Closer each day, home and away!
Trip Start
Aug 15, 2005
1
22
31
Trip End
Dec 21, 2005
Sydney,
Australia
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Well I never normally sleep knowing that we've got to be up but last night I felt I'd hardly closed my eyes, it was Saturday night and there were people arriving back from this huge event for youngsters all hours of the night. As we were up at 4.00am this morning after checking out we saw loads of people staggering up the road to find their places of rest! One guy in particular fell asleep at the side of the road trying to climb over the central reservation, he just put his head on his hands and went to sleep like a baby!, just down the main road a drunken lad was going about 2mph on his moped and then stopped, balanced for a minute then fell off in the road, the couldn't even pick his bike up, it was unbelievable! A police car drove right past! He managed to get up and get back on the bike and ride off leaving his clothes or helmet or something in the road
Blue Mountains
! We had a taxi ordered and after 40 minutes it still hadn't turned up, we were waving them down in the road and it wasn't until later on we managed to get one rushed to the airport ready to check in! We drove for about 20 minutes to the airport along the river, the sun was rising and the sky was a lovely red colour, the water was glistening on the boats on the water, it was really peaceful. Once checked in at the airport we grabbed some toast and a cup of tea before the 1 1/2 hour flight to Sydney. The flight was a breeze and after touching down we changed our clocks again, one hour forward due to daylight saving, it was much colder at only 21 degrees, a great change from yesterday. We had some instructions on how to get to Jon's apartment so took the train to Central Station, changed to get the train to North Sydney and actually went over the Sydney Harbour Bridge YEY! When we got off we walked to McMahons Point where Jon's apartment is, we could see the Opera House too which was exciting. The view from Jon's 5th floor apartment was lovely, we could see the Bridge, the Opera House and the boats floating in the harbour, we could also see Luna Park, the big wheel turning and we could hear kids screaming (nice!). There were these parrot like bright coloured birds just flying around and landing on the balcony. There were loads of boats sailing around taking people on trips of the Harbour, we could even see people doing the walks up and down Sydney Harbour Bridge. Dan and I took a walk down to the water, had a mosey round North Sydney then decided to have a rest day and plan our week in Sydney as it was Sunday
Crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge
. We took the opportunity to do some washing too. Jon was studying for an important exam on Wednesday so went off to work to study. The weather forecast for the week is much cooler which is nice.Monday 21st November 2005
We slept well on the airbed and sofa last night. We woke early as the traffic is quite noisy and we could even hear the trains going over the bridge. Jon had to get up early and study for his exams so by 8.30 am we were up, showered and ready to go. We decided today to check out some of the city so we caught the train to Town Hall stop and got off to find an internet cafe to try and sort our brief stop in Alice Springs next weekend but didn't get round to it as usual! We stopped at tourist information to get our bearings on the city and as we were close to Darling Harbour we took a walk to check it out. It was a nice day, definitely shorts and t-shirt weather but slightly overcast. Darling Harbour was bustling with people and just as we got there the school children had broke for lunch so it was heaving with people. Luckily, we managed to grab a fresh sandwich and sit by the water edge to eat it. The water was so clear and you could see the fish coming up to eat the bread we had thrown in, the seagulls fighting with them for it. We just sat for a while taking it in, we could hear a band playing just down the water edge. I saw the restaurant the South Steyne that Liz worked on while she lived over here a couple of years ago, and then had a moment!
We walked around to see what was around, we saw the huge Christmas Tree in the Harbour, I think it was the same one Liz took a picture of too! It was huge and wired like!
