Sydney

Morisset show grounds we parked the bus up for 10 days. With no surprises it was pretty basic it took some time to get the bus level, water and power set up amongst the horse poo and flies, but it's a great location and good price to access Sydney from our moveable home.

Monday was a morning of school work to try and get it done before Sydney and work in for school reports by 1st Dec. In the afternoon we put the boat in at Lake Macquarie -the largest saltwater lake in Australia. It was huge with settlements scattered around the waters edge. It is exposed to the weather but quite pretty with lots of sheltered areas to hide from the wind. No luck in fishing but the kids had a ball getting went on the "rough boat roller coaster ride."

After spending quite some time finding 3 nights accommodation in Sydney at Cronulla we were off to Sydney for 3 nights to stay at Guesthouse 83. We waited in antisipation to see what this 4 single beded room, free wi-fi, TV, breakfast and dinner included with shared bathroom would be like. The cheapest in town too!!!!!

Wednesday was a day of seeing how people lived in different suburbs of Sydney. First stop was central coast NSW where we called into Davistown. This is where the Harris family (great friends from Tom Price) had come from. Amazingly enough we parked outside from where they got married and only 200 meters from their house. A cute sleepy seaside town with a great little cafe The Little Teapot which had perfect coffee made a good start to our day of exploring.

Next was to Blacktown for Tim's western suburbs cultural tour, where when entering Tim advised to lock our doors and windows. Finding a car park we secured our valuables and locked the car at a 24 hour Kmart.

Blacktown was a very multicultural town the first shop we entered was a hairdresser where we looked at heaps of hair pieces some even made of real hair and costing hundreds of dollars, others various styles for the African women. There were people from all extremes, singing, skipping , calling Lotte and Fidge sisters to arguing and trying to do business in the main street. With food shops from all cultures we shared a gozelle, very tasty with fresh spinach, lemon and garlic tzasiki. Archie firstly not wanting to eat any as he thought it mighty have poison in it! We decided not to go with the duck hanging cooked from a window with its beak still attached the kids preferring to stare in amazement or maybe disgust. Lotte and Archie continually holding our hands and asking to leave, we asked why they were so nervous, Lotte replied "becuse someone might shoot us." Archie claimed to see someone walking a chicken on a lead in the park. The houses were of typical suburbia with many turning the external garage into a granny flat. Tim enjoying looking at these and over all a it was an interesting experience at Blacktown.

Next was a flyby drive through St Mary where the houses were the size of shoe boxes -the original Australian dream of working class owning their own home. Quite cute cottages, but very small to raise a family. Lotte said "Where are we and why are we here?" so we didn't hang around and headed to Penrith for lunch. This not being so interesting (Tim thought it was like going to Launceston for lunch) the food and lack of culture was disappointing. Following was Parramatta the biggest city suburb of Western Sydney, with the famous "Eat Street" we should have been here for lunch.

Tackling the Sydney traffic we were glad to arrive at our Guesthouse 83 at Cronulla, an interesting place to say the least. All types of people here, some permanent elderly residence, others workers and then the travlers like us. It is able to accommodate aprox 40 people with around 34 while we were there- a real hostel. Our room was a small neat room with 2 bunk beds, small fridge,TV and some cupboards. Dinner served at 5.30 (luckily we arrived just in time) we were treated to home made meat balls, salad and banana cake. It reminded Tim and Melrose if boarding school, Lotte and Archie loved it. " nothing like a free meal."

Thursday we headed into Sydney on a train. Stopping at Darling Harbour we visited the Maratime Meseum which was great fun boarding vessels including Kay Cottee's Blackmores First Lady yacht , who was the first female to sail solo around the world non stop, the HMS Onslow submarine (a must with a name like that), a navy ship and the famous replica of Captain Cooks Endevour sailing ship. There was a great children's interactive room where all of us had fun flying plains, hover crafts, air balloons, riding bikes, building engines and solar panels, packing cars and container ships. Next was a ferry trip to Circular Quay where a huge cruise ship Carnival Spirit was docked. Wow and people think our bus is big! We then decided to walk the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Archie being a little tired was carried by Tim and Fidge (like a sack of potatoes) for half of it. Again tackling the Sydney trains we were caught in a delay after a fatality on the line getting back to Guesthouse 83 for our saved dinner of corned beef at 7.30pm.

Friday we spent the day at Cronulla, swimming and boogie boarding and checking out he mall. Nice place to live and not as up market and touristy as Bondi or Manly. Saturday arrived the day couldn't go quick enough for Lotte who just wanted to get to Bondi. We spent the morning looking at Cronulla river. And then drove to Coogie beach for a walk before arriving at Bondi to meet Onslow and Sophie. We spent the last few hours there before Tim and Archie headed off at 5pm back to Morriset leaving Lotte and Fidge for four nights in Sydney. Staying with Onslow and Sophie at Bondi 38 a great little unit right on Bondi esplanade we had a lovely time. 1 day at Icebergs pool at Bondi, a day at Taraoga Zoo, and then windy morning at Bondi before getting ready and heading to KATY PERRY. Meeting Sarah and Lucy Johnson and Eliza and Phoebe Toll. What an awsome concert, great music, costumes and set. Tim and Archie had a day at Newcastle going to the markets and boogie boarding at Newcastle Beach, a day at the Hawksberry River fishing and boarding and some catch up time around the bus, Archie having a surprise visit from Luke a boy he had met and ridden bikes with at Arrowa - Darlington Beach. From a farming background they owned the local butcher where we bought some delicious meat.

Fidge and Lotte arrived back at Morriset at 2pm feeling happy in mastering the Sydney trains and buses with luggage as well. A pack up ready to head to Tamworth the following day Friday 27 Nov.