Our last week in Oz was spent in Sydney. Yogi and Mardi were kind enough to put us up and really looked after us, feeding us and acting as tour guides.
The first thing to do if you really want to explore this amazing city is to buy a week long multi pass. This costs around 50 dollars each and gives you access to the whole train, bus and ferry network that criss crosses the city and harbour.
Next step is to board a train heading to Circular Quay and get your first views of the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Get used to looking at these landmarks as they are quite mesmerising and you want to see them from every angle and in every light!
Next step is to head to Bondi Beach and spend your time soaking up the atmosphere and watching first time surfers get nailed by heavy waves and then watch the hundreds of local surfers carving it up like pro's.
Yogi and Mardi took us one one of the great coastal walks around the harbour from Mossman (near Taronga Zoo) to Balmorral. A great 14km walk through picturesque beaches and along cliff side paths and wooden boardwalks. On the way you can see more of the harbour bridge and also dragon lizards, lighthouses and lots of expensive yachts.
The best views of the harbour bridge, opera house and skyline are from the Manly Ferry, (free with your pass). The old ferry boat takes you across the harbour to the beach town of Manly home to some really nice surf breaks and sunsets! The return journey at sunset is spectacular with the lights from the city skyline illuminating the landmarks and reflecting in the ocean.
It was great to catch up with Yogi and Mardi. We spent many a night talking, drinking and laughing (so much that they got an anonymous complaint letter from a neighbour asking them to stop laughing after 10pm!) we also caught up with Rosie who had moved over here from the UK after many years working for PGL, her music knowledge was put to the test in the local pub quiz where we came a respectable 4th place.
It was soon time to leave Australia and head across the water to New Zealand for more adventures!
We want to say a big thank you to:
Stu and Lorne for treating us like family when we arrived in Perth, taking us diving, lending us a car and convincing Dave not to drive the Nullarbor in a cheap car in 40 degree heat!
Rachel and Kris for inviting us to your big day!
Helen and Kieran (and Helen's folks) for letting us stay in the shed and feeding us King Prawns and Roo in Margaret river!
Ali and Alan for introducing us to great wine, beer, Cellar doors, My Kitchen Rules and platters in Adelaide.
Kim, Donald and Ffyon for taking us to festivals, gigs, fish and chips on the beach and standing in a big hole shouting at the sea!
Carl and Moyra for lending us their home and outdoor centre even though they weren't there!
Stuie for introducing us to Pokies, BBQ's, RSL clubs and making conversation even when extremely hungover!
Mardi and Yogi for laughs, cottage pie, pub quizzes, lots of "interesting" facts about yachts, buoys and sailing type thingies (yogi) and long walks. Good luck with the Visa!
In our short time down under we have driven 7000km, dived a wreck, swum in jelly fish infested water, gone to a rock concert, driven a F1 track, broken a tooth, looked at jaw dropping scenery, tasted every australian beer, been sunburnt, swam in the pacific, southern and Indian Ocean, attended a wedding, bought and sold a car, finished a teaching qualification, visited a brewery, body surfed in shark infested water, been chased by spiders, cuddled a koala, fed and eaten a kangaroo, seen a blue mountain, watched a sunrise on the east coast and a sunset on the west coast, drank amazing coffee, dived the Great Barrier Reef and blown a penguin!! We have slept in a wagon, a Wendy house, a shed, a flat, in the middle of a forest, on a beach, up a mountain, in a house with a pool, on the side of a road, in a dodgy motel, in the middle of a horse racing track and in a house in the middle of nowhere!
Brilliant!
See you next time from the land of "fush and chups"!
