SUNDAY 29TH APRIL

 Hi people in our homeland! Hope you had a good week and managed to get some more rays. Hope the folkstone earthquake didnt shake any of you, how weird is that! Well apart from all the sightseeing that has been going on this week there is also another exciting development. Big brother Oz has started, my parent sightseeing is interrupting it but managing to keep in touch with the developments. There is a couple in there who have to hide their relationship from the rest of the house while the rest of the house have been told they need to find out who the couple is. Meanwhile the girls ex and love of her life is also there and the boyfriend doesnt know! So u r all jealous about our BB arent u, well probably not and Im not addicted but it is quite entertaining. Well enough about BB, will now try to be more credible and tell u all the stuff we have been up to in the last week.

     Well Monday was mam and dads first day of waking up at our luxurious abode. They are sleeping in our room and instead of us sleeping on the airbed, we pushed our 2 sofas together and slept on them with a sheet/pillows and quilt, very comfy. Paul likes it as he can watch the telly in bed! Monday morning I worked and Paul had day off, they went and picked up their hire car and discovered that the torrential rain that had gone on throughout the night was still going strong! They therefore opted for an indoor event and went to the aquarium at darling harbour. Paul and I had been there before but it is good and they all enjoyed themselves. They also did some celeb spotting by seeing Linda Robson (birds of a feather) and Jenny eclair and some other women who are all in Sydney doing their show grumpy old women. They then had a walk round darling harbour (during a brief rain break) and went in the shopping centre there. That night as still raining we opted for the indoor casino complex star city. We had dins at the buffet restaurant there but unfortunately we got there at 2100, the food was taken away at 2130 and we had to be out by 2200. We all quickly grabbed some food before it was taken away and had another under pressure meal, quite funny though! Afterwards we hit the casino for a short time and Mam won 50 dollars on a slot machine that she did not have a clue what she was doing, jammy ay! We then went to the bar on Mam?s winnings which overlooked the harbour.

    Tuesday it was still raining, not a lot to do indoors but luckily we had the car so could drive around. Paul went to work and I had the day off so we did the Eastern suburbs (the area we live) beach tour. Went to the normally calm waters of Clovelley then Coogee, Bronte then Tarraramma. Spent the whole time saying this normally looks so much better in the sun! In Tarraramma there was a rain break so we had a walk on the lovely beach bay, Dad went to toilet, we then went to the ladies and found him in the cubicle, saying to us do you mind!, the silly fool had gone in the ladies by mistake, was very amusing!, he said he wondered why there were no urinals! From there we went to Bondi where I had to force the parents to have photos, not the most willing. We had lunch at the lovely iceburgs club which overlooks the pool and the beach. There was a patch of blue sky developing there but just when mam was getting her hopes up the rain started again. After this we went back to pick up Paul and went to the botanical gardens. The rain meant business here but we were undeterred as Paul and I both had our ski jackets, Dad in Pauls hoodie (funny sight) and Mam in a plastic pink poncho (even more funny sight!). We saw the smelly flying fox bats and lots of cockatoos which they thought were cool, dont think they were quite as enthusiastic as me about cockatoos though! That night we went for dinner at The spot which is the area near us, still in Randwick full of restaurants. Had dins at a place called Seahorses which we have been to before and was very nice.

    Wednesday was Anzac day and a bank holiday in Oz. Was raining again, what bad luck especially since the sun has been amazing in the last few weeks also have never known it to rain this much since got here. Since everybody was off work we met up with Mag and John and Vanessa and Stuart at the Newport arms at the Northern beaches. This is also a place we had been before where the beer garden overlooks a yacht filled inlet and national park which in the sun looks glorious, didn?t quite have the same attraction in the rain but oh well! Still had a good time and everybody seemed to get on and have good chats. Afterwards we took them to Palm beach and a quick visit to home and always summer bay surf club before going back to Mag and Johns for the afternoon/evening.

