WWWOOOOHOOOOOOOO 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Its 5pm, New Years Day now, and I am absolutely shattered, but happy, as I had THE MOST random, but amazing new year ever last night!!!! It was AWESOME!!!!!

"New Years Eve" actually started quite early, (at about 11am), when I met Mum in the centre, although I was supposed to meet her at 10.30, (with the house being so full, and the arrival of our Dutch mate, Jaap the night before who is staying on the floor in our already cramped room), things were a little hectic in the morning....

(Regardless of the fact that I didnt actually get in bed until about 5.30am anyway after going out to meet some guy, who turned out to be a grade A w****r, anyway.....but thats another story!!!!)

Mum had been to the supermarket to buy supplies for the long day and night that lay ahead of us, such as crisps, water,and cereal bars, and then we made our way upto the Botanic Gardens near the harbour- the place where you can get the best views of the bridge and the Opera House.

We had about an hour and a half of walking, and the route was very busy with all the other people that had the same idea, and then....there was the queue...

We arrived at Art Gallery Road, the only entrance to the Gardens, and there were already thousands upon thousands of people queuing there.I had never seen so many people in a line before!!! Mum did ask if I thought it was a good idea to get in the queue at all, but I said yes, as I REALLY, REALLY wanted to see the display from the view that I had found in the park, so we got in.

And in actual fact, it wasnt that bad. We were only in the line for about 2 and a half hours,and I had energy to stand in the sun from the cold Filet of Fish meal that I had bought on the way, but had forgotten to eat in my haste to get to the gardens... and after we got through the bag checks, we made the brisk walk to find a good spot.

Luckily, we arrived in time for it not to be too busy, and went and sat on the rocks that I had seen that had the perfect view of the place where the display happens from.

I decided that I would go and get an ID wrist band that you had to get if you were aged between 18-25 years, in order to buy alcohol, although I had no intention of buying any of the extortionately priced stuff,I just wanted the wrist band, as we didnt have any tickets and I wanted the momento! Stupid, I know, but Im sentimental, what can I say!?lol.

After a few hours of sitting there and settling in, and making friends with a really nice young couple called Greg and Andrea who were from Germany and Argentina respectively, we were approached by the park wardens who told us that we werent allowed to sit on the rocks for health and safety reasons, which was a bit annoying to say the least considerring that we had been there for hours and nobody had said anything, but fair enough, so we moved to a lower part.

People kept on coming up there though and eventually they kept on getting moved, even though we told them that they would be moved anyway. But, some people just dont listen to you! It turns out, that we should have just stayed up there, because after a few hours, people had been sat there and hadnt been moved, and we were getting really hacked off because they kept on falling on our heads and stumbling on us, so I decided to go to one of the events staff and complain(Im good at it, I couldnt help myself...)

He told me that basically, they had given up as there were too many people to control, and by his own admission, told me that yes, it was a safety issue, but they werent going to do anything about it, and that the park hadnt employed enough staff to effectivelt deal with the number of people there...

Oh really? Thats really good isnt it?! So he was telling me that a) we gave up the best seats in the house for absolutely nothing, and b) that they knew that there was a strong possibility that there would be an accident, but they werent going to do anything anyway....Wrong answer, mate, but thanks for the ammunition, Sam! (I took his name so that I could complain more effectively!!!)lol.

I then sought out the "team leader", a woman I had encounterred earlier who had moved us from the rocks, who clearly didnt actually know her own job description or was just to incompetant to actually do her duty, and cornerred her. She told me that they were dealing with the situation and that the people would be moved, but, as the night continued it became evident that this was not going to happen, despite the fact that people were falling all over our heads, and wine bottles and drinks were flying all over from above. (I actually happenned to capture a wine bottle narrowly miss Mums head on video....) I was SSSSOOOOOOOOOOOO Mad that I wanted to scream, but I was trying very hard to not let it spoil the evening, and kept on telling myself that as long as I saw the fireworks then thats all that mattered! But, deep down, I still found it quite shocking that an event with so many people in attendance, that is so long running can be so ill-organised and executed by the people that are there to apparently "keep order and safety". Its a joke, and I have half a mind to write a strongly worded letter....(I really cant help it, complaining is in my blood, and besides its bloody out of order!!!!)

