Gday Hope your all well and enjoying the cold weather, a bit cooler here at the mo in fact its pissing down with rain!! Had planned to go to Bondi beach today but doesn't look like it. When we arrived on Monday we had a bit of a hiccup - the transfer bus dropped us off at the wrong apartments, so we had to get a taxi to ours. Tried and in need of a few hours kip we were told that we couldn't check in until 2pm - bloody sheilas hadn't cleaned the room. Quick shower in the gym area and we headed down to the harbour and the Opera House. Decided on a boat ride to Manly seven miles west of Sydney - get a chance to see the bridge and the opera house. To be honest I don't know what all the fuss about the Opera House is - yeh its an unusal piece of architecture but god it needs a bit of a clean the pics definately do it a lot of justice, as for the harbour bridge - well I think the forth rail bridge is more impressive! but thats my opinion. Anyway back to our boat trip, arrived in Manly thirtsy, so we bought a juicy fruit shake, went down to the beach - and fell asleep, I woke when I heard the ferry's horn and made a dash back to the terminal, now that would have been an expensive taxi ride had we missed it!! Back to the apartment, very nice, spacious, and a welcome bath then an hours kip before going out for dinner. Ventured back to the harbour to the Quayside Brasserie, to be served by to scots girls one from Inverness and the other from Ayr. Nice meal and a wonder round the opera house. Madame butterfly is on at the mo but no chance of tickets. Lots of people outside watching the Tennis on a large screen great atmoshere. Tuesday and we were up to the Blue Mountains at Katoomba. Steve our diggerydoo playing, boomarang teaching, tea making,KIWI,very witty driver gave us a great day out. sixteen of us from all walks of life and different countries. First stop was to try our hand at boomarang throwing, great fun although ours never managed to come back and the rule was you go get it!! Then we stopped at Featherdale Wildlife park which was the setting for A Country Practice, remember the aussie soap about a vets practice? Met by the owner who had a wallaby in his bag the wallabag was called Charles, his parents Elizabeth and Philip and he old guy said the bag was called Camilla! Great seeing the Koala's but they are really lazy little beggers who could sleep anywhere, but very loveable and cute, Kangaroos and wallabys a bit unpredictable, Wombats are just pot ugly. Sorry Karen I didn't managed to smuggle a Koala for you, I think they would have noticed!!! However I managed a few stuffed ones. Up to the Blue Mountains and a great view of the three sisters, they are rocks which are supposed to have been girls turned to stone by there magician father to stop any man from taking them away!! Had lunch at Harrys cafe before taking the railway of Death down the cliff face, then the cable car back up great fun. Our next stop was at a Candy store in Leura that had over 4000 varieties of candy - they even sold Irn Bru! Then onto another vantage point of the three sisters. Steven made us all a welcome cuppa and played us a tune on his diggerydoo. We all had a go, only one managed to make anything sound like it should and she was a wee chinese girl from New York - she was great at it. Next visit was to the Olympic site of Sydney 2000, Ronnie you will notice from the photos that there are a few fellow Napier Olympians - I wonder if they have the same in Tokyo with your name on it? Finally we were dropped of at the Ferry point at the Olympic site for a sail on the Ferrycat - Evonne Goolagong, back to Circular Quay. Tired and weiry - but having had a great day out we got a taxi back to our apartment. Davey ran a bath while I went to the supermarket and bought something for the tea and a bottle of wine. Phoned Karen & Ross, her computers on the blink - wondered why no emails! Quite night in at the telly and early to bed. This morning as I said it is raining so Davey enjoying a long lie while I update you lot, Tonight we are dinning on MV Sydney 2000 for a dinner dance leaving at 6.30pm diecided to push the boat out and go for the best. Watch out for the photos. Love to all Lynne & Davey xx