Firstly, Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

We arrived in Manly which is on the out skirts of Sydney on the 23rd of December, where we had hostel accommodation booked. A really nice hostel with only a 30 second walk to the beach with surf, which we have been spending most of our time.

The Ozzy summer has well and truly kicked in, and we are now living the beach life which we had been promised. So our Christmas was slightly different from our usual, we spent Christmas Eve on the beach having celebrations with a box of Goon (the cheapest wine, 5 pounds for 4 litres) and a BBQ. Christmas Day was spent on the beach surfing with Christmas hats on and getting interviewed by Australian National TV..awesome day!!

New Year has no words which can describe just how amazing the Sydney Bridge firework were. We were up at 6 am in order to get a good spot in the Botanic gardens to get a good view of the Bridge. It was a great day chilling out with a few beers and food, soaking in the atmosphere of New Year in Sydney.

We have been here for just over a week and it has been so good meeting and getting to know people from all over. Both Dave and I have fallen in love with Manly and have decided to settle here for a while to look for work. We have made some good friends which we really want to spend some time with which has persuaded us to stay.

We are moving out of the hostel on the 4th into the van, where we will hopefully get jobs asap then start looking for rented accommodation and stay here for 3 months or so.

We have been highly recommended to take a trip to visit the Blue Mountains which is a couple of hours from Manly, its a National Park full of wilderness and amazing scenery, so that is going to be our next adventure from here.

Please keep writing on our wall, we really like hearing from you.

Love to all,

Dave and Soph

So just keeping everyone updated of what we are up to. We have well and truley set up in Manly for the next 6 months, we have our own one bedroom flat which is only a 45 second walk to the beach, its absolutely ideal. We have been lucky enough to both find jobs right away with me working in a cafe/restaurant as a waitress, really enjoying and its good to be earning money rather than spending it. Dave has landed himself two kayaking jobs taking tours round Sydney Harbour and leading kayak fitness sessions as well as being a barman in up market Moroccan restaurant. So thats where we are at right now, still enjoying the beautiful weather.

Remember to keep us posted with your news, love hearing from you on our message board...

Bye for now x