Sydney

Monday 20th December

We arrived in Sydney pretty late but came in to land during an amazing sunset. I've never seen such an amazing colour in the sky whilst above the clouds!

We came through arrivals and Zara was there waiting for us which was really cool. It was so nice to get somewhere and not have to worry about finding our way to the hostel in a city we didn't know. A short cab ride to Kangaroo Bakpak and we started meeting what would be our family for the next two weeks. The hostel seemed like a really cool place, chilled out, small compared to many others, decent communal areas and a personal feel. I think we'll like this place!

Zara plied us with cider and cupcakes which was awesome after a 10 hour flight and we then attempted to go to bed as we were shattered. There were two guys in our room that had gone out for the night so a good nights sleep was not going to happen. Sean and I were still on Asia time and just couldn't fall asleep, then randomly a girl that was not in our room appeared and got in one of the guys beds around 4am. Hmm....two hours later the guys came home and got into bed too. Now, their beds are opposite mine, the beds are extremely creaky and by this point the sun had risen so it was pretty light. Even with ear plugs in all I could hear was sloppy kissing and then I saw his hand reach for his condoms. At this stage I didn't know what to do - I wanted to go to sleep and no way did I want to share a room with someone having sex. I didn't know at this point that Sean and Zara were also awake. Even me getting up to the toilet to make the guys realise I was awake wasn't enough to stop them so I spoke up and told them to get out! Luckily it worked and at 7am we finally got to sleep. Welcome to dorm rooms!

Tuesday 21st December

After the long flight and being kept awake until silly o'clock we dragged ourselves out of bed and heading to the CBD to get register for Medicare. That was a mission in itself but finally it was sorted and I was able to get my medication. After that we headed to Circular Quay (obviously) to get our first glimpse of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. It was an amazing sight and with glorious sunshine we sat admiring the view by the waters for some time. We wandered round to the Opera House and as you get closer you realise how enormous it is, but also how ugly it is! Don't get me wrong - it is an awesome piece of architecture, and looks amazing from a distance, but close up it is pretty damn ugly and dirty.

Wednesday 22nd December

I got up early and paid a quick visit to the doctor to get my medication (which even when subsidised is not cheap here) and that was an experience it itself. I found myself sitting in a waiting room being the only person whose first language was English and then had to teach the doctor (who was chinese) a few things about the medical world. Oh well, I got what I needed and that was all that mattered.

Sean , Zara and I then headed over to Manly beach for the afternoon. We took the ferry over so that we go to cross the harbour and see the sights from the water. It's difficult to describe how awesome the views are, but we would definitely recommend people to take that trip - plus its much cheaper than a boat cruise! Manly itself is a cute little part of Sydney, nice houses, cute shops, lots of fish and chips although we didn't sample them, and a beautiful beach. Nice soft sand, clear waters and a nice mix of people. The water was colder than we expected but it was good fun jumping the waves in our token Santa hats. Oh, and before I forget, I get pooed on once again - this time by a seagull all over my bare leg. This confirms that seagulls are evil creatures!

That evening we went for drinks at the Gaslight on Crown Street, Surry Hills and all ended up a little tipsy - Sean looked like a right stud with two gorgeous girls on his arm! Surry Hills itself is about 15/20 mins walk from Central Station and is a very cute area. Most of the houses are Victorian with balconies that reminded us of parts of Eastbourne. There are lots of boutique shops and nice looking cafes and restaurants plus a decent number of bars. The crazier nightlife is walkable but it was nice to be in a funky little area amongst locals rather than hundreds of Brits (yes we are getting old!).

Thursday 23rd December

Today was a very lazy day, we made ourselves a picnic and headed for the Botanic Gardens. Overlooking the harbour and with great views of the bridge and the Opera House, the gardens are an excellent place to chill out on a warm summers day. After a few hours, and with the supply of sandwiches exhausted, we walked back to the hostel and spent the evening watching Christmas classics like Miracle on 34th Street with the hostel crowd to get us in the festive mood.

Friday 24th December - Christmas Eve!

Happy Birthday Dad Sandilands!

In order to prepare ourselves for a big night out we once again treated ourselves to a lay in (I'm not sure how we're going to cope with getting back into the world of work because out here we seem to be sleeping a lot more than usual)!

