Hi all,

We were dropped at Central Station after the all night journey and when we were dropped off it was raining... the wind was blowing... and there was brick buildings everywhere. It could have been London! However, it was time to make like a horse d*ck and hit the road! After nearly slipping and breaking my neck on the pavement in the rain (damn flip-flops!) we called Fran, the landlady who had agreed to meet us at the Flat in Kings Cross at 11.45am. It was 10.30am, so we got to Kings Cross and pulled in at the first hotel/bar we found...for an early morning pint!! 11.45am actually came and we found both the flat and Fran, waiting for us.

To say it was grand, would be an overstatement, but it's a nice studio flat, which is airy and bright with wooden flooring, a little kitchen (still an overstatement), a dressing area come hallway which leads to the bathroom. It's perfect! We got in, un-packed our bags and then relaxed, watching TV on the sofa for a few hours. With two of us in the flat, it was perfect......but, there was to be a third!

At 7.30pm, Tom's plane touched down all the way from London UK and by 9pm, he too, was at the flat with us. To be fair, it's still great, so long as we keep it tidy, it's a tight squeeze, but cozy! We all had a good catch up and then a fairly early night.

The following morning, we awoke and went to discover the highlights of Kings Cross....a seedy, brightly lit road with 'crack-w****s' (aptly named by Tom and I) lining the streets, asking if 'they'd like a go?!!!...' NICE but not on a travelling budget (joke mumma simmons - joke)! Sex shop after sex shop, you wouldn't believe that only 2 minutes behind the main street sits our flat, in the posh, quite classy area of Rushcutter's Bay. Moving swiftly on from Kings Cross, we made it towards the city centre and found ourselves on Circular Quay looking out from the Sydney Opera House over towards the Harbour Bridge. It was quality! We took a stroll through Hyde Park, I met up with Macca (my mate from Bali) and after a day of walking a sightseeing, ventured towards the Sports Bar, back in Kings Cross, where we watched England get battered in the Cricket - again!!

A few hours later and seven pints of Carlton we stumbled home and somehow managed to cook up a tasty 'Kangaroo Pie' - actually a Shepards Pie, but as it was Kangaroo mince (much cheaper!!) we re-named it. I think we eventually pulled the beds out and stopped drinking at about 4am.... I must of had a thirst on as apparently I had polished off 13 bottles of the crate we had bought together - wwoooooops!

The following day was spent lazing around, eating cheap sushi for lunch from a little stall we have found in Kings Cross and once again, visiting the Sports Bar to view the cricket...(pattern emerging here). The next few day were the same really, Becki and Tom visited Bondi beach were I choose to drink and watch the cricket. Another day we wondered around town again and visited The Rocks (a nice posh part of town) etc etc.

The few days before xmas we decided to visit the Blue Mountains. It was a two hour journey on the train and the view were spectactuar! This national heritage site was so beautiful and gets its name because of all the eucalyptus that line the valley giving off a blue haze as far as the eye can see. The day was very enjoyable and we had rides on the mountain railway, sky train, and the cable cart over the breath taking landscape. We finished off the day with and walk through the national park but it was a long journey back to the flat.

The weather in all honesty had been really rubbish up to this point and it was the first day the the sun had come out to play. This is the reason that Tom, Macca and I decided to head for the beach. Our destination was going to be Manly and this entailed us getting a boat across the harbour. The view of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House from the boat were awesome. Especially has the sun was beating down on them. It is only a 40 minute ride to Manly and I took an instant liking to Manly. The atmosphere was spot on and the beach was beautiful. We relaxed, sun bathed, played footy and just enjoyed the sun. On the return leg we managed to buy christmas hats and this didn't come off for the next couple of days.

Before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve! It still didn't feel like Christmas though. Nowhere in Sydney seems to have many decs up and everyone carries on as though it's just another day. Still, we made it down the pub at about 1pm and by 6pm, we were wearing our Santa hats, singing along to the likes of Band Aid and The Pogues - it was finally Christmassy! (as we had found a irish backpacker pub) We headed back to the flat for a bit of dinns to mop up some of the alcohol and then headed straight back to the pub, where we stayed until midnight to wish in Christmas Day! Needless to say, I slept like a log and none of us emerged on Christmas Day until about 11am.