   Thursday was such a treat, woke to bright blue skies, yay! Wanted to show them everything in the sun as it all looks so nice but that wasnt possible so we drove to Watsons bay. Took them on the walk that Mag had shown me along the beach and through to the lovely secluded tiny beach of Camp cove. Sun was just right here and had a sit for a while before I forced them to move on (too much to see and do!) We went to Doyles pub on Watsons bay and had their famous fish and chips overlooking the beach and over the sea to the harbour and city. We then walked a short part of the cliff walk and saw some of the cool views. After this we drove in to the city to go to Darling harbour. Got lost and tensions got a bit tight for a while before finally parking and walking around the sunny darling harbour and going on a round trip on the citys monorail. Also went to Queen Victoria shopping mall which they agreed was very nice. Thursday night mam and dad went back to the restaurant in Coogee while me and Paul watched the final of a programme we had been watching for the last 3 months the biggest looser, suited us all just right! They had a good time and so did we! Mam and dad came back and booked their Melbourne hotel for their forthcoming weekend trip and checked out the forecast which was rain and more rain! Dad kept looking for queensland flights but they have now sky rocketed so has given up.

    Friday morning we both went to work and Mam and Dad went to Melbourne along with our ski jackets and umbrellas! I was determined to go to Canberra that night but Stuart was having a Barbie Saturday so my trip didnt happen, instead we didnt go anywhere as couldnt be bothered, meanwhile the folks rang saying they were in a nightclub in Melbourne casino, it was defiantly the wrong way round!

    Saturday had a lazy morning before going to Bondi junction shopping centre and changing my too short Valentines necklace for another (to replace my wedding day necklace that I broke). Went from there to Stuarts, 2 hours late but not unexpected. The Barbie was just for his plumbers as one of them Rob was leaving and going home to England. He was there with his wife who is also a nurse at Prince of Wales but in the childrens, shes really nice and easy to talk to. Also another plumber Joel with his wife who didnt speak and Jim who I have spoke about before and is very amusing. Pauls uncle John also works with them and they all get on so was a good get together. Rob is Scottish and brought his bagpipes as a surprise, he played us a couple of renditions which was really good and quite a surreal moment. The boys then all had a go and were all hopeless but funny! It was a good night had by all.

    Today (Sunday) we woke at Mags, well Paul woke, I was woken by the noise pollution, (Mag?s not very quiet mouth, excited dogs and excited children), all part and parcel of staying there though. Mag is a self declared morning person and I am not but am used to it. Was very sunny in the morning, unlike Saturday, weather is dodgy. Me and Paul went shopping in Hornsby, I was meant to be getting clothes as have a great lack but instead Paul got 2 more t-shirts to add to his huge collection. At 1500 we went with the rest of them to watch Pauls cousin Karens son play rugby union. Paul had previously said he didnt want to watch egg chasers but changed his mind today. Game looked very dangerous, boys are all 15 so a bit rough, one of them hurt his arm at the bottom of a scrum, Mag was telling me to do something, I refused after explaining there was nothing I could do and they should be used to it and his mum took him off to hospital. Anyway he game was alright and Alex did well so was good to watch, bloody dangerous though. Afterwards as we were up at the Northern beaches Paul and I made the most of our surroundings and went to a restaurant/bar/hotel that I had read about called Jonahs. It was off the main road up a very steep windy hill and was very luxurious inside. Knew that the food wouldn?t be for me nor the prices for Paul (and was correct) so just got a drink and sat in the garden with cliff top views over Whale beach and watched the surfers, sunset and odd lightening strike in the distance (no rain though). Was very nice and felt like I had achieved something special and worthwhile from the weekend by going there. From there drove back towards Sydney looking for a more reasonable priced restaurant to eat in. Went to Manly and ate in a nice restaurant although the food wasnt the best. Drove home and got pudding from the new ice cream shop at the spot. You choose your ice-cream flavour and then choose as many different types of sweets as you like, there are loads. I had caramel mud cake ice cream with malteases, a snack size crunchie and lump of cookie dough. They put in on a surface and mash it all together. Paul had choc pizza face things, m&ms, oreo cookies and choc ice cream. It was so good, cant wait to do with the children, they would love it!

    Anyway that was quite a long one wasnt it, sorry bout that but cant help it and cant be bothered to check my grammer either! Need to wake Paul up off the sofa now as has fallen asleep watching American pie! All have a good week, love and miss you loads Laura and Paulxxxxxx