In the afternoon we headed to Paddy's Market in Central to try and get some bargains. Paddy's Market dates back many years but has recently been moved undercover so that tourist flock there on a daily basis. It's a really cool market with literally everything you can imagine and very cheap for Oz...just not in comparison to Asia. After spending too much money we headed back to prepare for a night of mayhem. Obviously the night started with some goon before almost all of the hostel went to Scary Canary (next to Base in Central). When we walked in I have to admit that I felt pretty old but after a couple more glasses of wine we were shaking our asses on the dance floor. Scary Canary is your typical backpacker club - dark and dingy, good music, loads of very drunken Brits and of course competitions throughout the night. For some strange reason the alcohol made me want to participate and lets just say that Sean and I won 10 nights free accommodation at Base Hostels in Australia. The night confirmed that we had a good crowd in the hostel and we'd make some good friends whilst in Sydney. A good night all round!

Saturday 25th December - Christmas Day!

I can honestly say that this Christmas Day could not have been more different than those we're used to back home. The day begun with a little inter-hostel present giving that provided us with an outback styled beach bag and matching pen and lighter set - always useful when you're on the beach and need to make fire whilst also writing something down and want to blend in with the locals. After the presents was the traditional xmas day barbie. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for meat cooked over an open fire and I consumed far too much of it, but give me roast Turkey and all the trimmings any day!

After the bbq, everyone from the hostel made their way down to Bondi beach for some Christmas Day sun, drinking goon, doing some 'frolicking' in the waves (trying not to be the English idiots that get into trouble and end up on 'Bondi Beach Patrol') and building human pyramids. As the sun set over the beach, and with the dance tunes from the Big Bondi Beach Bash filling the air we all agreed it was a Christmas Day we are unlikely to ever forget amongst our new adopted backpacker family.

Sunday 26th December - Boxing Day!

As we are getting old and had two pretty late nights in a row we decided to lay in. Boxing Day isn't a big thing over here like it is in England so it was a bit strange to wake up and not really have much to do. Unfortunately it was also raining when we woke up so it wasn't as simple as being able to head to the beach. We figured it was the perfect opportunity to head to the aquarium, but first of all we treated ourselves by cooking a boxing day fry-up. We all fancied some bacon so Zara was a star and went out and bought some! Whilst being the hostess with the mostest Sean and I finally purchased our Greyhound pass for the East Coast and booked out first leg - destination Coffs Harbour on January 2nd.

After a lazy morning and once full of meat the sun decided to show its face and we headed to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour. You haven't got a view of the bridge and the opera house like you do at circular quay, but its a beautiful harbour, full of yachts and surrounded by fountains, bars and restaurants. I could definitely see myself hanging out there more often if I had some cash to spend. We spent a couple of hours inside the aquarium - apparently it's one of the best in the world. The colours of the fish and corals were just amazing and made us so excited for the Barrier Reef. Bright blue and yellow fish, jellyfish that were glowing pink! Having said that, although the shark tanks were awesome, but I definitely don't want to come across a Nurse Shark in the deep seas. Obviously, it's not my choice but if I see one I think i'll be straight back on the boat. We spent a couple of hours at the aquarium and then sat in a bar on the harbour admiring the views and taking it all in.

The rain started to fall as we were walking back but luckily it didn't pour until we got back. After an exciting boxing day dinner of pasta and sauce, it was time for the Kangaroo Bakpak Boxing Day quiz. Of course we stormed it and won a grand total of $4 each. All helps though! This was followed by cards and goon before going to bed at a reasonable time for once as were all exhausted.

Monday 27th December

After going to bed at a more respectable time and having new room mates check-in we woke up relatively early only to find out that the heavens were open and the rain was coming down pretty hard. I tried to go back to sleep but it wasn't happening so for once we had some breakfast whilst thinking about what we could do in the rain. Sean wasn't keen on doing much but I needed to get out, so we headed into town for a bit only to find that the Cathedral and the medicare centre were both closed. Very annoying when we'd ventured out in the rain! Base travel was open luckily and we claimed our prize of 10 nights free in Base hostels around Australia, definitely helpful in this expensive country when on a tight budget. To make Sean a happy boy we then went to Scruffy Murphy's Irish Bar for some chips and to watch the Ashes. Food & sport worked a treat!

In the evening we went to the local comedy night in Paddington with a group from the hostel, was good to have a laugh and a few drinks and definitely a night out we would recommend.

Tuesday 28th December

Zara and I left Sean to sit and watch the Ashes with the boys all day whilst we headed out to Palm Beach (north of Sydney) where Home and Away is filmed. I was a big fan back in the days that it was on ITV but Zara is still an avid fan so was very excited for the trip. It was a bit of mission to get there, almost two hours on the bus but the journey was also a good way to see the suburbs of Sydney. Driving into Palm Beach was pretty spectacular - lots of bays with awesome beaches, golf courses and amazing houses built into the cliff side with two or three tiers and huge verandas and swimming pools. It was easy to see why the rich and famous choose to live out there.

