Happy 2007!!!!

I cant believe we are 6 days into the new year already when it only seems like yesterday we celebrated new years eve! On new years eve, we got up early that morning and all walked down to the supermarket and bought disposable barbies and daryl claires boyfriend had already bought all the meat from the nice butchers in Bondi and we bought enough food to sink a ship! We then popped(i say popped, we were in there for ages!) into a bottle shop.(aussies word for off licence!!!??? stating the obvious i thought!) We again bought enough alcohol to sink a ship. We stood on the side of the road in bustling Sydney trying to flag a taxi down to take us to our secret firework view point! We were surronunded by about 10 bags of booze and burgers! We arrived at the place we had discovered only to realise that there was a "no bring your own alcohol" restriction in plcae after we had just spent $100 on vodka! The taxi driver luckily knew another view point so we trusted his knowledge and he dropped us there instead! We walked through the park and realised that it was an amazing view of the harbour bridge and a small part of the opera house. We arrived at 12 midday. Only 12 hours to go until midnight!!! We had our first lot of barbeque food which was heaven and played cards (s*** head actually kings!) about 50 times. We chatted, listened to music and waited....and waited....we then went exploring for a toilet of some description and ended up stumbling across this even better view point so we heaved all of our stuff down some very steep steps and set up down beside the harbour water. It was perfect. When we got there, there we already a few people there. You really do have to get there early in the day otherwise you will not get a patch of grass! We started drinking at about 8pm and played a few drinking games which i lost and had to down a large helping of manky vodka.....made my eyes water....havent done that since i was a 17! Daryl had his i-pod thing with these really good speakers and had thousands of songs so we were happy.

They did the family fireworks at 9pm which were spectacular enough! Then, most people went home with their brats and cleared a bit of room which was soon taken up again! Then the countdown to midnight began.....10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1........"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!". The famous Sydney fireworks began.......and my god, if you ever in life get the opportunity to come to Sydney for new years eve....do it. It was the most emotional, exciting, spectacular view in the world. As they were going off, everyone in the park just stayed sat down hugging everyone they could reach and it was so lovely. The fireworks were coming off of the harbour bridge. They also had three lots going off consecutively in different areas of the city. It was just beautiful. We then continued to drink until 2am and collected our stuff up and went home! So yes, i cannot reccommend new years eve in sydney enough!

After recovering on new years eve, i have spent alot of the time doing more drinking and also spending alot of time down at the opera house and harbour bridge as i do believe that i will never see it again for a few years to come! I have taken plenty of pictures to try to give you guys a taster of the beauty but it really doesnt do it any justice. I never thought that something man made could be so beautiful....but it really is.

I have been a bit down as you all know since i have been here. I have had alot of time to think in the last month about how much i miss people and how lucky i really am to have you all in my life but i started to think about it all a bit too much. It was consuming quite alot of my days you know. I then woke up one morning and pulled myself out of it. I have been in that place ever since! Its is so much nicer! I have come to realise that everyone is still going to be there when i return but i am just looking forward to coming home because i know it is going to be so much better! I am enjoying every single day here now. I have suddenly realised where i am! I am in AUSTRALIA!!!! I am also very excited now because me and Claire have a flight down to Melbourne on Monday 8th Jan so i know thati am off again.....not having to see the same streets all the time...not going into the same bars...not lying on the same beaches. My trip really begins on that monday as i will be seeing sarah in on tuesday 9th and then all three of us are going to drive the Great Ocean road! The whole thing! It will take approx. 4 days to complete it and the pictures that you will all see from that road trip will be something! I am so excited! We will then spend a week or maybe two in Adelaide(the end of great ocean road and where dads cousin lives) and the we are hoping to get a direct flight to Perth. Which is miles out but apparently you have to see it whilst you are here! it is supposed to be the more natural australia. The beaches are real beaches, not commercialised ones. Plenty of sharks and dealdly stingrays and jelly fish then i should imagine....dont worry, i wont be getting into the water! Hell no! I will update you all as to my plans though.

