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Hi,
So since the exciting day at the wildlife centre we have done a few exciting things.
So firstly don't laugh, but Sheens and Shenel joined the local swimming pool to attend aqua aerobics classes (this is where you shouldn't laugh!) they have been and tried out the different instructors and have found a couple they like, they go on Tuesday's, Thursday's and Sunday's and then swim a few laps as well to get back into shape after all the chocolate and naughty things that were consumed over Christmas and January!!
It is fun and unlike what you're thinking about everyone who goes to classes like that being sixty years old, they are one of the oldest people there, we thought it would be full of grannies, but since swimming is Australia's national sport people try to do something associated with the water.
So a couple of weeks went by and we met up with our friend Marijke for dinner one night, we added another restaurant onto the list we have visited on Victoria Street. Met some people Sheens used to work with in the UK for drinks, and then we had a fun weekend ahead of us at Surf Camp.
On 23rd January Sheens left work early in preparation of heading to surf camp, whoop whoop. We headed to where we were all meeting, a place called the ScuBar which is a backpackers bar right next to the hostel we stayed in when we first arrived in Sydney, had a drink and waited for everyone to get there. Soon after we got ticked off a list and then sat on our first Australian Greyhound coach. We were on the road for about 45 minutes when we stopped for some food, we got talking to our weekend team leader Chaplin (or Chaps as he likes to be called) whilst waiting for our chips, then three English girls joined us and we got chatting. So when everyone had eaten we got back on the coach and reached our destination at about 22.30. We were then given a site orientation and were told were the plans were for the weekend. So just to let you guys know we were now in a place called Gerroa which is south of Sydney, which has a population of 1500 people, it has one pub and is on the seven mile beach. Also just to put you in the picture the coach was full to brim, a solo traveller was turned away at ScuBar we think she had a dodgy ticket, so the coach was full which meant there was 45 people learning to surf that weekend. About two thirds of the people were from America, they are all here from Boston University on a study program and the rest were from either the UK, Ireland, Australia and a couple from Europe. The place where we were staying was a holiday home, it had lots of caravan's and mobile homes. We had an area to ourselves but were allowed to use the facilities throughout the site. Our area had a central square which was the dining area and it had a TV and music facilities, then the kitchen, shower block and dorms were surrounding that.
Most of the American guys didn't really venture out and talk to anyone else so we decided that we would share our dorm with the English girls we met, we then found a girl from Ireland who was by herself so we took our key and dumped our bags.
We had a little orientation about what the weekend would involve and then headed for our rooms seeing as breakfast was 7am the next day.So we're all in bed either listening to our ipods, reading our books or writing travel diaries when suddenly our door opens and this guy who was drunk as a skunk stumbles in and starts slurring to us all. Obviously none of us were too impressed seeing as we were all in bed and I thought Sheens was about to deck him! Anyways his friends followed him in and tried to get him to leave which didn't work at first, but eventually we got rid of them all. Needless to say we remembered to lock our door after that.
So bright and early the next day we had our breakfast got our wetsuits and headed to the beach which was a ten minute walk away. We were then given our surfboards which actually made us look like midgits... both of us got boards which were eight and a half feet... and they were trying to give us ones that were nine feet, I don't think so! Anyways we carried them across this bridge and onto the beach - not an easy task when the board is way bigger than us, not to mention the lack of muscles in one of us cough.seems.cough. haha.
We were put into groups, for us that happened to include everyone in our cabin plus two American boys. Then to allocate which instructor we got one person from each group had to choose a number from one to six, whilst the instructors did the same thing and then each number got paired up. Seems was the one who chose the number from our group (number five in cases you were wondering...) and we met our instructor called Haydon. After a little surf-board 101 session we hit the water, it wasn't cold but let's just say that having a full wetsuit on was definitely a good thing.
So the main things you have to do to stand up is paddle until you feel a wave hit your toes and then do this 3 step movement where you push up, you bend one leg halfway and then bring it up, get on both knees and then eventually stand up. It seems simple enough but really the balance thing is a bit harder. The first two hour lesson flew by and we both managed to stand up a few times and ride the waves so yay for us!
We headed back, had a little rest and lunch, saw the photos that were taken of everyone from the morning session and went back out to the beach. We went to a different section of the seven mile beach than we were at in the morning and walked for what seemed like forever with our boards across the beach. For the light-hearted amongst the group we paddled in the water and dragged our boards along instead of carrying them, everyone should have done that, it was so much easier! Anyways we got back into the water but the weather conditions had changed from being nice and sunny in the morning to cloudy and windy which sucked. It meant that the whole group spent the two hours nose diving into the water and getting bashed on our heads by our boards instead of standing up, we were still having fun though.
So once we finally got back to camp everyone freshened up and we had dinner, we were meant to then walk up the hill and see the sunset, but because the clouds had come over it was a lost cause. But we were determined to do something, so we still walked up the hill and took some cloudy photos, though the view would have been amazing if the weather was better. We then found the only pub in the town and went for a couple of drinks; there was music a one man band singing old school songs which we were loving. The place looked like it should be a bingo hall, and probably was one night of the week, though they still had their Christmas decorations up which was a bit concerning. After a couple of drinks we decided to head back as we had another hectic day ahead of us.
Sunday was pretty much the same as Saturday, we were just trying to remember the three things and stand up by ourselves, which happened. Since this was our last day we thought we would take our own photos, we had bought an underwater camera case for Sheena's camera so she lent her surf board to Haydon and started snapping away she got a good one of Seems standing up and then just random ones.
By that afternoon everyone was aching and tired and 100% wasn't given so we both decided to take some more photos and head back a few minutes early so we could shower before getting back on the coach. We packed up, got our free t-shirt and said our goodbyes to all the instructors and headed back. Almost everyone slept on the way back and woke up grudgingly when we got back to ScuBar where we were then given a beer and slice of pizza. Mmmmm.
Luckily for Sheens the next day was Australia Day so she had the day off, but Seems had to work. Sheens went for a BBQ at Rushcutters Bay but left early as it started raining!!
During the next week Sheens made curry for Marijke as she was soon to be leaving for her travels and then on the Friday we visited a place called Bungalow 8 which was at Darling Harbour, we had met Sheens ex work colleague for dinner and drinks.
As the weather was getting better we decided to have a picnic at the Botanical gardens on Saturday 31st. Our view was amazing, we were sitting right across from the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Marijke and Shenel had joined us as well, then we saw two of the girls we had met at surf camp walking past so they joined us and then we all decided to go for a snack somewhere, and we chose the Guliyan cafe that was by Circular Quay. It was amazing, we all had lovely chocolate treats and needless to we walked back home to work off all the chocolate!!
The next week Sheens was a bit ill, she had a throat infection so we didn't do much. But on the 6th Feb we had decided to go to the Ice Bar as it was snowing at home we wanted to feel what it was like!! Seems had arranged it with her work friends so Sheens and Shenel tagged along. It was so cool in there, and they told us you weren't allowed to take photos, like that would stop us though!! We got some good ones!!
Then on the 7th we went to Palm Beach, for those of you don't Seems is an avid Home and Away fan and this is the beach that they use for all the beach scenes. So we got our pictures taken outside the surf shop, caught some rays and then walked up the beach just for something to do. Seems friend from uni joined us and unfortunately she got a small sting from a blue bottle jellyfish!! Thank goodness we didn't get stung!!
That's all for now, but it is going to get busier for us know as we leave Sydney in seven weeks so have to start crossing things off our to do list.
More soon....
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