Gosh, really so much has happened over the past week its hard to know where to start. I'll start at the beginnig and add bits as I go.

The 1st flight - both were with Thai airways - was delayed by an hour, but due to a strong tailwind it got us there on time as scheduled. I must admit i was a bit worried about catching the connecting flight as it had been put forwad half an hour. The leg room on the plane was good and i sat next to a geeky londoner and his Thai wife. She kept offering me fruit throughout the flight which was sweet! They were playing some odd game where you write nos from 1-50 on a piece of paper and then cross them off. There must have been more to it but i didnt ask - they were both very excited about winning tho! So the flight started and the girl came round with drinks (this may be hard to believe but i just had water). Next we were given food followed by more drinks and then more drinks, brandy and wine and then more drinks!! We then had a break for a bit and i watched a wierd film that was def not not kids! it scared me! Then I had a snooze and i was awoken by more drink!!! The breakfast then came and we landed. The plane had a camera on the nose so you could watch take-off and landing - not really what I wanted as the number of my flight was 911!!

So i got to bangkok, got off the plane and then i went through security and got on the next flight. I belted up and as we got up in the air guess what - i was offered brekky again!!! I declined. I was stuffed and i hadn't moved!! I just wanted to sleep. I had 2 seats by the window and i slept for a couple of hours. On this flight the tvs were in the back of the head-rests so how was i woken-up?? By some little kid hitting my headrest because it was someone's great idea to make them touchscreen! Next thing i know I'm being poked by some object hes pushing between the seats! What a brat! But to be fair it was a long flight so it prob kept him amused to try my patience! He hit my chair all the way to Sydney. When i moved seats so did he!!! He also screamed at regular intervals! Anyway, more food came. I tried to eat it but it was the worst meal of the 4.

Right! So I arrived eventually and got to me hotel but I couldn't sleep at first so at 4 am I found myself having a shower and getting ready to meet Paul at 8. I did watch a Newcastle game (crap).

I found my way to Mascot station after some brekky and it was only a few stops to Central station so i dumped my stuff and waited for Paul.

I met him (which was emotional for me!) and we both had a siesta as he'd had an 11 hour coach trip from Melbourne. We were in separate hostels which was cool, his was crap!! Over the next few days I did various things on my own. I took a tour of the opera house (did you know that the guy that designed it fell out with the others and never went back to see it in the flesh?! how sad) I went to bondi for a few hours and wandered on the sand. I went to the Australian Museum and the Museum of Justice and Police and the Museum of Contemporary Art. I know nothing about art but i dont see how squares of colour on the wall is art. If it is then im a great artist!! The upstairs of the gallery was an exhibition by a woman called Fiona Foley. It's subject was on how even tho ppl say theres no racism about there clearly is. She had these costumes made up; instead of KKK it was HHH (hedonistic honky (white haters) and she ahd a couple of other pieces. It was very good. Someone in my room climbed the harbour bridge but it was $220 and i didnt want to spend that much. This trip has taught me that nothing is for free. When i did the opera house tour ($35) they took my photo at the start in-front of a green backgrund and they asked to respect their wishes not to take photos in the theatres - the guide watched us like a hawk to make sure we didn't - this was so that they could try and make you buy a pack at the end of for another $30 with postcards and your photo. What a con!

My trip to Bondi was quite typically 'Laura' I had got up the night before, well 3am, to watch West Ham (lose boooo!) and i'd had 4 schooner (nearly a pint) in 90mins. I got the train to Bondi jnc'n and had to get the number 333 bus from stand a3. I stepped out the station and a 333 to Bondi came along.. I know i should have asked whether it was the right one but i thought as it said Bondi it would be ok! Anyway, I started to recognise the roads around me.. it had taken me back yo the Opera House where I started from! I had to meet Paul at the staion a little later so I re-did the whole journey and eventually got to Bondi! Yeah yeah, laugh it up!

I went to the botanical gardens one day and had a look round the tropical houses and also to see the 'bats' I had heard of that slept in trees. They are infact flying foxes and there are hundreds of them! My camera only has a 3x zoom (booo!) anyway i read that they are actually spoiling the tree as there's so many of them. Another bird that you see alot of is the Ibis. When i went to the museum it said that where they used to live the river dried up and because of this they had nowhere to go and ended up in the city. However because there are so many of them the authorities have to control the population by taking the eggs. Its funny, prob cos it never happened to me but when people were eating in the park about 40 birds would decend on them... Ibis pigeon seasgulls! Amazing! They dont give up either!

The Australian museum was really interesting. lots of dead mounted stuff and lots on the marine life. Also it was interesting to hear how the indigeonous(sp?) ppl of aus were treated in the past. Disgraceful! Anywa, the last thing i will talk about (and the reason i went to sydey after all) is the fireworks. Pauls mate had told him about a reserve called Balls head but we had to get there early cos they only let a few thousand ppl in. Aguy in my room (we were all up pretty early) got a text at 8am from a mate who was in the botanical gardens. aparantly there were already a few thousand there and they were all cold and wet cos guess what? it rained (BOOOO!) it didnt rain much tho. just a few showers through the day. o i met paul about 930am and we headed to get munch and drink. Some one had the great idea to buy a 55 litre plastic tub to put 5kgs of ice in and all the beers (it was my idea to get 48- what was i thinking!) also we bought rolls burgers etc. Now the tub would have been a great idea if we had planned to sit by the supermarket all day but we had to get to balls head. i had to carry 2 bags full with 6 litres of water, beer munch. and paul had beer ice in his tub. What was only a 10min walk to the station then turned into a 30. it was like something out of world strongest man!!!! I had my backpack on my back and i did wonder what was in it. i had left it at pauls hostel so he could fill it with beer and food. i carrioed it the whole way only to open it to see it contained his shoes, towel, jumper and suncream. Paul Stow you little blagger!! So we eventually made it to balls head after carting this tub and 3 bags through the streets after the train journey. at one point i tried some reeds onto the handle of the tub and paul dragged it. but the wheels couldnt take it and they all fell off. poor manufacturing! anyway, sweating like pigs and with cut hands we made it and i swear my arms gained about 2 inches in length but it was sooooo worth it!!! Our view was superb. we were north of the bridge and the fireworks were out of this world. ive written loads about my trip in my book but i cant write it all here. it takes too long. and the net in oz costs quite a bit. so does the beer. and the food. actually its all pretty expensive. im very surprised! next up canberra