Anyway, we waited and chatted, and had a nice time despite all of this (even though we were also under siege from ants as well as the falling peeps) and when midnight came, everybody was in really high spirits , and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing!!

Just before midnight came, we were approached by some really random drunk guy from Chester who had lost his mates, and wanted to but some booze off of us, even though we didnt have any, he didny seem to understand!! He somehow wound up staying with us, and when midnight came, he was hardly even looking at the bloody fireworks, and was being quite distracting as I was trying to take photos whilst being in absolute awe of how amazing it was!(2006 was the 75th jubillee year of the bridge so it was a bit extra special-wow, how wierd to be sayng "2006 was...!")

Anyway, Mum captured it all on video, but this guy had obviously taken a bit of a shine to me, shall I say, and was busy doing Borat impersonations and smacking my arse, which was a little annoying, but, it provided the most random and hilarious commentry to the fireworks that we could have ever had, although Im yet to watch it back, Im sure that its probably one of the funniest things that has happenned all year-I was absolutely pissing myself!!!

Im not a person that is easily impressed, after some of the things that I have seen, its no easy task, but I must say...I was impressed. I think that its definatelt the best and most beautiful firework display that I have ever seen, although, really, I was kinda expecting that anyway, with coming to Sydney on NYE and all!!!

Apparently there were 1million people there watching the display, and I can believe it!! It was so hectic! But such a unique and special experience to have!! Im so lucky!!!

But, if I ever was in Sydney ever again for NYE, I dont think that I would go to the Gardens to watch it again.I think that once is good, for the experience and the atmosphere, but I would probably watch it from a rooftop or something!!

Anyway, after waiting for all the crowds to leave, and being very entertained by th drunken bloke who was absolutely hilarious and wanted to marry me or something, and was making very inappropriate suggestions in front of my Mother (luckily, shes the kinda woman that finds that kinda thing funny..) we went on the mission out of the park, along with drunken guy, although he went for a pee behind a tree and then never came back, as we lost him in the crowds.

I do have a rather lovely pair of Aviator sunglasses now, as a result, which he insisted I had, even though I tried to give them back to him about 10 times!! Then, me and Mum took AGES to walk all the way back through town to home again!

I think it took about an hour and a half altogether, as Mum was a little merry from swigging wine out of the bottle, and also had an attack of the hiccups, so I had to allow for that!!!

I walked her all the way to central station to make sure that she didnt get lost, so all she had to do was walk on the pavement through the park to her hostel, and then set about walking home again. The streets were still packed and everybody was still partying, as it was only 3am, but I was shatterd from sitting around and waiting for 12 hours, having no sleep the night before, and generally over exerting myself at midnight, so I had a wash and fell into my pit. (I didnt even wake up when Marie and Jaap came back in an hour later and had the light on and were banging about apparently, so I must have been really tired!!)

And we all slept in until about midday today, although I was the first one up to get in the shower, as I felt absolutely vile and sweaty from the night before! And now, I have been walking around Sydney looking as rough as a rats arse, but I dont really care, as it was all worth it!!!

Im supposed to be meeting Mum in a wee while to go for a meal, as she is moving to Bondi tommorrow for 4 days until she goes on her adventure road trip up the coast, with all the piss heads (which I am sure she will love completely!!)lol.

So, it wont be so easy to see her for the next few days, as I am going to work tommorrow at the shop, which should be cool, although they have said that I have to learn how to use a walky-talky as part of the training (oh dear god, I didnt think that anything technological apart from the till was required in a shop.....aaarrrrghhhh!!!!)which could prove to be a little bit interesting.....

Anyway, I have to go, I have some stuff to do before I go and meet Mamaa, so I must dash dahlings!!

I hope that you all had a really good new year, too! All the best for 2007!

Cio, Cio! XX