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So after nearly 5 months of living the dream in Sydney I can some my time up as this:
Awesome housemates, sessions on the balcony, Priceline, Meeting a heap load of people, Christmas eve on the harbour, Christmas day on Bondi beach, best new year ever and never wanting to leave.
I had the most amazing time and have met some great friends who I share brilliant memories with.
January 28th
I caught the coach overnight to Melbourne and met back up with India who was on an earlier coach. When I arrived the street where our hostel was was alive with Chinese New Year celebrations. The weather was scorching hot and we checked out the city whilst also we kept bumping into the dragon dancing around the streets. That evening we went for a chinese meal in chinatown, where the hostel was pretty much located. The next day seemed nice so we went on the tram to St Kilda beach, however it was extremely windy and getting overcast by the time we got there. On the evening we found a bar with a live band playing. The crowd was young and it seemed like a student's place to go.
January 31st
This was the day I had been looking forward to so much for quite a while. I woke up as soon as I got the text from my mum, they had arrived in Melbourne. I got up and ready as fast as I could with butterfly in my stumoch. I ran to the place to meet my parents and got to see them again for the first time since I left at Heathrow Airport. We went for breakfast and a much needed catch up. I was chuffed because my mum commented on my tan and for the first time ever I had the better tan. This day was very relaxed, just spent looking around the city and getting the food shopping in. I was so happy to have my own bedroom and recieving stuff from back home that I'd asked to be bought out for me. Dad's cooking was also great and what I'd been missing.
The next day we walked down to Melbourne cricket ground (the MCG). We got a tour of the ground which was huge, it can hold over 100 thousand people in it, which must be overwhelming for the players to play in a venue of this size I think. We got to see the changing rooms, where the cricketers sit before they go out on the field for their turn and we got to go out on the pitch. Over our next few days in Melbourne we also went back to St Kilda beach, visited Queen Victoria Markets (the largest open air market in the southern hemisphere), walked along the river and did a bit of shopping. On the Friday we went to pick up our campervan, the campervan had a t.v, a kitchen, a bathroom, a double bed and a bed for me above the driver seat. We got stocked up on food and sweets and hit the road. We drove to a place called Peterborough. On the campervan site we cooked steaks in the communial kitchen and watched Australia vs India in the cricket held at the MCG in the t.v room. We got up the next day and after changing the tire as one wheel had two nails stuck in we got driving the Great Ocean Road. We drove along stopping off at different viewing points seeing the different rock formations including London Bridge. We then came to the most most famous rock formations in Victoria, these are the 12 Apostles. We walked along the decking along the cliffs to see them and got plenty of photographs. The seas tide was strong as the waves crashed up against the rocks and in the distance we could see people on surf boards in the sea. We drove on through little seaside towns, we stopped at Apollo Bay first. The weather was very sunny so we went to the beach and I had a paddle in the sea and then for a walk in the town. The next seaside town we came to was Lorne which was similar to the last but a bit more vibrant. We saw a bride and groom posing for photos on the beach and a band arriving for the evenings entertainment in a nice venue on the side of the beach. We drove onto Anglesea where we stayed for the night and also got bitten to pieces by mosquitos.
The next morning we drove back past Melbourne and onto Phillip Island. It was a longer drive than expected and the lovelly weather we had been getting turned nasty. We got to see the race track and kangaroos but unfortunatly not penguins which is the most famous attraction here. After one night here we started to make our way up to Sydney over the next few days, stopping off at different places. First stop was Lakes Entrance and there was a lake right in the town and our cavervan site too. It was nice and relaxed, a place for retirees, I could tell this because the site was filled with older people. On the grass behind our van, a group of 15 people had joined together with their camp chairs in a circle for a social gathering. Mum and Dad got invited to join them which they did, I got ready for our meal and then went to say hello. They were very friendly and nice people and reconmended us where to go for our evening meal. After our meal we went for a walk, me and Mum got an ice cream on the way back and Dad got a beer.
By now it was our 5th day on the road and we drove into the state of New South Wales leaving Victoria behind. We got to a place called Narooma, this is a quiet little town. Dad cooked us our meal on the campsite bbq outside. We went for a walk round by where the small boats dock and people come to do some fishing. We saw a lot of wildlife whilst in Narooma firstly we spotted something in the water as we walked closer to it we could see it was a stingray, it was absolutly gigantic in size though. On the campsite there were also parakeets being very niosey and birds that were so colourful they looked like parrots. In the morning before we set off we walked along the platform over the water that took us to where the fisherman boats come in. In the water attached to a rock I saw an octopus just doing his own thing being an octopus. At the other end we also got to see a seal, it was so amazing, he was just floating in the water and bobbing his head up and down sometimes. It was great to see these animals in the wild and not in an aquarium or a zoo. We walked on till we saw the beach and then it was time to drive on again. We drove to Kiama, the caravan site we was staying on was pratically on the beach, which was nice. Kiama was filled with surfers and is very sort of young persons place. There were a few good beaches and we watched the surfers as we walked along the coast and into the town. Now we were almost in Sydney before we made it there though we stopped for two nights in the Blue Mountains. When we got there we went to Wentworth Falls, we walked to the viewing point and got some photos. Then we went on the walk to the waterfall but firstly I took us the wrong way which could have been dangerous, oppsie. However we did make it the right way eventually down to the waterfall. We managed to take in the views and get some photos before the rain clouds came over and it started pouring with rain. We rushed back to the van but we were all soaked through by the time we got back. We found the camp site and the next day we walked into the town. We got Mum some new trainers after yesterdays downpour left them still soggy and we got lunch to take back to the van. It had been very foggy in the morning but thankfully that lifted and we got to walk along to the attractions. Me and Mum went on the Sky cable that went from one side of the mountains to the others with a glass bottom in it. Then we all got the cable car down to the bottom of the mountains and went for a walk through the rainforest and through the old coal mine before getting the steep train back to the top. For dinner that evening Dad walked into the town and bought us back Dominoes Pizzas and a bottle of wine. The next day we made the journey into Sydney to return the campervan and then to place where we were staying. Going back to Sydney felt like going home and I was excited to show my parents around. We got checked in and settled then for some lunch. We went to Paddy's markets to have a look at soveniours. On the evening I took us all to Darling Harbour to see the firworks that are displayed every saturday night. They were fantastic this night and went on for ages afterwards we had a walk around the harbour and then for a drink. The next day the weather was so hot, we got the free shuttle bus up to Circular Quay to see the bridge and docked by the bridge was a cruise ship. We walked round to the Opra House and saw the Botanical Gardens. Then me and Mum went for Pancakes on Rocks, which were delicous. Dad met back up with us and we went round the markets on the rock and then caught the ferry over to Manly. We went to see the beach where surfing and skateboarding competitions were taking place so it was very busy right now. We came back to Circular Quay in time to see the cruise ship departing. After the next few days of sightseeing it was almost time for us to say goodbye again. For our last night in Sydney we went to Darling Harbour and had a nice meal. I then had to pack and it was time to leave for my bus, we walked to the coach station around the corner from where we were staying. The next day Mum and Dad would be boarding their cruise taking them up the coast and I would be arriving in Byron Bay.
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