Australia, Part 1

Happy New Year my beloved blog readers!!! Hope you are all well (I say all, theres probably just my dad still reading by now, and thats if im lucky!)
After a slightly disturbing delay with the flight from joburg to Sydney (massive thunder storms, then technical problem, then more storms!), we finally landed in sunny Sydney - well, I say sunny, apparently the drought that the aussies are constantly harping on about, is in their heads!!! I've taken many many pictures but only on the sunny days, its to fool you all into thinking bathe in sunshine everyday- the fact of it is we arent! It was quite cold - 20 something!! how rude! i didnt leave the UK to be in cold temperatures!!! anyway, my beloved friend Penny with her mum Jan picked us up from the airport and you would never have known we were tourists, carrying the welcome to OZ balloons she had bought us! Jan then kindly took us on a walk round Sydney the following day, although due to the pace ive been walking at in SA, it felt more like a power walk but I was grateful nonetheless, we saw the opera house, well that was it really - i mean what else is there to see in Sydney! then we headed back through the last minute xmas shoppers, remembering what fun it is to be in a city at christmas. Both sam and I were upset that we had no xmas shopping to do as we wanted to join the throngs of stressed customers! oh well never mind. The following day was again, cloudy! it even rained, again! so we didnt venture too far and spent a very productive day sorting out our trip up the east coast, well mainly sorting out what yacht we wanted to go on round the Whitsunday islands. Whilst the 23 person party boat sounded tempting, having discussed the pros and cons and considering our ages now, we opted for a 15 person sail yacht which seemed far more refined! I like refined, this may surprise some!
Christmas eve was a laugh. we thought it would be chaos in the local balmoral bar, as it is in norwich - no! we were joined initially by Major Mark, a well past 50 year old Australian who seemed to think he had a chance with penny - hardly, maybe her Mum - just! he then invited us to an area of the bar with other Pommies! they had brought there own stereo to play the latest in music - ummh Eurythmics, Duran Duran, you name it they had it!!! Jan and a very tall drunk man got into a dance off. It was funny, just didnt feel like christmas though. Dont get me wrong, based on previous christmas for me recently, that wasnt a bad thing, but it seemed strange having christmas decorations etc when it was hot!
Christmas Day was fun. We were invited over one of Pennys friends, Jill, so long as we took with us all the turkey, ham, plates, cutlery, dessert and alcohol. She would provide the vegtables and table. Fair deal, we thought. So bless Pennys mum, she stuffed the turkey that barely fitted in in the cooker, she got up early and cooked the ham. We took everything but the kitchen sink (we had to take a hoover over too!!! dont ask!) and were kindly offered one of our drinks! It was in all fairness despite the sarcasm, a really lovely meal and day. I mean, roast potatoes makes every day good! and the sun came out!!
Boxing day was rather more to my liking from a weather perspective, it was hot and sunny! we headed to Balmoral beach with picnic and pennys friends to watch the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. It was fantastic. Well actually we saw the yachts go in the distance, so i cant say it was fantastic really, but the sights on the beach were awesome. Very Very nice! you may have seen some of sams pictures on facebook!!! I have to admit we were all (including Pennys Mum) quite simply, perverts! but so what.........
we then headed to Paddington for a few more drinks in a bar, but so far we had yet to meet any real Australians, who it seems are few and far between in Sydney. I think London is Sydney and Sydney is London!!
Manly beach and a visit to the Quarantine Station for ghostly sightings were next on the list. I then met a couple I met travelling, Holly and Adrian who live in Manly. It was fantastic to see them despite the weather being cloudy yet again - i mean seriously!!!! Manly was okay, it had a shopping precinct similar to Lowestofts, I may be harsh but I dont think so! The following day we did the required visit to Bondi Beach. Nice weather so no complaints there! Bondi was packed. There was this patch in the middle of the beach were it seems everyone had to sit! I dont understand it myself but may have something to do with sharks, surfers, or current, anyway, we opted for the Bondi to Bronte Bay walk which was lovely. Sam and Penny did the civilised scenery walk, Jan and I seemed to do another power walk. I opted for the wrong one clearly! lovely scenery, and I do mean coastline this time (well both actually!). THe day was then rather nicely rounded off by a few drinks with a fellow Norwich man, Fos and his better half Sam at the Opera Bar by the Opera House. gorgeous evening and a really nice time.
The following day, we did the blue mountain tour. Our luck with tour drivers continued, three near crashes, one lost phone, several hours of delays but it was good. We stopped at a zoo and stroked a koala. it was a rehabilitation place so I felt better about that! we also did another cable car ride much to Sams horror but the views were amazing. We ran out of time for a tour of the olympic stadium due to the near crashes, etc but it looked nice from the outside as we drove past! The weather changed again though and by the time of our ferry ride back to the centre of Sydney, we were cold, wet and a bit miserable. I was also late for a date I had at the Opera House (ten minute turnaround to get ready, now that was impressive) to see australian comedians, who despite my inability to understand half of what they said, were in all quite funny. I made a bit of an error at one point - laughing at something that wasnt actually meant to be funny but I shall have to explain that anotehr time and not in public!
Sadly, Sam did her back in - totally unrelated to any misbehaviour that im aware of - and was completely bent over double in agony all the following day. I was totally sympathetic and having asked if there was anything she required did what any good friend would do - I headed for the beach! i felt it only right, i mean, Icould get pictures and show her how nice it was outside!!! thankfully she had spent her day rather more productively and despite the pain and agony had organised some more bits of our trip! i showed her a picture of a cute man. So we were all square!
That evening, Sam still incapacitated missed out on a night at the Oaks Pub in Military Road and my meeting with an old school friend Al Page. He hasnt changed at all except he is now 18 years old than the last time I saw him!! it was fun.
The next day Sam was still bent over double so headed for an osteopath to make sure she was okay for the rest of the day, being New Years Eve. It obviously helped and she was damned she would miss the fireworks! So by midday we headed to Mrs Macquaries Chair - a park by the botanical gardens, and joined a queue of 20,000 to get in for the best view of the fireworks - sorry, the best free view of the fireworks. With picnic in hand, we nearly fell over in disbelief at the queue, we couldnt find the end. We have photos to show! Having waited for five hours, we got in, then found a spot big enough for our two tiny bums and sat and waited with a clear view of the opera house and bridge until middnight. It was good. No actually it was amazing. I havent seen fireworks like it. I know i was in Norwich for the millenium and obviously that was fantastic (no it wasnt, im being sarcastic again!) but Sydney was stunning. I filmed it and fingers crossed it worked.
Last day in Sydney, day at the beach with Al and his children. Despite makign one cry, I think it went well. They seemed entertained by burying my feet, and playing with rocks so it was all good. Then Penny, Jan , sam and I rounded off the 10 days with a meal at Ripples in Milsons Point right under the Bridge. It was fantastic. it showed me what a fab city Sydney is but despite my fab time there , its not for me. Penny threatened to lock us in a cupboard but didnt. Phew!
We are now in Byron Bay and I shall tell you all about that another time. Ive bored myself so god knows how whoever is reading this feels!!!!
so thats all for now.
PS its cloudy and looking like rain, drought, yeah right!!!
x

Sydney, Australia