G'day From Down Under! (Yeah I can't think of anything more original...)

To do list for Sydney:

See a kangeroo (x); eat a kangeroo (x); see a koala (x); see the Sydney Opera House (x); meet an attractive life guard; ask an Australian to 'put another shrimp on the barbie'; wind up an Australian by going on about how your tan gives you a healthy glow (x); moan that the weather is too cold (x); freak out about cockroaches/ spiders/ creepy crawlies of gigantic proportions (x); have an alcohol free night (yeah right!); laugh at the crazy b*****s going for a run in the mid-day sun (x); embarrass myself on a surf board

So after spending my last night in Bangkok watching Sherlock Holmes at the cinema (Jude Law still has it!), I boarded my flight to Sydney eagerly anticipating my next adventure! I felt pretty dreadful the entire flight (dodgy fruit shake from Khaosan Road gave me terrible tummy pains for over a week!) and was thoroughly relieved to arrive. I was met at the airport by the overtly Australian Dave (I'm sure they deliberately send their most Australian representative to greet you cos they are literally the only Australian you are going to meet for the first week!). I was picked up along with a German girl, Svenja. We were taken on a quick tour before being dropped at the hostel. Despite being majorly tired (and feeling a tad fragile) we gathered energy from somewhere and set about orientating ourselves in the city. Svenja and I were put in a room together with a Dutch couple, but before we had even chucked our backpacks on our beds we were off setting up our bank accounts, getting our taxfile numbers and sorting out our free health care. I discovered a British shop opposite the Medicare Centre where one could buy British classics such as Weetabix and Marmite, if one were prepared to pay the bargain 8 pounds fifty for a medium sized bag of Galaxy Minsterals. I don't think I will ever miss chocolate that much!

That night we went out for a six dollar steak (which was AMAZING) and a couple of bevvies before deciding to call it a night. Intriguingly it appears to be cheaper to eat out here than to buy anything from the supermarket. The two main supermarkets are Coles (oh yes Miss Cole) and Woolworths (sadly no pick'n'mix) and everything is ridiculously expensive. Methinks I'll be eating worse here than when I was a student!

The second day involved the work and travel group getting the bus to Bronte beach and walking from there to Bondi Beach. With my shoulders still aching from hoiking my backpack around Bangkok and still tired from my night in a hot and sweaty bunk, I began to curse the cheerfulness of Aussie Dave and his stupid hat (Australians love hats) and his insistance that this was a short walk... After so much hype and then that Bondi was a disappointment, I really didn't find it a bad place to be at all. The beach is enormous. Sure the tourist tat and the cafes are ridiculously overpriced, but somehow I bet it's better than Dover beach in January ;). After the baking hot bath of the sea in Thailand, Bondi's water were a little cool for my liking. Aussie Dave was undeterred however and in typical fashion declared that it was a beautiful day (it was practically raining) and that the sea was lovely and warm (at least 25 degrees apparently).

That night we were treated to a free Australian bbq at the nearby hostel, with kangeroo on the menu! Eventually once the cheap sausages and burgers had been dished up we finally got a taste of the kangeroo, which was somewhat chewy and I guess a bit like steak. We headed out for a pub crawl, in which we got free entry and free drinks in most places :).

The area that I was staying in (King's Cross) has turned out to be a bit on the notorious side. It boasts a terrific night life, but also an alarming amount of adult shops. Thinking I'm well 'ard (mate, I lived in the Flower's Estate), I poo-paaed it's reputation until Saturday night when all the transexual prostitutes began parading our street and telling us to go back to where we came from (oh yes the temptation to tell them to go back to the gender they came from was definitely there, but I didn't fancy getting stabbed, thank you very much!). After a night out at the Gaff (basically the Sydney version of Jesters), the entertainment was far greater at the hostel and so a group of us gathered on the balcony to watch the prostitutes at work. We were not left disappointed when a very drunk Swedish girl asked one 'Are you a man or a woman?' and was promptly slapped in the face!!! Love it.

So what else have I done?! Ah yes, Svenja and I walked through the botanical gardens to the iconic Sydney Opera House, which doesn't disappoint, provided the weather is sunny! We got the ferry over to Manly in North Sydney and went to the beach there and explored a few of the shops. The following day I went to the beach with a group of fellow Britons (I gave in, there are too many to avoid) and I got my picture taken with a koala!! Taronga Zoo is well worth a visit as they literally have every animal!

After a couple of days of shopping with Svenja and general wandering around (once we had awoken ourselves from our hungover slumbers every morning of course), we decided perhaps it was time to start looking for a job. However, when the sun is shining and jobs are not that easy to come by it can be quite hard to find the motivation! So armed with a bunch of CVs I walked around Bondi Junction shopping centre yesterday handing out to anywhere that would accept it! So far I've had no response, but perhaps by my next entry I will finally have one! I decided to leave the less than celubrious King's Cross to come to Bondi Beach as at least here when I'm bored I can lay on the beach and work on that killer tan :).

Love to you all! xxxx

P.s any further suggestions for the to do list are more than welcome :)