Hello All, We've been busy border crossing bunnies since we last wrote and are now reporting from the frontline in Sydney. Our overridding feeling on arriving here was one of relief, as a 22 year old Ford Laser isn't the most sturdy vehicle in which to traverse 1000k of Aussie highway, particulary when your designated driver decides to spend the afternoon in a stripclub with his boss as opposed to taking out the RAC coverage (but that's another story)! However, the old girl made it with no troubles. Once arrived, we were very happy to receive a visitor from home, the confusingly named Paul, whose Photoshop masterpieces some of you will be familiar with from this site. It was fantastic to see a face from home, catch up on all of the gossip and have an update on all of our favorite soaps. I can't believe they banged Kat in the slammer!!!! We spent the week following in the footsteps of the 100,000 tourists who were also working their way the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi etc circuit - and very much fun we had too. We also took a trip into the Blue Mountains where we were able to take in some stunning views while pressing our every increasing collection of knitwear into service. We were more than happy to spend a couple of evenings introducing Paul to the delights of cask wine, Cooper's Pale Ale and backpacker's drinking games. Needless to say, some bad dancing and fast food consumption happened. We were also chuffed to be introduced to a little old man's pub which plys its patrons with cheese and peanuts, and incidently plays host to some of Australia's Jazz elite - all for free: One of city's best kept secrets we are reliably informed. The two Pauls were desperate to do some of the obligatory surfing but didn't have much luck at all - one day the waves were too big, the next they were too small, and on the other the alarm clock failed to work its magic. However, they made up for this by inventing a new extreme sport involving an elaborate series of dives between the superbly bouncy beds in our hostel room. I think there could be some sponsorship opportunities in it - anyone have any contacts at Silent Night? They also spend Paul's final afternoon honing their boomerang skills, turning the local park into a perilous place to be for pedestrians. The bruises are just beginning to show (I was the prey apparantley). We were very sad to wave Paul off just a few hours ago, and consequently are feeling more than a bit homesick. We wish we could come home for just a weekend and see all of our family and friends. However, tomorrow we are back on the road and looking forward to whatever adventures and characters fate will hook us up with. Sydney is a beautiful city, with lots of open spaces and historical buildings, but at times, we did feel like we could be back in London. We wish we could have more of the time and money necessary to get to know it a bit better. Anyway, for now........ Lots of Love, Paul and Linda xxxx PS - Photo's in the next week - promise!