Just left Sydney this morning and are on our way up the East Coast. Have a long lunch stop off as some people are off doing some activities so have found this internet cafe in Nelson Bay to do a mega blog!

We left Bondi and got a bus straight though to the city and a drop off close to our hotel. Asking for a high floor with a view we got a room of the top floor which looked out over the tops of some buildings. Not a great view, but proved great to watch the fork lightening storm later that night. It was nice to have a bigger room, private bathroom, kitchenette and proper service (I'm sooo high maintenance sometimes...).

Once we'd dumped our gear we went to the Rocks area for lunch and then on to the Harbour Bridge. We walked over, stopping at the Pylon lookout on the way. The views were stunning and I got rather emotional realising that here I was, on the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, on my honeymoon, looking at the Opera House. O M G !!! It hovered around 35 cel so the walk over was slow and we got the ferry back. We then went to the Opera House. It was a bit pricey for a tour so we didn't bother, but it was well worth having a wee in there as the toilets were quirky and cool. AFter looking around more we went to Chinatown in the night which wasn't as good as Adelaide's, but then went to Darling Harbour where we had a nightcap from a second floor bar, looking out over the lights... ahhhh! Stupidly I took my fleece as Melbourne was cool in the evenings, but it didn't go below 24!

The following day we went to the Maritime museum and then to Paddy's market hoping for a repeat of the Victoria market in Melbourne but were disappointed. No deli food, so we went elsewhere for lunch. We then took another slow walk to Mrs Maquires (probably wrong spelling) for views and to visit the Government house. That night we went to Kings Cross for food but we were too early and didn't see any druggies or prostitutes. I was disappointed.

The next day we were up early to get a train to Roseville (40min journey north-ish of Sydney) to meet 'The Carneys' - the emigrated neighbours of Chris's mum and Dad who Chris knew for years of course. Andrea and her two kids drove us around the north of Sydney and we got to see some national parks and beaches and views that not many tourists to Sydney would see. It was interesting talking about the benefits and differences in Oz vs UK and a great insight. They even took us to Newport (Newport Beach)! We stopped at Palm Beach which is where Home and Away is filmed (Summer Bay Surf Club) and although I'm not a watcher, I'll be proud to show the pics. We had a fab lunch in Dee Why and a coffee back at their house with Paul, who had come home from work, before getting the train home. Thanks again! We then went to Darling HArbour for a $10 dinner and met with Jenny from Contiki NZ before she took us to the Rocks for drinks in a grat bar, and then pancakes! Andy, the relentless alcoholic and partier from Kent met us again just in time to finish Jen's pancakes...

We had a lay in yesterday and then got the ferry to Manly. It hovered at 38-42 cel in parts of Sydney and we were baking. Spending a lot of time in the sea was cooling - until the shark alarm went off and we had to get out quick, how exciting! No fins spotted though. Andy turned up a lot later than he said so him and Chris played in the waves for a bit until I had to drag Chris out to get the ferry back as we were being taken out for dinner by Jen and her boyfriend Ron tha night to one of their fave local resturants. Unfortunately, Chris got us on the wrong bus and we ended up going quite far out over a freeway until it could stop and let us off (was not impressed) but we weren't late. And the food was AMAZING (thanks guys!). Sadly, we didn't get to try the dessert we wanted as they had run out - fried ice cream!!!

Today has been an early start for our 14 day Contiki tour which appears to be full of Canadians. One possible freak spotted so far....