wow i can't believe we've been here over 2 weeks already! in some ways it feels like we've been here forever .... but in others its like we left yesterday!

so friday, we went to the zoo. i got stupidly excited about seeing a koala and drove everyone mad even before we'd left the hostel! we had to get the ferry across the harbour and then a cable car up to the entrance which took you over the top of the zoo. (alot cooler than chester zoo haha) as soon as we went through the gates, what was there but a koala. yes i had a fit! me and gem both paid for "koala encounters" which meant we could get in the pen with them and have our photos taken with them! seriously one of the best moments of my life (yes i know i'm sad) In New South Wales its illegal to touch or hold koalas (something to do with them never being able to be released into the wild if this happens) but in Queensland the laws are different, so hopefully we'll get to hold one when we move north.

more about the zoo. we also saw a crazy platypus that was doing backflips them things are awesomely weird! we saw packs of dingoes (didnt like them they're evil) and the reptile shed was amazing, loads of different types of snakes including the fierce snake which is the most poisonous in the world. when we went to see the tigers one went a bit crazy and like shoved its head right up against the glass! that was kind of scary and a bit sad for the tiger it obviously didnt like being cooped up! (jess stop freaking out right now ((she loves tigers)) thats all about the zoo. gem got bored because i made her stare at koalas for literally an hour (poor gem im sorry)

That night we went on a girls night out in Sydney. we went to a few good bars where me and gem did the usual of dancing on tables (seriously i have no idea where that tradition came from) then we went to some weird bar where in the toilets a woman put tattoos on your wrist. we woke up the next morning like "euuuughhh get it off me" gem had a pair of lips and i had some weird harry potter like pattern. don't panic parents they washed off with some soap!

Saturday was pretty much just a chill out day! we spent hours in an internet cafe trying to work out how to upload photos (i'm not exaggerating!)

Sunday was rather eventful. At 7am we had to take our friend lee, whos a guy in our dorm, to casualty because he'd been sick all night. they attached him to a drip and told him he had viral gastrnononblahblah (yeah i can't spell it, something wrong with his stomach?) we sat there for 4 hours and whilst we were there this fat outback farmer with crazy red hair and moustache walks in and we noticed he had a gun tucked in his boot. he was really weird and scary so we just sat there in silence for a while! can laugh about it now but it was horrible at the time! lee is ok now by the way, dosed up on pills and sleeping (and snoring) alot but he'll live. We got a bus into coogee in the evening and sat on the beach eating our tea, watching an electrical storm in the distance! something that couldn't be done in england.

Today was one of the best days so far. we climbed to the top of sydney harbour bridge! we had to wear really flattering grey boiler suits and we were attached to a ball and chain. the ball was attached to a wire that went right around the climb circuit and we had to pull the ball along with us so we couldn't fall off. the climb itself was quite hard work, we both feel knackered now but it was well worth doing! we had to climb up ladders from beneath the bridge and your head just suddenly popped out of a hole and then there were cars whizzing either side of your head. it was a strange experience! once we'd climbed to the top we had loads of windswept photos taken (which they printed out and gave us so you won't be able to see them until we get home) climbing down the other side of the bridge we climbed down the middle of the railway tracks. as we were climbing down a huge train came thundering down and i can honestly say i've never jumped so much in my life!!! As we were coming to the end of the climb, gem started jumping up and down screaming, i didn't have a clue what was happening! right underneath us was laura and nick, 2 friends we made last week, they had randomly been passing by and seen us! it was all good fun!

this has been a really long blog, apologies if you're falling asleep reading it! tomorrow we're leaving early in the morning for surf camp which will take us up north to byron bay! gem will update once thats finished and we can find a new internet cafe.

love to everyone, hope you are all ok

x x x x x