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It has been a while since we last updated we know but have been very busy. so i will do my best to fill you in on all the details.
Ok, firstly. We have discovered why it is chocolate (Darrell Lee being the exception) tastes so crappy (sorry Mummy but it really does taste that bad) in Australia. A source informs us that they but an addative in good old Cadbury's etc to stop it from melting. Personally i would rather have melty chocolate that the alternative!!! On the plus side we have found alternatives, did i mention the Maccas hot fudge sunday is only $1.75!!!!! Yummy yummy. Also Sydney has some wicked cake shops (any weight we had lost we have gained again). Also maccadamia nut brittle, gimme gimme gimme! Brilliant fudge shop in Darling Harbour also well worth a trip or to if any one is out this way.
As you can see food in generally has featured massively just recently. Thats because it basically hasn't stopped raining or generally drizzling the whole time we have been here. Started on Christmas eve and its still going. Grey skys as far as the eye can see hence the need to hide in as many buildings as possible.
We have not just done the foodie thing, although have managed to buy yet more cooking related present for myself to send home. We have been very good little tourists and done all the usual attrations - the Rocks and all there is to see there, a very cool little street called Savanah Place which is the original buildings built in the Rocks that are protected and you can see inside. We've done the Taronga Zoo and the aquarium, the observatory and police and justice museums. The Museum of Sydney and the Australian Museum. We've done art, we've done convicts, cinema so much shopping in so many places, and stared at the Opera House and Bridge that many times i can see them with my eyes closed. Decided not to do the Bride climb as i'm to much of a wimp and looking up at it makes me feel woozy neve mind being on top of it and looking down (more on this concept later). Oh and we saw Hugh Grant. Not the greatest celeb in the world to see i know (bring on the Bradley Cooper!!!) but there he was anyway. Walking the red carpet for the premier of his new film 'Have you met the Morgans'. We later went to see said film on yet another rainy day. Also Shelock Holmes is very good if anyone was interested.
Christmas eve we went to the harbour to listen to christmas carols and watch the fireworks (you know me, can't resist as good fireworks show and i bribed Becky with fudge). Here's the thing about christmas in Australia. To start with its summer. Chirstmas shouldn't happen in summer its just plain wrong. The few decorations that are up don't make sense - snowmen would melt and santa would suffer from heat exhaustion in his suit. They change the words to the christmas carols - no no no no no! Also christmas just doesn't seem to be a big deal here. No flashy lights, a few trees about but very underwhelming. Although the fireworks had been great it just didn't feel like christmas at all.
Where do i start with Christmas day. Firstly it was raining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My christmas day on Bondi Beach is so far not looking great. We dolled up in all our festive finery and set out. Not one person said Merry Christmas to us so i made a point of saying it to everyone we walked pasted. Got the bus to Bondi to go to the 'Sunburt on the Beach' christmas rave extravaganza. NOt only is it raining harder now but we where refused entery to the ticketed event ($70!!!!!) becasue we didn't bring photo ID. Apparently its the law in Australia to have photo ID to go to events like this (for future reference) even though we haven't been ID'd once! After arguing that perhaps it should state this on the ticket and being told that we looked too older to be under age and begging the police to vouch for us being old we had to go all the way back to Sydney to get passports togo all the way back to Bondi.
I've included a photo of christmas lunch. I think its safe to say we werent' thrilled and it was YUCK! The rave extrazaganza was pants, putting it politely. And it was $10 per can of Smirnoff Ice. Needless to say we weren't getting drunk any time soon. We decided to head back to Sydney get dry clothes and hit the pub. Oh no. Wait a mintue. Can't do that because the pubs aren't allowed to open on christmas day in Australia (yet another stupid law if you ask me). Its just not christmas day without a trip to the pub!!!!! We were glad when christmas day was over.
After the disaster that was christmas we had high hopes for NYE. After all we were in Sydney!!! We queud up patiently for 3 hours to get a spot in the botanical gardens for the night. According to all the very well prepared literature for the night this is considered an advantage spot for the fireworks. We were feeling very pleased with ourselves until we go in the gates. Should have twigged earlier that there would be trees in the botanical garden. Really big trees. That block the view of everything. The vantage spot was a few areas between the trees that had a clear view of the bridge and the opera house. There was not even the tinyest bit of bum space left in these areas. So trees it was for us.
It drizzeled all day and we came prepared with a change of party clothes for later in the evening. Becaue it is all controlled sites you aren't allowed to take alcohol in. Which is fine until the charge you $40 for a bottle of wine (thats about 27GBP). We treated oursleves to 2 bottles and drank very slowly. There are kiddies fireworks at 9pm which is a great warm up for the main event. We filmed the midnight fireworks for you as best we could. Too many trees. Too many street lights and to many camara flashes on the other side of the bridge. Because ther is no count down to be heard from where we were it all got a little confusing as to when it actually was midnight (give me Big Ben anytime). The fireworks wher amazing and the film doesn't do them justice. No wonder it costs $5 million dollars to do the show.
I realise it all sounds very negative but its just not nice being away from home for christmas, and as soppy as it sounds, it has made us both realise its who you are with, not where or how many presents that you get that make it special (not that i'm saying i don't want any presents next year).
New years day continued to be wet and horrible (we've included a video of the rain to prove how horrible it was. Water was running up hill. Now that just shouldn't happen but it did. We hid in the cinema for the day but decided it was time to do something drastic with our trip.
After much beliberation we decided that jumping out of a perfectly good plane with a little man and a parashute attached to you back was the way to go. Don't ask me why i decided this would be a good idea because i'm not sure what possessed me. After updating our travel insurance (for which i lied and did not disclose the old back injury) we proceded to travel to the jump site filling in yet more forms where i neglected to mention my back injury in the relevent places (i will apy for this later don't worry).
After a brief training session and being suited up (i have cleverly hidden all evidence of what i look like in said suit). Even at this point i am still suprisingly calm. I'm pretending that i'm not about to potentially fall to my death. Even in the plane i feel ok. Although my very white knuckles had to be prised from the hand rail. When asked to lean out of the plane, i took a quick glimpse and decided no no, i don't like the look of that and trided to wiggle back in. My little man however (after earlier agreeing he would just push me out if necessary) was having none of it and basically launched us out of the plane.
Now on the telly they always go up when they first jump. This DOESN'T happen. There is no resistance, there is nothing holding you up, you just fall!!!!!!! This i was not expecting for some reason. I realise that of course i was going to fall through the sky but i really did expect a little resistance. To start with i was to scared to breath at all. Then after realising that no air was coming in at all i was hyperventalating and then he pulled the cord and i nearly threw up. But after that it really is the most amazing feeling in the world. There is nothing like it. Then comes the landing part. Oh dear. I had dropped so far in my harness all my earlier practiced landing moves were useless. I couldn't get my legs up to land on my bum at all. We had to do a very graceful (not) face first dive onto the ground. And it takes forever for your ears to unpop.
Lets just say that the back pain the day after the jump was more than enough punishment for lying on the the forms. Crippled old lady is an understatement!!! But item number one (do something exhillerating) of the 2010 mission statement (not resultions becasue you don't do them) is complete. Still at the stage where i can't believe i did it and get a little flutter in my heart every time i think about it. Becky is now hooked. Wants to go again (fat chance!!!) and is considering lessons (you all know what to buy for her birthday now).
Our time in Sydney is at an end. We are off to collect the camper for the the great Melbourne road trip!!!!
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