Dan and Jon at Balmoral
There was the IMAX 3D cinema and the aquarium, we were now on a budget so decided not to spend any money! We wandered around taking in the Sydney sights and took the hours walk back to Jon's later in the afternoon all the way over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it is a lot wider than we thought with about 4 lanes for cars, 2 for the trains, a cycle path and a pedestrian path! We got some good views of the Opera House from here, not what we expected either, we thought it would be a lot whiter for some reason!We walked past Luna Park, the theme park we saw from Jon's apartment, it has an entrance like a scary clowns face! It's built on the waters edge and apparantley the lovely modern apartments that are right behind it costing an absolute fortune were there first!! The pirate ship full of screaming kids actually swings in front of the apartment balconies! We were pooped when we arrived back at Jon's. Dan went to help Jon with a new sofa and I chilled on the balcony outside watching the people climbing the bridge. The sun was shining on the water and it kind of made the boats glow up. There was a plane whirling round overhead and the small parrot like bird came to say hello again. Jon and Dan came back with the Van from moving the sofa and Jon drove us to a small beach in Balmoral about 15 minutes away. We had a walk to the lookout along the sand. We stopped on the way back at a pub for a $5 meal and drink which was nice. We stopped then at the supermarket to get some goodies to make a picnic for our day trip to the blue mountains tomorrow
Dan at the Opera House
. Tonight was the final of the 'Australian Idol' at the Sydney Opera House, we were watching it on the TV and could see the lights and camera flashes looking over at the opera house, it was really cool, the strobe lights lighting up the sky. When it starts to go dark these HUGE and I mean HUGE bats fly from in the distance into the tree below the apartments, literally hundreds of them it was really cool to watch!Tuesday 22nd November 2005
Today, Jon was doing a full day of study so Dan and I decided to opt for a day at the Blue Mountains. A day trip would usually cost around $100 each so we decided to take the train early to Katoomba. We took the local train to the station and got the 2 hour train to Katoomba for $25 each! The train left at 8.30 am so we arrived in Katoomba around 10.30 am. The train ride was really nice and it was nice to sit back and take in the scenery. When we arrived at the station we took the trolly bus to Echo Point where we got a great view of the three sisters, Jamison Valley and Mount Solitary. It was a nice sunny day when we arrived and we got some great pictures, blue sky and hardly any cloud at all. We had a browse around the visitor centre and got the trolly bus to stop 12, Gordon Falls where we stopped for our picnic lunch before doing a walk along the Prince Henry Cliff walk to Leura Cascades about an hour or so away
Storm brewing at the Blue Mountains
.It had started to go a bit overcast and it looked like it was going to rain. We took a short walk down to the Gordon Falls lookout and well what a fantastic view we got! In the far distance of the blue mountains we could see the storm brewing and the rain moving in like a huge sheet coming closer our way, the lightning was phenomenal. We started to walk the bushwalk track and about 10 minutes into the walk we stopped to take some of lightning footage on the camera it was so cool then there was this almight bang, the loudest thunder we had EVER heard! I was really scared and we stared running through the bushes laughing! The plants were just whacking us in the face and on the legs as we had shorts on! After climbing an additonal 250 steps following all the ones we'd already climbed we were back at the rim, the weather had cleared up but it was still warm.
We decided to wait at the Cascades where we'd arrived for the trolley bus to collect us. The lookout to the mountains was lovely from here, it brought back memories of the Grand Canyon too. We now know why everyone in Oz wears those funny hats with corks on, the flies are just the most annoying thing EVER, they buzz round you up your nose and in your ears and just stick to your skin...horrible!
Later in the day we caught the train back to Central Station and arrived back around 5.25 pm
The 3 sisters at the Blue Mountains
. We were starving so stopped for some tea, walked to Town Hall station then got the train back to North Sydney. The sky kept lighting up with the lightning in the distance. As we walked to the apartment it just kept flashing, another storm brewing! By the time we got to the apartment and made a cup of tea the city was alight and apparantly we heard that the next day, it lightened 750 times in total! It was an amazing sight and I got some great video on the camera with the bats flying in front of us too. A christmas tree lit up had appeared down by the water a sign that Christmas is just round the corner!Wednesday 23rd November 2005
Today has been a 'let's not do much today' day. We lay in until around 9.30 am which was nice and after lazing around watching some morning tv with a cup of tea we took the train into the City again to look down the main street of shops and grab some lunch. The streets were rammed with people and once you get in a crowd you get locked into it and can't move! There were loads of designer shops and people running everywhere, a bit like London really. It was a miserable rainy day so people were taking cover. We used our time wisely with it raining and booked our accommodation and car hire for Alice Springs YEY. We stopped for a healthy subway for lunch and as the weather was so miserable there wasn't a lot we could do really so went back to the apartment for a cup of tea and a biscuit
The Botanical Gardens
! We sat on the balcony looking out over the city. The view is really lovely and Jon is so lucky. When Jon got back from work we put some pasta in for tea and watched the bats coming in again when it started to go dark. The lads decided to go for a drink and I read my book and fell asleep on the couch!Thursday 24th November 2005
Woke this morning at 7.30 am as Jon got up for breakfast before heading off to work. I went to use the payphone and then had some brekkie on the balcony. It's overcast AGAIN today but we kept fingers crossed the rain would hold off. We decided to make the most of the day and take a $15 ride all day pass for the trains and ferry to Manly. We waited for the work rush hour traffic to pass then took the train to Wynard station, swapped to the Green Link and got off at Circular Quay. It was warm outside and not raining so relieved. We took a walk to the Opera House, it was large in scale and had loads of steps up to the entrance, we took a walk up to the top and then all the way round, as you do! There was some renovation work going on down one of the sides. We continued the walk to the Chinese Botanical Gardens, they were lovely. Dan thought he saw someone out of the Bill but I wasn't convinced, yes he looked like him but I don't think it was him..(too old!)
