My Australian Experience: Sydney etc...

After another hideous, overnight train journey, this time with no blankets provided and with the added disruption of some complete imbecile mouthing of at the front of the carriage, which meant I got literally NO sleep, we arrived! Walking through the station, with rain outside, down to the underground, it reminded us very much of London, although the tubes were double decker- pretty cool! 

 We found our way to our backpackers, having given a dollar to a tramps daily fund and been told I was going to heaven, really, I was...(I only gave him money so that he wouldn't hurt me!). Shortly after arrival, we realised we had picked THE dodgiest part of Sydney, Kings Cross! The hostel owner took us to a nearby cafe for a free coffee (you suddenly become trusting of everyone you meet while travelling, especially if they offer free food or drink, pretty dangerous!). After a while of being creeped out by the hostel owner, finding out that the hostel didn't have hot water, and that the bed bug guy had just been in, we were comfortably (kind of) in our room! 

 Luckily, where we were staying was a walk from many places, and we took a trip to circular key, the harbour bridge and Opera House first thing. Oh my, you know how the Opera House is a World known building, with images across the world? Well when I was actually there, standing outside, venturing in, I was amazed that this was happening! It is a truly incredible building! Even in the rain! I was completely in awe. 

 That evening, after a freezing cold shower, we took another walk to darling harbour, to see if Sydney do good fireworks all year and not only on the 31st January. They certainly do, these fireworks were amazing! It was a valentines special and so there were hearts and colours exploding in the sky over the beautiful harbour. Despite the rain, the turn out was huge. After watching a crazy street artist juggling knives with fire spinning round his head (WHY?!) and being interrupted by a very drunken lad, we walked back home.

 The next day we caught a ferry over to beautiful Watson bay. Again, even in the rain it was lush. We met up with some lovely friends there who fed us a gigantic meal which will satisfy our appetites for weeks (I'm serious. It was amazing), from one of the oldest restaurants around. It was so good that when we returned to our hostel for a lay down to let it settle we both crashed for 2 and a half hours!! 

The next morning we woke up and guess what ?! THE SUN WAS SHINING- hallelujah! So...we headed straight to the beach, Manly, the one of choice. Bigger than we thought and yet again another beautiful Australian beach! Lovely ferry journey as well, the clouds had almost completely cleared on the way back, and we could see a perfect photo opportunity, with the opera house and harbour bridge, one behind the other, amazing!

That night, because it was clear, and this is Sydney, you never know what the weather will be like the next hour, let alone the next day, we decided to check out a bar that we had read about in 'Lonely Planet'. Turns out it was far posher than we thought. American movie esc...American receptionist, with walkie talkie asking up at the bar if there was room, and when we were allowed up, a posh security guard waiting bag the lift, because apparently as soon as you come to this bar you lose ability to push a lift button!! When we reached the billionth floor to the bar, an even posher waiter was there to guide us to our seats. The bar was spinning ( and not because I was blind drunk!) giving us te most amazing skyline view all around Sydney! Even the sinks in the 'ladies' were over the top posh!

 I have more food to talk to you about on the following day! We met some friends on darling harbour (lovely place) where, sitting in front of us was a bar menu. Too tempting...so we just HAD to get the beef nachos, lush. In order to make our other friend jealous so that he may well ask us over for a BBQ, we sent him a selfie! It worked! That night we had THE biggest barbie I think I've had in all of Oz! Walking home after, we dordled, despite being the middle of the city and dark, because we felt as though our stomachs were going to burst- literally!

After a rainy day and more comfort eating, we decided to hit the town the next evening. We had spied a bar, on the corner of kings Cross, that appeared to have a snake bite deal. Being the stingy backpackers that we are, we thought we would have some of that, until we re-read the sign which clearly stated "SUNDAY". Doh! So, hearing stories about kings cross, we ventured away from it, in search of a bar. We found ourselves again on darling harbour! There, the only option was to have a big bowl/ bucket/ pool of Pimms! Bloody lush it was and we were literally given the biggest hint of 'that was meant for 4 people for a reason, please let me go home now' from the waiter !

The following day was bright sunshine, so Bondi was the place to be! Not much to report from this day, as the majority was spent soaking up the beautiful sun. However, a moment which tickled us, when 5 Canadian girls set up camp beside us. My God, some of the things that came out of there mouths..."do you have to put the camera in water before you use it if it's waterproof?"..."we are going to the ocean, don't bring anything waterproof?"...running theme of thickness?! And then, for the corker...one of them went over to a heard of seagulls in order to try and scare them off, she put a bag of crisps under the blanket...we then heard one girl say "bloody hell, these are clever seagulls, they know that's under there they do REALLY"! We just laughed at the imbeciles! 

After listening to those genius' we felt it was time for a stuff drink, and what better place for it than Opera Bar at sunset. Absolutely beautiful is all I have to say.

The following day visited 'The Rocks', and how very apt that there was a food market on! Apt for us two anyway! It was a lovely part of Sydney, reminded me a bit of olden day Cambridge (not that I remember olden day Cambridge, but the Cambridge before the big retail centres came about. Having demolished a ham and pineapple sarny (another combination that I will be taking home with me, never before have I thought to add pineapple to anything but pizza!), we had a chilled drink with a friend, at our favourite place, Darling Harbour! 

So, there you have it, Sydney, a beautiful city filled with wonderful things. My memories will last a lifetime. After a quick mooch round some markets, we head down further next, Melbourne bound!