We waited patiently for an hour for our bus next morning before a phone call to oz experience revealed we were actually meant to have been on the bus yesterday and there were no buses running today. After meticulous planning so we could be in Sydney on 1st March we couldn't understand where we'd gone wrong, but can only guess that the extra day in Februaury had confused us somewhere along the line! We'd almost given up hope when we realised we couldn't get to Sydney for less than 80 pounds any other way, but luckily the leap year would turn out to bring us some good fortune after all as one train company were offering single fares anywhere in Australia for $29 dollars on the 29th only! Although it meant missing our surf lesson we'd end up saving some money on a nights accomodation by sleeping on the train. For anyone ever considering using oz experience dont, its really inflexible and very overpriced for what you get! Not quite believeing our luck we spent another day relaxing in Byron and making the most of the Vegan food on offer for Leanna!

We arrived in Sydney at 7am the enxt day and after checking into our hostel we explored the city, walking to Mrs Macquaries chair through the botanical gardens and enjoying the stunning views of the opera house and sydney harbour bridge. We walked around the opera house and circular quay before stopping for lunch at the Rocks. After struggling all day in our shorts and the sudden drop in temperature we decided a change of wardrobe might be needed for New Zealand, so we spent the afternoon searching out bargains in Sydneys main shopping areas. On our walk around we saw some very weird sights given that it was the Mardi Gras parade that evening. We'd arranged to get away from the hype (and expense) to meet up with an old friend, Donny, from Koh Phangan who had kindly offered to show us a good night out in Sydney. Only having flipflops we were limited to where we could go so we headed to Coogee beach where we met Donnys friends, drank cocktails, checked we could remember how to drive in the arcade (Leannas not too sure!) and danced the night away until the effects of last nights train ride started to set in! Back to our dorm where 10 people were packed like sardines and we struggled to get ready for bed by the light of a mobile phone.

On Sunday we caught the bus to Bondi beach, amazed to see on our way that there were bouncers still on the doors of clubs and people still celebrating mardi gras at 11am the next morning! From Bondi we did the coastal walk to Coogee hoping to blow away our hangovers. The coastline was stunning and the sea filled with surfers and mad people brave enough to swim in the cold! On the way back we stopped at Paddys market pciking up 2 new waterproof jackets and Leanna leaving with a completed shopping list! We walked over to Darling harbour and Cockle Bay wharf, a popular spot lined with restaurants, shops and cafes and a nice place for us to watch the sun go down and stop for dinner.

Next morning Nikki was up early to climb the highest single arch bridge in the world, Sydney harbour bridge, leaving Leanna to spend the morning jobhunting for her time in New Zealand. After being kitted out with a very attractive climb suit, baseball cap, harness and headphones, and a practice climbing up steps while attached to a harness me and 10 others were ready to start. We set off behind our guide listening to his commentary on the history of the bridge and the views we could see via our headsets whilst trying not to look down through the mesh floor! We walked first on the lower arch over the water before popping up between lanes 7 & 8 of Sydneys busiest highway! We then started the climb up the upper arch reaching the Australian flag at the top, 134 metres high up. We had a beautiful sunny morning giving us clear, stunning views over the whole of Sydney and a perfect opportunity for a group photo. 2 hours later we made it back down but were soon heading up another 250 steps to the Pylon lookout where we could take our own photos of the city and the bridge we'd just conquered! After meeting up with Leanna we caught a ferry to Manly beach and spent the afternoon enjoying a rare bit of Australian sun and watching the surfers ride the waves. Back to the hostel to pack ready for our flight to NZ in the morning.....