We walked through the gardens and then by lunchtime took the ferry to Manly across the water
The City by night
. It was only a 15 or so minute ride and we got off and walked through a small mall full of food stalls on a small sandy beach. Just across the street there was a main mall full of shops and people so we walked down to the other side, grabbing a slice of pizza and we sat on the wall looking over at the lovely long stretch of golden sand, people surfing and sunbathing. The sea air was lovely.After an hour or so, we took the ferry from Manly back to Circular Quay, it was a nice ride back as we could see the City as we approached it, the Bridge, the Opera House etc.
The water was full of sail boats and people waving at the ferry.
We took a browse round some of the souvenier shops and then back to the apartment.
Jon had had a tooth out at the dentist so Dan and I nipped to get some peas for the swelling and something for tea. Later in the night we nipped to get a DVD from the shop around the corner from Jon's apartment and we saw......wait for it....ALF STEWART! He was eating at the Blue Ginger restaurant outside! Oooh we hadn't seen someone famous yet so as you can imagine I was well excited!
Friday 25th November 2005
Well it's been another miserable day today, the rain was pelting it down outside and it was foggy outside so there wasn't a great deal we could do today
The Opera House from Sydney Harbour Bridge
. Apparantley we have been really unlucky with the weather as it dosen't usually rain over here, only a few days a year or something like that! Jon was at work today so Dan and I watched Lord of the Rings, as I was so desperate to see it! It was great and I could see the bits we saw in New Zealand while we were there. At lunctime Dan had a text from Charlotte and Kim, friends who had been over in Oz for a few weeks who were working here for a year, they were at a shopping mall at Bondi Junction and asked us to meet up with them for a drink so we took the train to Bondi Junction and met them for some lunch. By the afternoon, the sun was shining and the rain had cleared up and it looked like it was going to be a nice afternoon so we decided to take the bus to Bondi Beach itself and check it out. It was a lovely long stretch of golden sand, really busy now the sun was out and full of surfers bobbing up and down catching the waves. We sat beside the beach at a bar with a couple of cocktails. The sun was beaming down now and it perked us up a bit! After a couple of hours catching up, Dan and I caught the bus back to Bondi Junction and then back to North Sydney. Jon got back to the apartment around 7pm so we nipped across to the Commodore, swanky bar over the road for a few drinks to celebrate Jon's exams. The lads went on into the night and I stayed at the apartment and hit the sack about 9.30pm.Saturday 26th November 2005
Home and Away
The parrots!
!Today is our last day in Sydney and with it being the weekend Jon was off work so we borrowed Ben's car (Jon's friend) for the day to take a trip to Palm Beach, the beach where Home and Away is filmed (Summer Bay!). It was overcast in the morning but we didn't want to let it ruin the day so we decided to go anyway, I even wore trousers it was quite cool! About 1/2 hour into the journey there in the car it was roasting hot so I had to roll my trousers into shorts!!!!We stopped for fish and chips on the way, (horrible chips really, they are just frozen crinkle cuts they stick in when you order!)
When we arrived at Palm Beach I was Sooooo excited, like a kid really, I could tell straight away it was Home and Away as the fences that ran along the top with the little walkways down to the beach were there! Oh and the surfclub! We walked over to it and it said 'Summer Bay Surf Club Kiosk'! I was well chuffed! We took our shoes and socks off and walked along the sand, so soft and the waves were so huge you could hear them crashing. The sea was full of surfers and the lifeguards were taking shade dressed in their red shorts and yellow t-shirts with those funny hats on! The weather was absolutely gorgeous now and the beach was filling up with people, it was a shame we hadn't taken our towels or swim stuff! Jon brought some stuff as he was thinking with it being windy he would get some kite surfing in so he went off for a swim and Dan and I sat in the shade taking it all in
The View from Jon's Apartment
. When Jon finally got round to kite surfing, he ripped his kite on the fence so it wasn't long lived!Later in the afternoon around 5 pm we drove back calling to lookout at Whale Beach and then the supermarket to get some stuff for our BBQ. We got back to the apartment, showered the salt off and watched the bats come in...so cool!
There was another lightning show too which was great, after we'd eaten our lovely food, the lightning continued into the night so Dan and I didn't bother putting the blinds down in the room, we just fell asleep watching the storm flashing outside!
We were up at 3.30 am in the morning ready to go to Sydney airport for our early morning flight to Alice Springs.
