Hi guys!

We're now in Central Sydney (nb to both mums note the spelling of Sydney!) having got the ferry across yesterday from Manly, which gave us our first glimpse of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc...

Checked into The Marriott (our bit of luxury before the campervan exploits!), which is very nice. It has a swimming pool on the roof overlooking the city which is lovely! I think that Guest Services have got fed up with us because we're still getting over the novelty of ringing Phillippe - our personal tourist advice bureau!

We spent yesterday day time going to the National Art Gallery (what about that for culture!?) and walking through the Botanical Gardens - full of bats (see pictures)! It's stunning and we'll definitely go back, particularly to see the Palm House again (we had to cut the trip slightly short due to Ben's head and the error of forgetting suncream...)

We thought that we'd finish off our day of culture by going to have a look at the Opera House. Whilst there we decided that it wouldn't be right to come all this way... and not actually see something so ended up with 2 stalls tickets to La Traviatra (opera for those that are unaware) that night! We went back to the hotel, had a quick change and then walked back down the road leading into the harbour for pre-theatre dinner... The opera experience itself was fantastic, although we did not 100% fit in with the lack of black tie available. Our exploits during the day had proved a bit much for us - both having a nod throughout (Ben managed to disguise this by continuing to nod in time to the music when he woke up! Katie on the other hand stuck out a bit more - the man sitting next to her got more than he'd bargained for as her head rested against his shoulder on various occasions!). Nonetheless it was a fantastic experience, especially the drinks overlooking the city in the intervals (see photos). Now that we are in tune with opera etiquette, we'll be regulars in London...

Today we're exploring China Town and Darling Harbour. We're hoping for some early Chinese new year celebrations to see, but it's not until 14th Feb so not expecting much.

Hope everyone is ok! We'll try and call soon!

Lots of love,

Ben and Katie xxx