Ah, the land down under!!!! So we have arrived at destination number seven. Nobody needs another weather report so lets keep it simple. We have had one sunny throughout day and we spent it on Coogee beach. The other days have been pleasantly sticky and hot with a nice layer of clouds on top... no complaints really, even when it drizzled rain on Bondi Beach.

Stayed in Glebe, the student district of town. The hostel was up the street from Sydney University, which looks nice from the outside. Lots of cafes and shops along the street, cheap ones too. The hostel was pretty dirty to be honest, especially the kitchen, but they did have a free breakfast on offer. We spent the first few days walking around the city. Lots of things to see and some really cool old buildings that are sitting nice and neatly in front of not disgusting sky scrapers. It really makes the place look interesting. The people are very mixed too, lots of asian and european looking folk walking around and most seem to be quite friendly. Most also seem to be quite fit and there is definately a sportyness to this lot. When we finally found our way down to the Opera house there was a lot of people jogging around it. The Opera house itself was quite stunning. I think I caught a glimpse of it on the plane on the way in. It is one of those Statue of Libery, Eiffel Tower type buildings. When you see it you do gasp a little at its size and impressiveness. I guess we had both been holding our breath slightly in readyness for seeing it, even when we were in South America. It is a bit of an icon after all. Its not at all disappointing either, unlike the Mona Lisa. It is grande and strange looking all at once. We got a ferry to the other side of the bay, to go to the zoo, and we got a great view of it from out on the water (supposedly the best view of it is from the water). Sadly it was a bit cloudy, so although it looked great, it wasnt quite postcard perfect. We could have gone back on our last day in Sydney as the sun was glaring down from the sky, but we had other things to be doing... like leaving Sydney (for now). We also got a good look at the Sydney Harbour bridge, all the lovely parks around the place... including suprise suprise yet another botanical gardens..... how many is that now????

We then went on a tour of the convict prison in the city centre. There are eleven of them in NSW, Victoria and Tasmania which make up a Unesco site. Really interesting I thought as I was expecting it to be more or less just a prison. However, it was more like a hostel, where you paid with time served for something you didnt do, or something you shouldnt have been arrested for doing. The people that were sent there had been sentenced to 7 years, 14 years or life. All crimes fit into these three sentences from petty theft to murder. The convicts themselves were allowed a certain amount of freedom (at some stages of the prisons existance). They worked during the day and were free to roam the grounds of the prison when they were not working. Some worked from dusk til dawn and were chained up at night though. There was lots of stuff about the Irish orphans who had been sent over, and places to search family history to check if you were a convict ancestor.... we didnt bother just in case!!!!

There was so much to see in the city centre itself that I am sure we complety missed some things. As I said, we went to the Zoo, they had animals in it..... enough said???? No??? Well it was a nice Zoo, no animals banging their heads off the walls or anything like that thank god. We saw a really good bird show with the Sydney harbour as a backdrop to the set. Very good. So good in fact that there are no photos of it for ye to see, sorry!!!

We went to Manly and Bondi but they werent up to much as it was raining in Bondi and we were tired and not interested in Manly. I am sure they might be nice under other circumstances, like sunshine and awakedness!!!! The ferry to Manly was yuck too because it crosses the opening to the Harbour where the Ocean throws boats around like a dog with a toy.... I am accepting the fact that I am not a good sea farring person!!!

Hmmm, thats all I can remember for now for site seeing. It is 100% worth a visit, and I would like to come back there..... some day!!!! But not yet, not yet!!!