We really lucked out - we had planned to just get in amongst the crowds in Sydney Harbour and just hope we didnt get squashed and could see some of the action - but last minute we got cheap tickets to Goat Island, one of the islands in the Harbour - absolute perfect view of the bridge and the fireworks. The island was full of families and friends on picnic balnkets who bought picnics, so there was no one standing in anyone's way. There was a firework display at ...

We decided to get out of the city for the afternoon and find a new beach, so we hopped on a train towards the peninsula. We got out at Aspendale beach and it was a nice beach and not many people on it. We were transfixed by a couple of guys Kite surfing - they made it look SO easy and they went so fast! It was nice to just realx and listen to the surf for a couple of hours, before heading back to the city for a bite to eat.

Friday night was really stormy and cold and rainy. So we decided to go fishing. Of course. The week before Carl had caught a flat head which became his dinner, so he regaled us with stories and aspirations of catching a net full of fish. I will get to the point - we got nothing, got covered in strange looking insects and soaked. But I managed to wrap my squid bait round Carl's head whilst casting out which made me laugh so much I nearly fell off the rock. W...

Over in Australia at this time of year is th Melbourne cup, which is a week long horse racing extravaganza. Lots of people have the week off work, and Melbourne gets an offical day off for the Melbourne Cup day (like the Grand National.) As we are not avid gamblers, we went to only one race meet, Derby Day, and had a couple fo wins so we broke even, which wasnt bad. That same weekend was our friend Jamie's 33rd birthday, and his girlfriend Kath decided that sur...

Sorry its been so long again... My amazing birthday road trip! It all started on the day before my birthday, Russ met me in the city for a drink and and took me to a bar where unknown to me, people had turned up to surprise me! I walked in and saw just about everyone I know here! It was so great of Russ to organise everyone to get there before I arrived. The next morning, after opening cards and my wonderful gifts, we set off on the hour and half trip to th...