Despite the rain in Sydney, we spent our first evening checking out the harbour near Circular Quay. We posed infront of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The lack of sunlight made it look a bit gloomy but it was still amazing to see two of Australias most iconic structures. We hopped back on the tube to Kings Cross where we were staying, Our hostel was nice and provided free breakfast - bonus! The area had a few nice bars and restaurants. However, the strip joints and (ugly) prostitutes made the area feel a little unsafe. Every second step Si took he was asked to go in a 'gentlemans club'. Bed time was shamefully early on our first night as we were tired from Surf Camp and travelling for ten hours. On our second day in Sydney the clouds still lingered. We hopped on a Ferry across to Manly - one of Sydneys beaches. At the back of the Ferry we had a good view of the Bridge and Opera House. The ride took about twenty minutes passing sailing boats, beaches and towns. The sun began to shine and Si began to sweat! The forecast in the morning didn't look good so Si was in his jeans. Sadly he was too hot to do the two and a half hour walk so we mooched around Manly and headed back to change. After a costume change we walked over the Harbour Bridge (not to be confused with the $200 bridge climb which we decided was a rip-off - especially as you can't take your own camera and only one photo is free!). On the other side of the bridge we went to Luna Park - an old style fair. As you enter you walk through a massive face. The rides cost too much but we watched people stick on the gravity wall. Another Ferry ride took us to Darling Harbour. We went in the Aquarium and saw loads of sharks and huge stingrays. Would definitely have a heart attack if we spot them when we're diving. There wasn't an awful lot to do in Darling Harbour (well nothing free) so we headed back and got ready for a night out organised by our hostel. We jumped on a bus and were taken to the Gaffer on Oxford Street. We were given a voucher for a free meal and free drinks. The bar was really busy but the basement downstairs was huge. After a while Si wanted to go on an Indie Club hunt. Thankfully we found one a few doors down and partied til dawn, The following morning we headed to Bondi Beach. Although busy, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We made our way up on the cliff walk but only went to the top point where we looked over beaches. We headed back and walked along the beach watching lifeguards and surfers. We spotted the Bondi Rescue TV crew working and driving along the beach in their buggy. In the evening we walked through the Botanical Gardens and by chance saw the Queen Mary II sail in. The boat is the largest to visit Australia. Loads of people were sitting on the banks waiting for it to arrive. We'd booked ourselves on the Happy Coach tour of the Blue Mountains. We began our day hunting Kangaroo's but found none. We then drove to the lookout point where we could see the mountain range. Our guide, Nick, showed us puddles and explained that Aboriginals would teach using the reflections of stars when storytelling so everyone could accurately identify it. After a stop for coffee Si demonstrated his commentating skills whilst watching the local OAPs playing tennis. We then began our walk. We started at the top of the cliffs and walked down steps and slopes passing various waterfalls. We walked for three hours and worked our way round the mountain side. Poor Si felt queasy as we walked down steps on the edge of big drops. The views as we walked were amazing. On one of our rest stops Nick told us about him and his friend searching for funnel web spiders when they were young. At the time the hospitals were offering $50 for every spider so that anti-venom could be made. Whilst in the Blue Mountains hunting for spiders his friend was bitten. Nick had to run for thirty minutes to get to a phone. His friend was in a coma by the time the air-ambulance arrived. Thankfully he survived but has liver and kidney problems so can't drink alcohol or caffeine. After hearing that we all walked very carefully back up to the top. After the knackering walk we picked up some meat pies and drove to a different look out point. From here we could see the Three Sisters and great views of the mountains. We were told stories about the Three Sisters who were turned to stone but the reason is unknown as Aboriginal stories are sacred and secret. We did one final trek after lunch heading down by the Three Sisters. At the bottom we were given the choice to get on the worlds steepest train or walk back up. Like most the group we caught the train. Poor Si was clinging on for dear life. On our final day in Sydney we walked to the Sydney Cricket ground and peered at the young team practising. We also went to watch Alice in Wonderland in 3D at the worlds biggest Imax.