Our lives in Sydney kicked off at super speed...we were both thrown in at the deep end with our jobs, quite a challenge after nine months of doing nothing but lazing around only worrying about where our next day took us...our brains really did need a good workout so the challenge was much appreciated. Thankfully we both found work doing what we did in the UK, great for the CV and even better for the wallet, no hostel-bar-pint-pulling or fruit picking, thank goodness!

We quickly slotted back into the daily grind, this time with a twist. Our flat was in the cool Sydney suburb of Paddington, conveniently placed by little boutiques with great bars and restaurants on the doorstep. Fortunately we both had the luxury of a 30 minute walk to work through the beautiful Hyde Park...a fit, healthy and calming commute and we loved it. Having a few friends in Sydney was a massive bonus as we found it relatively easy to meet new people and have made some wonderful, life-long friends during our time here...sharing numerous fun-filled weekends, including Kangaroo Valley, 90's fancy dress and a spectacular New Years Eve 2009/10.

Celebrating our first year from home, we looked back on our time away and realised just how much we've seen, done and experienced. This also caused us to miss our friends and family at home massively, so it was perfect timing for Rachel's mum and dad to visit, as part of their 6 week Australia tour. We spent a good 10 days with the Markham's, climbing the Harbour Bridge, trips to Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains and enjoying some of Sydney's finest restaurants, to list but a few. It was an aptly timed visit and left us feeling content again after the family fix, albeit sad that the time was short and they had so soon departed.

Work continued as it does in life, with ups and downs and daily frustrations. It became clear that James's contract was coming to and end in December and after hours of discussions around the pros and cons we made the decision to pack up and leave to continue our travels in early Jan, 6 weeks sooner than originally planned. On a positive note, this gave us a couple of weeks over Christmas and new year to wind down and take it easy, such is the life we've been accustomed to over the past year!

Christmas 2009, the second of our trip and to be spent in sunny Sydney, or so we thought. Unfortunately it was cold, blustery and wet...our visit to the infamous Bondi Beach on Christmas day lasted all of 30 minutes, it just wasn't fun, so we headed home to cook, drink and be merry.

New Years Eve, however, was a different tale. Our friends live on the 35th floor of a wonderful tower overlooking the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, so we gleefully accepted their NYE invitation and had one of the best experiences of our time in Sydney, fireworks galore with great wine, food and company, certainly one to remember.

Finally, my big 3-0. The dreaded day arrived, much to my reluctance. James had planned a surprise romantic trip to Shark Island, a remote uninhabited island in Sydney's harbour, where we gorged on a delicious picnic, drank Champagne, sunbathed and swam on our own desolate island for the day, absolute bliss. Then it was party time...a joint birthday shared with Tash, a friend of ours, this was more of a drunken affair to bring in the new decade!

On the 10th Jan it was time to say goodbye to our Sydney life and kick start the Oz travels. We had a blast living and working in the city and met some wonderful people. On the one hand it seems a shame to cut this adventure short, but on the other more exciting and enticing experiences lay ahead for us...and life is far too short to become complacent. Sydney has provided us with fun, adventure and friends...memories to last a lifetime and is definitely another "We'll be back"!