Hello from Sydney! Frantically typing as fast as I can to keep the costs of the internet low so sorry for any spelling mistakes! I'm currently sat in the 'Wake Up' hostel in the middle of Sydney. I'm having a great time so far. Sydney has proved to be as beautiful and vibrant as I had imagined. On my arrival on Sunday night I booked myself into the hostel and arranged to meet Jase, an old aussie friend I'd made a few years ago when he was travelling in Cornwall. I went to a bar on Coogee Beach which had a real Newquay vibe. It was great. When I got back to the hostel I realised I was the token girl in a room of men but they were reasonably quiet as they stumbled in at various hours of the early morning! On my first morning (Monday) I got up rediculously early to get to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House as fast as my legs would carry me! I walked through the botanical gardens, which were really beautiful I saw fruitbats nestling in the trees, getting ready for bedtime, which was pretty impressive. When I first saw the bridge I was blown away. Weirdly, it was only when I saw the bridge that it hit me what I had achieved and how far away I was from home. It was a great feeling to know I was standing in front of something I never dreamed I'd see for real. I then saw the magnificent Opera House and tried to get to it, although every entrance seemed to be closed. I asked a security guard what was going on and he informed me that the Queen was making a visit! Cool! I found myself in a queue, talking to some crazy aussie royalists, but left before going through the security gates because it was 9am and the Queen wasn't due there for another 3 hours! I did return around 10ish but the queue was huge by then! Crazy! There was no way I was going to stand in a queue for ages to see the Queen, and I'm British! Anyway, after sorting out a travel pass and exchanging some travellers cheques I headed back to Coogee beach for some subathing and swimming. Bliss! That evening I went out with Jase and his mate to Bondi beach for some grub. On Tuesday I went to Sydney Aquarium where I got to see numerous sharks, fish and coral. Really enjoyed it, especially the huge rays, they were amazing. In the afternoon I climbed the Sydney Bridge! It was absolutely brilliant. I got fastened to a railing in a group of 11 and we climbed right to the top of the bridge for the most incredible views of Sydney. It was wonderful. I then got a ferry to Darling Harbour for a mooch around and then headed into Chinatown for some grub. By the time I got back and settled in bed the guys got back after some serious drinking. One of them, Carl, was very unwell and was rather delightfully throwing up and then swallowing the contents of his stomach. Nice. One of the other guys brought two of his mates in so I accepted I wasn't going to get straight off to sleep and we all had a chat whilst keeping an eye on sickly Carl, who had passed out. I didn't get that much sleep last night! Today I forced myself up early again - I'm not wasting valuable time sleeping - and went to Taronga Zoo. I got to see a whole host of animals, native and from all over the world. It was a great place and beyond the giraffes and koala bears was Sydney Harbour for a backdrop. This afternoon I went to Manly Beach, although it was cloudy all day and no good for sunbathing or swimming, and now I'm here, contemplating an early night as I'm already flagging at 7.30pm! Saddo! Tomorrow I'm off on a day trip to the Blue Mountains, which look beautiful. I'll write all about it when I next get the chance. On Friday I have a flight booked to Melbourne for the weekend and then on to Adelaide. Still have lots to look forward to. I have to say though, although I'm not wishing my travels away, the most exciting thought is coming home and seeing everyone I know and love. Travelling on my own has been fantastic but it is a little lonely at times and I do miss everyone at home. Five weeks to go until I'm home to beautiful Cornwall, but hopefully I'll continue to enjoy every moment as much as I have been xx