G'day and a happy new year to you all (like anyone is actually still reading this, apart from my mum! Hi Jan)

So, the festive period has been, as expected, a bit of a blur. I've been in sydney for over two weeks now and it really doesnt seem it, but in some ways it does. Its that weird travelling dichotomy-you feel like you've just left home but when you think about where you've been so far you feel like you've been away for donkeys. Most days here consist of waking up at lunchtime and watching some cricket on tv while having breakfast (Sultana bran-very aussie) and a cup or three of tea. After an hour or two of lying around on a beanbag its time to do the short walk to Global Gossip (internet cafe) which strangely enough is in the middle of a supermarket-Woolworths. Now back in the UK, Woolies is (was?) a high street store you went to buy pick'n'mix or buy a new pencil case in their Back to Skool section. Here in Oz its like tesco, which confuses many a traveller. After pottering around on facebook for an hour or so its time to go back to Matts flat. The rest of the day is spent on a beanbag watching crap tv (really, really crap TV-the one decent programme apart from Sport/Films/Reruns of Friends is 'How i met your mother' which i'm really getting into). We take turns to cook and i must say the standard has been very high. Sometimes we spark up the old rivalry on the Wii, we even have leaderboards pinned to the wall! And about 11pm-12am its bedtime and we all settle into our airbeds as Matt lords it up in his bed.

We have had some brief excursions-Me, Matt and Laura did the Coogee-Bondi clifftop walk, we've been out for a few meals, had a good few nights out and seen some of what the museums and art galleries have to offer.

Xmas was a BBQ in the botanic gardens overlooking the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The BBQ wasnt the best and we didnt really manage to cook that much but it was still a really good day. I wasnt too sad to be away on xmas cos it really didnt feel like xmas at all-30C heat and sunny.

Hogmany was spent at Dawes Point underneath the bridge. We actually had told everyone to go to Mrs Macquaries Point but when we got there at 10am the queue was over 1km long and it was already roasting so we gave up after all of 2mins of queuing and went home. We then went down to Dawes point at about 3pm. It was a good decision as we had shade and could bring our own booze and food. It was a long day but had a really good time and a good view of the incredible fireworks.

I've recently booked my trip up the coast. Me and Katie are leaving Sydney on the 10th and have 3weeks to get to cairns. More of that later i guess.

I've been meaning to do this since i started so better late then never here is my playlists for where i've been so far.

New york : MGMT(kids), Lykke li (anything) and Beastie boys (hello nasty album)

LA: MGMT (time to pretend), Mogwai (hawk is howling album) Lykke li

New zealand: Van Morrison (Into the mystic), Katchafire (Gotta get away) Kings of leon (sex on fire, notion)

Oz: MGMT (kids), Kings of leon (Use somebody) Jason Mraz (I'm yours) Mogwai (thank you space expert) Detektivbyran (054, Partyland, Camping) Estelle (american boy) Salem el Fakir (this is who i am), Green Day (she) James (say something)