Sydney is one of my favouirte places so it was strange that on my first day here I felt quite fed up, dont know why. Maybe tired, maybe the showery weather, I dont know but my day around Darling Harbour via the open-top bus at the excellent Martime Museum and the Imax Theatre wasn't the happiest day Ive had since i've been away.

Woke up after a night in my decent accommodation in Kings Cross (not the best of areas!) and had a far better second day. I picked up a travel pass for A$43 which gives you free travel on public transport including ferries and used that to get to Bondi and have a look around there before embarking on the fantastic coastal walk over to Coogie beach and back. Good excercise, lovely scenery and the sun shining - really enjoyed that. Got back and had a beer at the Rocks near Circular Quay.

Was up early in the morning so decided to get the ferry over to Manly, after a scenic beachwalk I walked over to the main beach and the sea and sand were fantastic. Best beach in Sydney for me, I had a chat with a semi-pro surfer who was an interesting fella, he certainly had some rather nasty cuts and injuries to show off. That evening I had a few beers in George St pubs chatting to a few people along the way.

I went to some cricket the next day at the SCG, a state match between NSW and Victoria, which the visitors won easily thanks to Hussey and Hodge getting hundreds. A guy in very businessmanlike attire came and sat with me and when I asked if he was working he told me "I was in a mergers meeting mate, so sodding boring, I thought sod this so I told them I needed the dunny and just walked out and came here" He used a different words than sodding and sod. On the way back I went past Wake Up Hostel, should have stayed there, dead central and looked really nice.

Spent the last day on the Ferrys, firstly to Watsons Bay and back where the fish and chips certainly are great. Then over to Parramatta, the furthest you can go on the Ferrys and I had a walk up the river and through some gardens before going back to pack once more.