Unfortunately the weather wasn't amazing so we didn't get a chance to lounge on the sands of Summer Bay but we made the most of walking along it, spotting different areas that we've seen on TV before arriving at Alf Stewart's famous surf club. The outside looks pretty much the same as it does on TV (apart from a little kiosk) and it even has Alf's name on it, but unfortunately the inside is completely different as it is used by the real life lifeguards. Five minutes walk away we found what we believe to be the diner but whether it is or not we are yet to find out. Unfortunately no filming was going on whilst we were there as they were on a break for Christmas. We still believe that Alf was there in spirit though!

Wednesday 29th December

We awoke to another beautiful day and decided to make the most of it by heading to Bondi and doing the famous Bondi to Coogee walk that everyone had recommended. It didn't disappoint, you're treated to some truly stunning scenery along the way and pass through 3 or 4 little beaches, all with their own personality and filled with the sound of people having fun and the smell of meat cooking on the public BBQ's (best invention ever). It's easy to see why 90% of the population of Oz live within 50km of a beach when they are so spoilt for choice.

Once we reached Coogee we were treated to a live beach rescue drama involving 2 helicopters, 3 police cars, 3 ambulances and 2 beach rescue vehicles - all for one person that had fallen from a cliff into the rocky water below.

That evening we met up with some of Janine's friends from her time out in Florida for a meal and a drink on Darling Harbour. It was a great evening in a perfect setting with some really cool people (although the beer in Darling Harbour is expensive even by Sydney standards and that's saying something!)

Thursday 30th December

A long day with a hostel trip out to the Blue Mountains, worth it though for the fantastic views over the canyons and the blue haze that gives the national park it's name

Friday 31st December - New Years Eve!

New Years Eve in Sydney had finally arrived and it didn't disappoint. Choosing your spot for NYE is a bit of an art form, with so many factors to consider such as the views of the Bridge, Opera House and Harbour itself, the ability to bring your own alcohol, the capacity of the 'zone' and general popularity and facilities. After some serious hostel debate we settled on a little spot down on the water's edge on the South East side of the Harbour called Point Piper.

The spot itself is tiny, accessible only from a steep stairway that starts up on the street in one of Sydney's most affluent neighborhoods that you'd miss if you didn't know what you were looking for. Unfortunately, there were a lot of other people that also knew what they were looking for and the spot had almost reached its 100 capacity by the time we rocked up at midday to join a couple of guys that got there early to save a space. The day was spent drinking and eating and drinking, and more drinking until the first lightshow at 9pm (for the kids so they don't have to have too much of a late night). The main event at midnight was spectacular and everything we'd hoped for. The fireworks from the Bridge are just a small part of the show, with more displays erupting simultaneously from the tops of the skyscrapers in Central Sydney and at regular intervals along the Harbour water. It's difficult to describe the feeling of being amongst a show that you've seen on TV all your life and is so iconic so I'll stop trying to, suffice to say that it was an unforgettable evening and worth flying half way around the world to see.

Saturday 1st January - New Years Day!

After a heavy and late night we woke up around midday and I was feeling fresh as a daisy. Sean and Zara on the other hand were the complete opposite - they were taking it in turns to throw up which I found highly amusing as it's usually me. I left them to feel sorry for themselves whilst I went over to the park opposite the hostel, climbed the hill for an awesome view of the Sydney skyline and spent a couple of hours reading and sunbathing. When Sean eventually felt better we want for a little walk to check out the stadium where the Ashes were to be played before having a chilled out evening.

Sunday 2nd January

We woke up feeling a bit sad that we had to leave Sydney today, we had to leave Zara and a good group of friends that we'd made during our stay at the Kangaroo but we didn't want that to ruin our last day. We checked out nice and early then set off into town with Zara and Dom. We had a quick stop at Paddy's as Sean had once again lost his hat and I needed some new thongs (flip-flops not knickers). Sean, Dom and I then set off to walk over the Harbour Bridge. You can pay to climb the bridge with the cheapest option being $180, we didn't think this would be worth it so we took the trusted method of transport - walking. The bridge is actually huge close up and much longer than you imagine, the views once in the middle are amazing - I'd advise every visitor to Sydney to walk over it and take in the sights of the rest of the harbour. Once on the other side we went to Luna Park and although we didn't on anything (partly because it was expensive but mainly because all the rides were spinning ones which seem to make us feel sick nowadays!), we got to wander around for free and see what a cool little institution it has become.

In the evening we had our final outing with the group - dinner at the Shakespeare which is round the corner from the hostel. $10 for an awesome steak, no complaints from me. It was a quick dash back to the hostel after that to collect our luggage and then we had to say a very sad goodbye before parting from old and new good friends. Our paths will definitely cross again though as we will be heading back to Sydney before leaving Oz.