30th cont. We arrived safely but had a bit of trouble finding Kirsty at the airport (the person we were staying with)! We then had an hours drive to hers and Stuarts house in Penrith, and they had an amazing sofa, vicci bagsied the double bed, I got the double air bed!! Then after a little catch up it was bedtime to get ready for NYEs!!!

31st Had a bit of a confusion as to where to go watch the fireworks, I wanted to meet up with Trez and Coley (2 hockey lads from uni). We managed to find a place with transport back and BYO booze at Belmain East, really good view of the harbour bridge. We got into the city early and randomly bumped into the lads, and went for lunch. We then got the boat across to Belmain and some of Coleys friends joined us later. Was so nice to chill out with drink and sunshine and catch up. Some drunk guys were jumping into the shark infested harbour...crazy!! One guy cut himself pretty bad getting out on the barnicles. We played some bat and ball but kept hitting people!! At 9 o clock there were some pretty cool fireworks, and the ones at midnight were AMAZING!!!! was such a class day!! We did however have a long wait to get back on the boat, got a train straight away, but then had to wait about an hour for a taxi back to Kirstys as we didn't know how to get there walking!! But the night was worth it...woop woop 2010!!!!

1st - We spent the day recovering (especially Vicci)! We watched films and pigged out then had a lush bbq! Best crisps and dips EVERRR!!!

2nd - Vicci had a lump on her jaw line which suddenly got bigger, so we went to the docs to get her some antibiotics, then chilled out all day, before Kirsty and Stuarts friends came round for dinner. Me and Vic made a greek yoghurt and cherry cheesecake for desert, yummy! then had a fun game of cranium!

3rd Vicci still didnt feel well, so we chilled and then went to the cinema to see New Moon as I'd finished the book! WAS FAB!!!

4th We decided to head into the city, and got a boat to Manly to do the Manly scenic walk from Spits Head to the harbour then Manly beach. Really nice walk (lots of steps though!) great views, lovely place!! :)

5th We headed into the city again and did the Hyde Park walk to Sydney Opera House. We went through the botanical gardens which were nice, and full of fruit bats! After getting snap happy doing that, we got on a bus to Bondi beach which was rammed! Nice though. We spent a couple of hours there then decided to go home - was a nightmare! Waited at one bus stop for 30mins, but the buses were all full, so walked to another bus stop where people were getting on only to see a huge ass cue!! was ridic!! So after attempting the cue for over an hour we gave up and walked (uphill!!) for 15mins towards the train station but managed to get a bus on the way! Took ages to get home, but as it was cheap tuesday at Dominos, we treated ourselves!!

6th - Vic was no better so we went to the docs again who gave her stronger antibiotics and a referral to a dentists facial specialist. We waited around until her appointment, but when we got there she was told she needed an x-ray. So we had to go to a different place for x-rays as things are in individual shops in Oz, for example they can't sell alcohol in superstores, you have to go to liquore stores! We waited for the x-ray and went back to the dentists, who said he couldn't see anything!! He said she needed a CT scan so booked her in for next day!

7th Had a bit of a palava! Got to the CT place, but vic forgot a piece of paper. So she got a taxi back to Kirstys, whilst I went to look for a shoe repair place to mend my fave flip flops! Met vicci back at the scan place, but her card then wasn't accepted at STA had blocked it due to taking out lots of money from the day before! So we had to go BACK to kirstys to get my credit card! Went back and finally got the CT scan, then headed home to make another cheesecake hehe!!

Friday 8th - surrfing!! As Vic couldn't get her money back for her booking, Stuart went in her place. Vic had left at 8am to pick uup scan followed by hospital, but she was back by 9, cos idoc didnt know what she had, so gave her the option of going to NZ and taking drugs and seeing someone else, or fly home and get a biopsy done. She spoke to her parents but still came to watch us surf. It was fantastic,
and I managed to stand up on my 4th attempt :) but I got so excited and didn't pay attention when I picked my board up and a wave bashed it into my jaw- OUCH!!! typical that I would injure myself in the same place as vicci!! I managed to get the hang of surfing, unfortunately no-one else managed to stand. I did see a blue bottle jelly washed up on shore which was a bit off putting! When we got back, vic managed to get a biopsy that afternoon. We also had our first tim tam slammer-
YUM!!!

9th - I got up to get my fixed flip flop - yay! Then chilled in the pool all day! Eventually we went into city for the opening night of the Sydney festival. kirsty was working there handing out condoms. There was a good mixture of music and entertainment, was very busy! Then at the end of the night my OTHER flip flop
broke....bad times!!

10th - Scorcher of a day so we just chilled by the pool!! :)

11th - We planned to go to the blue mountains and katoomba early in the morning, but Vic got a call for urgent blood tests, so we popped to the mountains for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We had great weather and the view was awesome. We walked to the famous 3 sisters, but decided not to do the giant stairway!! didn't want to die!! We walked most of the way to scenic world, then got the glass bottom cable car to the station, and saw the worlds 2nnd oldest plant known! lol! exciting stuff!
We then borded a train which descends at 52degrees which was pretty steep and fast, and then walked around to the bottom base to get the cable car back up. Had info on mining as this was what the area used to be used for. We hopped on a bus and stopped off at a chocolate gallery and tried the lonely planets recommended passion fruit white choc chocolate - YUM!! We then walked back to katoomba
and got back on the train to see doctor - he loves Vicci - didn't charge her at all!!

12th - Vic had results back, cancer was ruled out which was good but still didn't have diagnoses. We attempted to find Penrith river but got too hot and gave up so went back to the pool!!

13th - Vicci went to get the last lot of results, but it was kinda bad news as they still weren't sure what it was. They booked her in with a foreign tropical disease doc (because we have been to asia) but he just recommended that she should go home and get it removed and examined :'( he said it was nothing serious though but going home would probably be best. So vicci booked her flight and flew out that night! I cried more than she did!! Was quite scared about being on my own...
especially the thought of flying!! felt so sorry for her, we only had a month left to go!!

14th - first day on my own :( - it was rainy, cold and cloudy!! typical! But it was time for me to venture out in the big wide world on my own! I thought I should get used to it so I sorted myself out for NZ, then jumped on the train to Sydney. It's weird how more observant you are when your're on your own! Plus I kept thinking I'd lost stuff, which is normally what vic does! I decided to buy a little koala keyring cna call it Vicci so I wasn't lonely! It also had little lumps in - a bit like vicci hehe - and I decided to take pictures in NZ with it so it was like she was there!! I headed
to the chinese friendship garden near Darling Harbour. Was a lovely tranquil pretty place, in the middle of the city!! I had a walk around and stopped off to get a chinese tea and relax (which was hard with the kids screaming around me!!)- called shui something, means fairy water, I'd call it leaf water lol! I then walked
through Darling Harbour and half way across the Harbour bridge, took photos, then headed back through The Rocks - really nice cute little area. I got on the train, and one downside of being alone is that you are more easily approchable, as I found out when a strange random man sat next to me and asked me about everything, including a lot of random questions and stories!! Did stop me falling asleep
and missing my stop though! When I got back I got kirsty and stu another cake and thankyou card! Had a lovely steak for dinner, and I survived my first day on my own!!