Spent a couple more days chilling out in Sydney waiting to find out if we could extend our flight but managed to squeeze in some tourist activities! Marvelled at the extensive range of fish in the aquarium, admired the view from the top of the Sydney Tower, appreciated the stunning array of flowers and and fauna in the Botanical Gardens and even took a round trip on the metro system.

Had a wicked night out with friend James from back home who showed us the real Sydney in ye olde English pub Lord Dudley with all his rugby mates and some nasty yeigermiester A-bomb shots. Ended up in a secret drinking den where the cover charge involved the purchase of a hot dog and garlic bread and a fellow reveller had the biggest afro I have ever seen.

Spent another odd evening with a bunch of real Aussie characters after stumbling into a free poker night in a local old man pub. Highlight of the night...not losing all our cash and sitting at a table with a proper lookie likie Toadie from Neighbours.

On Australia Day we headed to Hyde Park in the centre of Sydney and sat on our super cool fold up picnic chairs drinking wine and eating pate and crackers...all very civilised...until about the third bottle of wine at least! Last seen partying into the night with traveller buddies sporting an England tattoo....Go Aussies!

Finally after a tanning pit stop at Bondi Beach we flew up to Cairns to dive off the Great Barrier Reef despite recent news story about diver being eaten head first by a Great White and only surviving because he poked it in the eye......!