Daryl went back on Thursday afternoon. It was very sad for Claire bless her. But she will be okay i think. I was also sad, as i saw him as a little part of home. And when i said goodbye to him, i did have tears as i know he is returning to our lives back home. Plus, kings, he is your best mate and it was hard to say goodbye to him as it was a huge part of you here with me again. God, the three bathoneons had some bloody good times whilst he was here though. Mainly alcohol fulled fun which is always the best! Great to have you out here Daz...Claire is so desperately missing you. I will look after her as you told me to.. No probs. x

Joseph....i cant believe that your bambino is now 10 inches long!! And, you can feel it kicking? That is just crazy! Charlotte is prepared to have a 10 pounder isnt she??!!! As you were 9 pound 7 and i was 10 pound 1!!!! Ouch! So, you are going to find out whether it is a boy or a girl?! If you are...i wanna know. I wanna buy it a little aussie babygrow of something! Oh, and i hear that mum has been raiding Mothercare! That is so sweet. You wanna watch that when the beautiful baby is born, mum doesnt nab it for herself!! HA ha....can you imgine...you will have to ring her to ask to see your baby.....hahaha. I hear you went to Butlins for new years eve. Thats cool. I bet you drank yourslef stupid! Thats what its all about though!! Give my love to your gorgeous girl for me and tell her that i wish i was there to experiance it all with you guys but ill be back soon! Have you thought about any names yet? Love to you both. Take care.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (load of kisses for you, char and bambino! x)

Dad, hows things!? Have you managed to get into your house yet? I hope it isnt causing you too much stress! Hey to Karen...how are you chicken!!! (haha...long story to anyone who is wondering what the hell!!! but karen understands!). I hope you are accessing this website okay now. It is such a brilliant thing. Dad, you would love it here. If you ever get the chance.....you muct some here. Love to Jim the little sweety...tell him im up for another dance when i get back. Love to Kitty even though i havent ever met her but i am so thankful for the car! Love to all the animals too. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matthew.....you gorgeous brother you. In fact, i was looking at the pictures of all of us guys on my dramatic leaving do and there is one of you and Joseph. You have both turned out to be gorgeous boys you know. Matthew, you are way to tall for and 11 year old too. I think you have a growing disorder of something. Can you imagine how tall you will be in 5 years time when you are 16!! Wont be able to leave the house mate!! You are so special to me though Matt Bratt. I enjoyed the time that i had in the house with you so much. I suddenly realised what a grown up and grounded young man you really are, big hearts...both you and Joseph. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lou poo.....hows things....you keep saying how much you want to be out here with me...well, you know where the travel agents is....just get your arse down there and book it...im out here till march 17th! I know its never that easy but it sounds like a plan doesnt it! Sat hey to Karl Rubbernecki for me! (god, he used to hate it when we called him that but tell him theres alot of love and fondness in it all!!!). It is always good to get your messages and emails and texts. I love my big sis. xxxxxxxxx

Mum....Im sorry you had a few drunken...."i love you mum" text messages the other day. Me and claire managed to dangerously get our habds on yet another bottle of vodka! Ha ha! I do love you though! Of course! Stop spending in Mothercare! You might wanna save you pennies for the other 3 childrens babies too you know! Ha ha! Not for a while for me though! Joseph always had to get there first didnt he! How great it is that he has though. Say a huge hello to Brian to me. I want him to give me a bit more info about this coup in Fiji. I dont know enough about it. I leave for Fiji on the 17th April so could you ask him to email me if he knows anything about it all? Im so glad Penny survived another Christmas. Poor Pen. Give her a kiss from me mum. And the other two. Love to you mummy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kingsley and Charlie and mummy and kit kit.....love to you all. Tell Charlie that mummy is not far away and she will be back for him to pummel her chubby tummy soon. He must really be suffering actually with your tummy kings....coz you have no cushioning to pummel! Did you listen to that lemar song? What do you reckon? I miss you so much babes. 7 years of every day together...how can i not miss you like crazy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To all my friends......... book a ticket out here now..........do it do it!! Love to you all. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I will sign off now. I think i may go and sit in a park somewhere with a book and my music! We have all been ill out here and unfortunately Claire has just got it too. She is in bed as we speak bless her!

For more pics of me and what i have been up to...partucularly new years eve pics.....check out the two girls websites aswell.

Claire....www.statraveljournals.com/brockton

Cat.....www.statraveljournals.com/cheese

Emily. xxxxxx