Becki got cooking and we enjoyed a croissant, scrambled egg and smoked salmon breaky!! Mmmmm! After a lazy morning watching another film, Macca arrived and we all headed to the station to make our journey down to Bondi Beach for the obligatory 'Christmas Day out in Sydney!'. By 1pm, which is when we made it to the station, the sun was starting to come through the clouds and the station was surprisingly quite quiet. We got to Bondi Junction and then took the 30 minute walk down to the beach (rather than the bus - more to clear the head than anything else!). As we walked around the corner, I had images in my head that the beach would be another 'Full Moon Party', with people absolutely everywhere and no beach left to actually sit on. I was amazed to see that it wasn't though - I mean it was busy, but not that busy. We walked around the promenade and firstly got some food for lunch - a seafood salad! Then, we made our way down to the beach. After going through security and having our bags searched for alcohol (they missed Tom's bottle of coke that he'd filled with Bundy!!) we got down to the beach and found a spot to make ourselves comfy.

Almost straight away, Becki bumped into a girl she worked with up in Cairns in Baskins and then shortly after, I saw Jules. Random - out of all those people on the beach!! Anyway, by now, the sun had come right out and it couldn't have been a better day for xmas. Everyone was wearing their santa hats and Santa himself even visited before heading out on the waves on a jet-ski!

We stayed on the beach until about 6ish (keeping an eye out for GMTV! - with no luck) and then all four of us went back to the flat where we went and hired 'Elf', a kiddies Christmas film and ate Terry's Chocolate Orange. It really did feel like Christmas then - we'd had a fab day!

Boxing Day, we got up quite early and I went to make some family phone calls...it being Christmas Day night back at home. We then got back to the flat and started preparing the veg for the 'Boxing Day, Christmas Lunch'. We started a picture diary of the day and got piccies of each stage of the lunch - just to prove to everyone at home we made the effort! After the veges were chopped and ready sat in the pans, we headed down to Rushcutter's Bay - 5 minutes from the flat - where we were able to go down on the pontoons and look at all the racing yachts preparing for the Sydney to Hobart race. It was awesome. All of them had flags flying high on their masts and all the crews were dressed in colour co-ordinated uniforms. They looked ready and set for the greuling race ahead of them!...

We walked around the bay for a little while and then went back to the flat, where the cricket got switched on for the first day of the Boxing Day test! Becki and I then started the dinns whilst Tom went and got some nibbles for us to snack on before it was ready. The dinner was a mission to cook as we only had one electric hob, a small rubblish oven and a microwave!

Mum - u'd be proud! Proper roasties and Becki even manage to crucify the parsnips - a la mother style!!! (Only kidding!! lol!!) We had swede and carrot mash, stuffing, peas, snips, roasties and a freshly roasted chix from Woolies. It was quality! We totally cleared our plates and then all lay out, bloated, on the sofa for several hours before attempting the mince pies and brandy custard! After Becki polished off 2 bottles of wine and the boys had done over a crate of Tooheys, we'd watched 'Bowling for Columbine' and then the legendary girly film (Becki's choice to make up for the guns...) 'Dirty Dancing'..."Oh Johnny - Is that a watermelon?!" (RUBBLISH IT WAS) it was about 11.30pm and even though Tom was fast asleep, Macca, Becki and I headed out to carry on the evening. Admittedly, we sat in the Sports Bar and watched a match of footy (now we are talking), Becki was kept amused by mine and macca's drunken banter about various unspeakable topics....llol (!!) We decided to go the O'Malleys for Vodka, Lime and Soda's!

I think Becki and I got back in at about 5am, after eating kebabs and vine leaves on the street - oh dear!! A wicked, wicked night though - and a good xmas!!

Unsurprisingly, we were in a coma until lunch time the following day, but when we finally emerged, Tom and Becki went down to Bondi again to do the Bondi to Coogee cliff top walk. I watched the cricket!

So, here we are - 28th Dec and once again, the sun is out, so we're going for a thai kitchen lunch and then heading to the Botanic Gardens for a laydown in the sun.

With only a week or so left in Sydney we have a busy few days planned. Alice, Jen and Paul arrive tomorrow and we're going to visit the Paddy Markets at some stage, then after a couple of nights out, it will be New Year's Eve and almost 2007! How scary is that...!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2007!

Bye for now

Miffy x x x