Since leaving Melbourne, I've packed an awful lot in, which I shall attempt to hastily summarise as I only have ten minutes of internet time left, plus I really need to pack before my 6.30am bus departure tomorrow! This is just another in the string of early starts I've had, including my departure out of Melbourne a week ago. The first day of my three day journey to Sydney took me to Wilson's Promontory National Park where I saw kangaroos and koalas in the wild, and unfortunately a wombat rather dead at the side of the road. I also did a beautiful walk through the park land and over Squeaky Beach, which honestly did squeak! The night was spent in Lakes Entrance where we toasted marshmallows over a bonfire on the beach, making me feel like a real traveller (explorer of the world that is, rather than a euphemism for gypsy).

The next day I discovered Australia has snow. I know that this is profoundly wrong for my Rolf Harris/Neighbours/Skippy the Bush Kangaroo view of the country, but there it was, long ski runs full of the white stuff, albeit it manufactured in the main. Unfortunately there wasn't enough of it for us to utilise the toboggons, so I did what any uncoordinated person at a ski resort should do: sat in the cafe with a hot chocolate and a crossword. The evening didn't see a great increase in activity - like a magnet I was once again drawn to the hot tub, which was beautiful when you were inside it but murder to get out of into the freezing outdoor air.

On the third day we went to Canberra, fortuitously on one of the most important days in recent Australian political history, the day Julia Gilliard overturned Kevin Rudd as Labour leader to become the country's first female Prime Minister. It was pretty special to be in the Parliament building itself as she was sworn in and gave her first speech, the queues for which were immense. After a long day, we arrived in Sydney late evening.

I reacquainted myself with the city with a walking tour on Friday morning, which gave me my bearings, or as much of a sense of direction as someone as useless at navigation as me can manage. On Saturday I met up with Pauline, last starring in my travel blog as a fellow volunteer in China. She showed me a bit more of the city, including Darling Harbour and the Winter Festival, which felt truly bizarre given the fact that a) it's June and b) even in Sydney it was stupidly sunny and not exactly wintry. Still, the smell of mulled wine, the ice rink and the people dressed up as Germans certainly made it feel like Christmas!

Yesterday I met up with another of my Sydney contacts, Lyndsey, who very kindly took me on a trip to Manly, whose beautiful beaches provided the perfect setting for a hearty fish and chips. This meal prepared me nicely for the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb I did that evening! I did the Discovery Climb which involved climbing up the inner arch (climb's a bit of a loaded word ... it was really a gentle walk up some stairs, but let's not get bogged down in the details) and then walking up another staircase to get to the top where I got some spectacular views and paid some spectacular prices for pictures of me with the Sydney night skyline behind me. I'd definitely put the bridge climb down as a must-do in Sydney.

I chose not to stay up last night for the football, a sensible idea I think, after waking up to rather dismal news about England's performance. Still, at least there are plenty of happy Germans around Sydney now, not least of which the traditional German band I saw performing at the Winter Festival (actually I think they were from Brisbane, but close enough). Anyway, I cheered myself this morning with a light spot of whale watching, which was pretty exciting to see - lots of humpbacks diving out of the water but still somehow managing to evade my camera, mainly because my camera skills are rubbish to non-existent. After the boat trip, I utilised my final Sydney contact, Isabelle, who I went with to "Pancakes on the Rocks" (I've loved seeing Sydney-siders different definitions of must-see destinations in the city, I have to say I very much enjoyed Izzy's choice) and then for a walk in the Botanical Gardens where I got mobbed by school kids who had apparently never met a British person before and insisted on shouting "You sound like you're from Lahndahn!" Yes, that's because I am.

This evening I ended my trip to Sydney in rather a traditional way, by taking in a concert by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House with a less traditional companion, a US marine I'd met on the bridge climb! It was great to get the chance to go inside the Opera House, which I'd previously only seen from the outside. Now it's gone 10.30pm and I have yet to pack my bag and must get up at 5.30am tomorrow, so I think I'd better head off, but thanks for reading this particularly long entry if you've got to the end, and hope you're all enjoying the sun back in the UK!