the sun, it was gorgeous. I then hopped on a ferry to Manly and had my fave fish and chips on the beach as the sun went down....I also went to the Roxy and Billabong sales.....ooops! Coming back into the city when it was dark was awesome, its so pretty when the opera house and bridge are all lit up and I could feel myself falling back in love with Sydney all over again.

I also made a nice trip to Palm Beach which is where Home and Away is filmed, it was sooo cool seeing the surf club with Alf Stewarts name over the door! ha ha. The beach and the surrounding area is absolutely gorgeous and I sat and read my book and chilled there for a few hours. I met a couple of nice english girls there and just chilled out then got the bus home back together. That night I went down to Sidebar with a few people that were on my west coast trip and a couple of people I had met in the kitchen at the hostel, Wake up!

On one of the nights I met up with Hannah who I had met in mission beach up on the East coast months ago. We went for a cocktail then to the lovliest restaurant over looking Bondi Beach and ate so much food I thought I was going to burst! It was sad saying goodbye to her as I knew that i wouldnt see her for a long time as she has moved to Bondi.

I wanted to do some things that I didnt manage to do the last time in Sydney which included the Sydney Bridge Climb. I am not a lover of heights so it was a bit of a challenge to overcome....until i actually did it. It was awesome and the Pope-ster himself even drove underneath us when we were up there. i was with a really good group and was adopted by 2 aussie women. Our guide Lisa, was also a nutter which was fab. I didnt get scared up there and the views were amazing....very surreal! Another night in Sidebar follwed....what a surprise!

I was in reception at the hostel waiting for the 11am Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach walk...it takes you along the coast and you see wuite a few different gorgeous beaches... all of a sudden a here "Tracy???"I turn around to see Charlie who i went to school with and hadnt seen for years staring back in the face! To say we were both shocked is a bit of an understatement! it was so good seeing someone that I had known for ages and ages. We caught up on all the latest gossip and I found out that half my year either has babies or are getting married... ah well I'm away having the time of my life! I think I win. The walk itself was fab and the beaches were all as amzing as eachother. We ended in Bondi and Charlie and I went for a smoothie on the beach and then did a spot of shopping...loadsa CHEAP stuff and I needed a few things...honest....

On the saturday I was meeting 2 irish girls, Denise and Sarah who I had met in Melbourne in Cooee where they lived. We went to a fab bar on the beach front and caught up on all the stuff that had been happening over the last few months. I was only there for a few hours and Chalie and I were going to the Opera House to watch an opera funnily enough. We got a bit glammed up and headed to the Opera House. It was amazing, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra were fantastic and it was a really surreal experience being in there. I think that my Mum would have loved it. My Dad may have fallen asleep though! After the Opera (which finished early!) we sat in a little restaurant over looking the Quay eating some pudding and had a coffee... it was so lovely.

My last day is Sydney was a crappy sorting out one...washing, internet etc...

I really did fall right back in love with Sydney and to be honest the thought of leaving Australia was quite horrific...onwards and upwards.NZ here I come! x