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Sydney
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The train from Casino overnight was OK apart from being freezing cold and a mother screaming at her kids. At the first stop a pikey smackhead couple got on, the guy carrying a 32" LCD boxed TV down the aisle very hurriedly. The only spare seats were right behind us and so they sat down once he had stashed the TV at the end. He started freaking out, looking for all the railway staff and saying "I ain't bloody going to jail for this mate". They had clearly just robbed the TV from somewhere or someone and got their story straight that they had been given it for Xmas. They didn't get any hassle and luckily didn't give any either, both obviously whacked and so they slept all night long.
We arrived in Sydney at 7am having slept well but with stiff necks. We were staying with Lucys dads cousin Brian and his wife Jane in Cronulla, south of the city but decided to go and see a few sights whilst in the city. We headed first to the Agincourt Hotel which some may recognise, one John Farnworth used to be manager before being deported or fleeing the country. Anyway, it was closed, we were hoping for some brekkie but no joy. So we got a coffee elsewhere, ditched the bags at the station and walked the entire length of Pitt Street to the harbour stopping in many bookshops on the way with my new addiction to buying books getting the better of me. Soon I plan to stop reading kids books and move on to grown up stuff. As we seem to have self-catering options more and more we try to nick salt and sugar sachets and the like when we can. Lucy thought she was being clever taking a couple of tomato sauces from the train when we bought meat pies for dinner (healthy few days for us it was) but sadly they exploded in her bag. I did try to be sympathetic.
When we reached Circular Quay we checked out the views of the harbour bridge and the opera house, took the photos and walked round the Rocks, where the first settlers founded Sydney. Then we walked up to the park by the Observatory and decided that would be a good place to watch the fireworks on NYE. We were tired and hungry by then so it was about time for a pint. The Lord Nelson was nearby with 6 ales brewed on the premises, we tried them all as we went back NYE between 9pm fireworks and midnight. The Nelsons Blood has to be possibly my favourite beer, not just of this trip. Jake I hope you went there when you lived over there. We went to Wagamamas for some lunch as we had free beer vouchers then slept all the way on the train to Brain and Janes. It was great staying with them as they showed us round the countryside to the south of the city. We went to Botany Bay to see the Captain Cook memorials and museum, walked in the bush, went down throught the beautiful National Park to Stanwell Park and Wollongong. We went to the beach and swam at Cronulla, which itself is beautiful and fished off the jetty near the house, catching a few tiny red snapper. Ricky Ponting lives a few roads down and I hoped to bump into him to pass on my condolences at Australia losing the series the day before to South Africa but sadly we didn't. Elle McPhersons dad lives round the corner and she was home for Xmas but we didn't see her either. Damn.
On NYE we went into the city and saw the size of the queues to get into the main viewing areas at 3pm and decided to head out to Manly instead. We had time to go to the beach, have a swim and buy a coolbag and some beers before heading back into town. We watched the fireworks which were great then raced to get to the station to get home, which took 3 hours!
We had a great time in Sydney, I think if we had stayed in the city at a backpacker place then it would have just been another city, we have been to a few now. But staying with Brian and Jane and their kindness made it really memorable. We saw parts we would never have seen otherwise on Brians great guided tours. Brian works for Qantas so I would just like to point out that any comments I may have previously made were entirely fabricated, none of that ever happened and they are a great airline. (I'm still hoping Brian can swing us an upgrade).
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