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Sydney at last .....
So, after 25 days on the road, we finally made it to Sydney which is the cornerstone of the trip and where we will spend 15 days. So far it has been really enjoyable.
Our apartment is fantastic - very central, luxurious and huge. The building also has a brand new swimming pool and gym. Backpacking? Are you having a laugh?!! This is the way to do it matey. BJ rating of 4.5.
Unfortunately, I got a bout of manflu and so the Tuesday was a write off. Wednesday, however, buoyed up with some strong medication (paracetamol)
we went on a "free" walking tour of Sydney which was well, worth it. Indeed, it was towards the end of this tour that we got to see ...... the Runcorn, erm .... sorry, the Sydney harbour bridge and the opera house. More on this later...
We also toured around the Rocks - the oldest neighbourhood which is now full of cool bars and restaurants. The history lessen we got was interesting, with our guide explaining the penal colonies that we're set up and that the English only beat the French to "New Holland" by 4 days. History may have been very different .... Indeed, we were taken to the exact spot where the British flag was planted to claim Australia as a British territory. We were also taken to view a massive statute of a dribbling pig and we're invited to stroke it for good luck. Ugly git.
Sydney city itself reminds me of a smaller, friendlier version of London, but without the history. We had a nice Italian meal on Wednesday night and walked back down to circular key to see the bridge and opera house in their full glory, at night. I remember, years ago that taking in this view, was a very aspirational thing to do. It probably has lost some of its allure over the years with the rise of other destinations (Dubai for example) and because so many people have done it, but it remains one of "the things" in the world to view.
After watching the Liverpool vs Arsenal match live in the room on Thursday morning, we went to Manley, having taken the ferry ride, which has fantastic views of the harbour. We walked around the beach, chilling out and spotting the surfers on the big waves and water dragons. We thought we had found a secluded spot on a grassy knoll, under a tree, looking out at he beach, before the silence was interrupted by a whole host of weird noises. My response - "anna - what the hell is that guy moaning about there". Anna - "sssshhhh - they are a group of special people". Now, the use of the term "special" always leaves me suspicious. Anna sometimes calls me special and I don't like it. I prefer "unique".
Unfortunately, the day ended with some bad news as we learnt that Anna's grandma, Doris had sadly passed away, which brought us back down to earth and put us in a rather sombre and reflective mood.
The weather has taken a turn for the worse in Sydney over the past couple of days - heavy rain and rather cold which whilst a welcome relief to me was an unwelcome development to Anna. Yesterday (Friday) we went to Darling Harbour which has a mix of bars and restaurants. With the rain beating down heavily, we decided to go and watch the Hobbit on the world's biggest 3D IMAX cinema screen. It was fantastic. Gollum really reminds me
of someone ... Absolute spit. My precious .......
I also got a peek at the Sydney Entertainment Centre which is a famous music venue. We returned back to Darling Harbour later at night and had an excellent meal at "Meat and Wine". The first BJ score of 5. Top notch.
Yesterday, we took a peek at Kings Cross (bit of a s***hole) and Potts Point (better) before going over to Bondi to meet Hayley. We had a great afternoon with Hayley showing us around Bondi - the beach is ace but it was raining and windy so it was empty. We ended up at members club called Icebergs where we had a couple more drinks and an early dinner overlooking the beach and sea. Very cool place and we will return when the weather improves. Big thanks to Hayley for showing us around, giving us loads of tips and offering a fascinating insight into the Australian way of life.
Finished off last night by going back to the Rocks and ending up in The Lord Nelson bar, infamous apparently, a hundred years ago for kidnapping the patrons (through a trap door) and press ganging them into working on the ships. Alas, we got out of there safely, Anna is far too canny, after having heard rather enjoyable versions of "Creep" and "Lonely Boy" by the local banjo band.
We are now officially half way through our trip. Hope time slows down ...
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