Sydney

During the week we stayed in Sydney we managed to see most of the major sights. We spent New Years Day on Bondi Beach with all the fashionable locals. In the evening we wandered through Darling Harbour and had dinner in Chinatown. Next day Irene and Emily took us out of the city and up to the Blue Mountains. The reason they're known as the Blue Mountains is because the eucalyptus trees that cover the valleys here give off a mist that looks blue. The views were amazing and we really enjoyed the steepest train ride in the world and the glass-bottomed cable car ride. A must if you're visiting Sydney (see the photos). On the 3rd we had a much more relaxing day in the city. The highlight was lunch 450ft up in the revolving restaurant at the top of Sydney Tower. We managed to blag a window table and Nick tried (unsuccessfully) to stop the tower revolving using mighty strength. Again some brilliant views across the City and surrounding area only slightly spoiled by the enormous pain of over-eating at the all-you-can-eat buffet on offer... Thank you, thank you, thank you Ellie and Matt! The 4th was a bit manic trying to sort out banks, travel plans and mobile phones. Our Aus numbers are N: 0434446183 Z: 0434446182. In the afternoon we took the ferry to Manly. This was quite an exciting experience as we were sat right at the front of the ferry when we hit some huge swell. Lots of screaming (from Zoe) as we nose-dived into wave after wave and the boat started taking on water (just like Titanic)! Manly is a pretty beach town and we enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere. Our final meal with the Etchells and then off to scale the Sydney Harbour Bridge. A unique experience and a fantastic view over the Opera House at night made the tough climb worthwhile. It was a great way to end our week in Sydney (thanks to Sarah R. and Wally PE Dept). We left early on Saturday 5th Jan heading for the Capital, Canberra.

A really big thank you to Steve, Irene, Emily and Andrew for looking after us so well and helping us to have such a good experience in Sydney. Looking forward to seeing you all again soon (maybe in England Emily)!