G'Day from Aussie land!

Sydney is fantabulous and there are no shortage of things to do here. Unfortunately we are having a small amount of trouble actually doing any of them at the moment due to a fight with a dead puffer fish on Bondi Beach yesterday.

I was just emerging from the lovely blue Pacific Ocean onto the white sands of Bondi when I tripped over something sharp and noticed alot of blood coming out of the top of my big toe. Boo hoo, I thought, washed it, and ate a sandwich. A little while later I noticed a rather large splinter of something sticking out of the bottom of the same toe. I couldn't get it out, six lifeguards couldn't get it out (even with the aid of a scalpel; ouch!) so they carted me off to get it surgically removed under anaesthetic! It turned out that the wound on top of my toe was where the offending article entered my foot, before going straight through and coming halfway out of the other side. Yuk! I said. I said 'Yuk!' even more loudly when it was decided that the 'offending article' was in fact part of the skeleton of a dead puffer fish. The Doctor let me keep it which is exciting! It was a very, very sunny day and I spent most of it having my toe amputated (well, pretty much) by people with sharp implements (some more qualified than others). Mr Medicine has forbidden me to walk (does he realise how impractical that sort of instruction is?), swim or drink alcohol (good heavens above) until I have finshed my anitbiotics. It's no fun fighting fish. Especially the ones with sharp bits.

Luckily, Lucy has an Auntie living just out of Sydney where I have come to reduce the risk of commiting sin (walking, swimming, drinking) until my toe has grown back. The poor long suffering woman already put up with us for about four days before we headed into the city. Just as she thought she'd got rid of us...and we're back! The food cupboards and dvd shelves have already taken a beating and this time I am completely useless and take up a whole sofa.

We did manage to 'do' Sydney to some degree before yesterday's puffer related tragedy struck. It has been really sunny the last couple of days and we spent a whole day just wondering around the centre and Circular Quay. We crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge on foot and also climbed one of its pylons (that's not as illegal as it sounds) which provided spectacular views over the harbour and back towards the city skyline. We also managed to catch a concert at the Sydney Opera House; the Sydney Symphony Orchestra playing a programme of Shostakovich and Sibelius. We couldn't believe our luck, and feel that we have now had the necessary dose of culture before tackling the East coast. We have been out to the Blue Mountains, which were absolutely spectacular, and also visited the seaside town of MANLY (home to Manly Tattoos, Manly Beauty Therapy and, best of all; Manly Parts - selling spares for car engines). Bondi Beach was pretty cool, too, although we might have to revisit it (if I can cope with returning to the scene of the crime) and spend longer than an hour and a half on it!

We hope to head back into the city in a couple of days (when we have exhausted Sue's DVD collection. Oh, and when my foot is better. Less fishified.) and 'do' the rest of it. I'm determined to have a good night out in King's Cross before I'm done with Sydney!

Will keep you all updated...

Made it back into the city for a really good few days. Hobbled as far as Circular Quay to catch a ferry into Darling Harbour; which took us right underneath the Harbour Bridge! Darling Harbour is a lovely place from which to watch the world go by in the late afternoon sun. We also hopped back over to Manly (we just can't get enough) and spent the day lying on the beach and wandering around its little shops and markets.

Sydney's Botanical Gardens were absolutely beautiful and we spent quite some time lounging around in them, when we had nothing better to do. The gardens house their very own flying fox colony; it was incredible to see the trees, literally, black with hanging bats in broad daylight.

Spent our final night up the revolving tower sipping cocktails in the manner of somebody with more money then us. It was well worth it for the views over Sydney by night. I love this city!