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Arriving in Sydney
Well my travels so far had been going great, so it was about time something went wrong I suppose!
Had a lovely last day in Perth with Rachelle and Mel visiting Caversham Wildlife Park. Saw Koalas up close, they are adorable! Fed kangaroos and saw dingos, wombats and possums.
After a huge pub meal it was time for goodbyes and off to the airport for the next part of my adventure. I was looking forward to getting to Sydney.
Until my flight was cancelled.
No explanations from Jetstar! Glad i arrived at the airport early because I managed to get on standby for the next Quantas flight; I had visions of spending a night on the floor of the airport!
But I wasn't so lucky and I couldnt get on that flight, however Quantas found me a flight to Melbourne then another one to Sydney. Phew!
After a long night and not a great flight..at one point I thought my ears were going to burst, I finally arrived in Sydney.
So now I had to arrange my transfer to the hostel. 2 phonecalls later and noone had arrived so I decided to make my own way by train.
That was easy, only 2 stops. The hostel wasn't far...5 minutes...if you go the right way.....15 minutes if you go the wrong way! Thank god for google maps!
Arrived at my hostel and checked in. Had to wait for my room to be 'cleaned'...and make my way up to the 9th floor...luckily 1 set of lifts were working as the others weren't.
So, my room. Apparently clean. I would not have allowed a homesless tramp to sleep in this room!! Disgusting!!dirty carpet, dirty windows, dirty bedding..the list goes on. I wasn't expecting 4 star but this was a joke.
I was not quite sure what to do...do I stay in it? Or go and find somewhere else?
I popped into the hotel a few doors along to enquire about rooms but it would've meant spending $140 i couldnt really afford and I was tired and did not fancy walking around to find somewhere so i decided to stick it out for 1 night.
After a meal, booking myself a trip for the following day and booking the next bus out of there I felt better.
Well I did until I woke up to discover bugs crawling on the floor of my room!!! Aaaahhh!
The next morning I woke up late but found my way to the meeting point for my tour. It was in The Rocks area of the city and I got my first glimpse of the iconic bridge! Wow!
I was so looking forward to the Home and Away tour down to Summer Bay. I've been a huge fan of the Aussie soap for many years and it was one of trips I had been looking forward to the most!
I wasn't disappointed! The tour guide Paul was great fun and knew lots of facts about the soap. We visited the beach they use for the show and they were filming too! A scene with Evie and Josh. We got quite close and had a walk on the famous beach, the views were stunning and the sand so thick and deep. Couldn't believe I was standing on the same beach that my mum and I watch in Home and Away every night!
We saw the Surf club and Alf's bait shop and the jetty they use. The inside shots are filmed in studios in the city so we could only see the outside locations. Got some great photos and really enjoyed the tour!
The bus dropped us off at the famous Manly beach and I had to get a ferry across the harbour back to circular quay.
Seeing the bridge and opera house from the water was a great way to see it and get some photos.
My mood had improved and I treated myself to a decent meal in a lovely pub looking over the harbour. I knew I had a long night of travelling ahead on the bus to the Gold Coast so a decent meal was needed.
I packed my bags enthusiastically and I was off to the station.
Glad to see there were lots of other backpackers at the station waiting for the same bus. I was beginning to feel like a homeless person with no real place!
The bus was comfortable and I managed to get some sleep. We made regular stops for breaks and the scenery in the morning was nice.
After a long 14 hours I finally arrived in Surfers Paradise! And Kellie was picking me up. Phew was I glad to have a friendly face, a car and a place to stay!!
I was struggling to stay awake but after a shower, a glass of wine and a good meal I felt human again!
I had heard many great things about Sydney and I had been eager to get to this vibrant and famous city to see the sights. Sadly for me it had been a disappointment but maybe it was because it didn't start well and I was alone in this huge busy city which had zapped my enthusiasm. I'm sure if I was to visit again then it may be different.
Back to enjoying Australia again!
Sarahx
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