Sydney was one of the destinations on my travels that I have craved to see for a very long time. After seeing the opera house and harbour bridge in countless references to Australia and from watching many an episode of the show 'Bondi Rescue', I knew years ago that if I was going to go anywhere in the world, Sydney would be the place. It hasn't disappointed.

I was already excited to be coming to Sydney as I was sitting on the flight from Christchurch looking out from my window over the city, even more so when I saw the opera house coming into view. It was a moment that made me aware that I am lucky enough to have had my dream destinations become reality and I certainly wasn't going to waste any time here. I was also lucky enough to have friends from my tours of New Zealand and Fiji also be in Sydney so I was rarely alone whilst in the city.

One of the first people I met whilst in Sydney was a woman who was sharing a room with me at the hostel near Central Station. The reason why Carla will always be in my memories of Sydney is that she had been travelling for four months at the astounding age of 70 years old and also because of what she said when I told her my name. Her reply was "I knew a Helen.........she killed herself." What an introduction!
Despite this strange statement, she did give me a pot of porridge and some fruit so I can't (and won't) complain too much.

Following on from that, thanks to the friends I have met whilst travelling, I have had the pleasure of doing the six kilometre walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach, visiting Taronga Zoo and having my photo taken next to a koala bear (New South Wales law won't let you hold them, boo!) drinking in Kings Cross (albeit not for very long), spending a day at the spectacular Blue Mountains and enjoying dinner and drinks around Sydney. All with great company. This is what I have come to love about travelling. The friends you make and the advice and experiences that you can gain from such friendships could never be made from a simple two week holiday somewhere and Sydney would have been a lonely experience without those friends. As I am already missing my NZ tour buddies enough, it was good to have some of them around for longer.

I have also done something that I didn't think that I would have the guts to do. That was the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. With terror and excitement whirling around my head and the sun shining on a beautiful day in the city, I climbed the widest bridge in the world and looked out onto one of the most beautiful harbours in the world and beyond and behind it too. I also had a breathtaking view of the Sydney Opera House. I could be getting ahead of myself here by saying this, but I doubt I will ever see such magnificent architecture again. With its unique shape, colour and general grandeur that makes me want to take a photo of it every time I see it in case I missed something in the first ten photos I took, it is heartbreaking to think that its architect, Jorn Utzon, never visited his own design after he left Australia during its construction after disputes over cost. Granted, it did go 1000% over budget but in turn it has become one of the most recognised icons in the world and the visitor turnover probably made up for the cost a long time ago.

I almost forgot. I haven't given you an update on my toe! I really should change the name of this blog to "Helen and her Infected Toe go Around the World" as I've mentioned it enough now that it has become my constant travelling companion. Sadly, whilst I was speaking to a first aider at a jazz festival in Manly, he pointed out that my toe was STILL infected. Thanks to the advice of a woman from Leeds at my hostel in Collaroy, I was able to visit a doctor for free at Mona Vale hospital who established that as my toe nail was in growing, I would constantly get infections unless it was removed from under the skin. So that's what happened. So unfortunately, that surgery kissed goodbye to any chance of surfing whilst in Sydney and I am on another round of antibiotics but I am staying positive that third time luck really exists and that I will have no more problems with my toe whilst on my travels - I hope you're all crossing your fingers, in fact cross your toes as well, for me too!

Believe it or not, Sydney can be enjoyed on a budget. I have been here for nine nights now and have only just spent the last of my $300 cash. I will obviously need more for my last week in Australia but as I was warned about how expensive things can be here, I was dreading having to part with my limited funds. Fortunately, you can do a lot of good things for free or at least for good value here. I was able to get a multi-pass travel ticket for $43 which gave me unlimited bus, train and ferry travel around Sydney for seven days, the Bondi to Coogee walk was completely free, I did two free walking tours around the city and The Rocks, a friend was kind enough to take me to the Blue Mountains although I did forget to pay for petrol (if you're reading this, I'm sorry Clinton!) and it is completely free to walk around the opera house and Royal Botanical Gardens. I would have been better off food wise if my bag of food hadn't been stolen in my first hostel but I'm trying (very hard) not to be bitter about that!

As I part with Sydney for the more rural Alice Springs, I will look back on fond memories with new friends in this fabulous city and will no doubt return here to do it all over again in the future. My only regret is that I didn't get the autographs of the Bondi Rescue lifeguards but I guess I can't have everything from a city that has already given me enough.

Goodbye Sydney, you have certainly earned a place on my list of favourite cities in the world.