Sydney

Goodbye NZ and hello to Sydney!

We're back and began looking for somewhere to stay and a job. Really lucky though, because we managed to find the cutest little flat and I've got a job!

I work in an investment bank - Lazard - as a holiday cover and do secretarial type stuff. It's a very swish office and I'm on the 44th floor overlooking Harbour Bridge and the Opera house!

Very nice! Everyone works really hard here though, so they don't get a lot of time to look out of the office and admire the view, but I get to sneak over and just look at the sun setting over the sea and it's truly beautiful. I can see big ships and little ferries criss crossing and the city is below you - it's really nice to be up so high, though my ears pop every time I'm in the lift! It's so fast, too - whooosh - and you're up on 44th! Only two more floors above me.

Our flat is in Pyrmont and it's not far to work, I can walk it, which is great. Pyrmont is a bit like Kensington I guess and has lots of lovely cafe's, bars and restaurants in the area. It's also right by the fish market, which is amazing. You can buy your fish there every day and also fruits and veg and other yummy things. People just go there and buy great big bagfuls of prawns and then sit by the jetty and enjoy them with some wine. That's such a great lifestyle.

We're in a flatshare with this Kiwi girl called Toni. What's great about the flat though is that we all have our own bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living space. But our room, though it is the smallest, is right by the kitchen and living room, whereas Toni's room and the other unoccupied one are upstairs. Their rooms are much bigger than ours and have their own terraces, but we don't mind really because it feels like we have our own little flat because everything is on one level for us.

We would have loved to have Toni's room, but she had already taken it before we saw it, so that's ok. But the other room is even more amazing. It is huge! and has a really big outdoor space attached to it. We would have loved it, but it's out of our price range at $350 a week. To be honest, we'd rather spend the money on being able to do stuff than on rent, and our room is truly lovely too, so we can't complain. It's got a great big skylight in it, which is nice.

I'm also getting used to working again, I felt quite nervous on my first day, but then it was fine in the end. Unfortunately though, I've caught the office bug, so now my sinuses are hurting and I'm not feeling too great. That goes to show that working is not good for your health! :o)

I'm also required to be dressed very properly, so I went out and bought some cheap things that I could wear - a capsule office wardrobe. I look so business like, I giggle at myself, especially when I wobble through the office on my heels... I'm not used to this, but we get free biscuits here, so it's not all bad.

Well, I've caught up now - will put up pictures soon, so you can see what it's like.

Here's a link to our house, choose the satellite view once you've opened it:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=175+Harris+street,+Pyrmont+NSW+2009,+Australia&sll=-33.870879,151.194642&sspn=0.008017,0.019956&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=-33.87046,151.194137&spn=0.001577,0.002494&z=19

And here, you can see where I work. If you look at the map, you can see the Opera House in the top right corner. To the left of it, you will see the Harbour Bridge. Between them, you can see the ferry terminal with the jetties sticking out into the sea. If you look at the first jetty on the left and then go straight down a bit, you will see the top of a diamond shaped building. That's where I work!
http://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&om=1&msa=0&msid=115057966493246255147.00000112e0dad253b065d&ie=UTF8&ll=-33.858211,151.2117&spn=0.012616,0.019956&z=16

Some random things

Some stuff I don't remember where they happened, so I will just add them on as I remember things.

One time, we were driving along in the middle of nowhere, when we saw a bright sign for a pub. We followed it and it was like a shed in the middle of nowhere! It was great. A proper little pub, with a big fire and wooden benches and lots of locals. They also brew their own beer and do lots of other fun things, like gigs and stuff, so we tasted their ales and cider. Very nice!

I also had a pavlova!

NZ apparently invented the pavlova and they fight over it with Australia, because they say they invented it. Anyway, the pavlova here is different to the one at home, it's like a whole cake! And really tall and smooth. So they serve it in slices and with cream and fruit on the top. It's so yummy, as it's really fluffy on the inside, so it feels like you're eating bath foam or something. So good!

We also managed to stay in a pretty annoying camp site at one point. It was next to a massive flyover and they directed us to our spot, which was miles away from everything. It was pitch black and we saw this hut, that housed the kitchen and the bathrooms, but they were all locked! We drove all over the place until we found a better spot right by the dump point!

A Maori Experience

We wanted to see a traditional Maori evening and so we booked onto this special experience that also takes you to a wildlife sanctuary where you can see NZ national bird, the Kiwi.

We ended up in a group of elderly American tourists, but they were quite good fun, so we all had a giggle in the end.

We got to the place, where we were greated by this Maori lady in traditional costume and she explained a bit about the history and culture of the Maori. She had the traditional blue tattoos on her face and on her body and it looked quite cool. She also taught us some words 'Kia Ora' which means 'hello' and 'be well' and lots of other good things, so you're never wrong saying Kia Ora.

We also chose a 'Chief' from our group for the welcome ceremony, where we get invited into the Maori village. It's quite scary, we were walking through this forested area and all of a sudden these blokes jumped out and were screaming stuff and then this one guy did the whole traditional greeting which involves a challenge. You mustn't respond to the challenge though, but instead, you have to pick up the green twig as a sign of peace and then you do the handshake and go nose-to-nose for the sharing of breath.

It's pretty serious stuff. Apparently, when the Dutch came to NZ hundreds of years ago, they were greeted by the Maori with their traditional challenge. So they 'greeted' back by firing their cannons, which was kind of like saying to the Maori guys 'Up yours mate, we're stronger than you'. So when they tried to land, the Maoris killed them - chip, chop - and the Dutch got so scared they sailed away and didn't come back for another couple hundred years. How's that for a history lesson!

Anyway, then they sang some traditional songs and showed us the traditional style huts that they would have built and it was all really interesting. The songs were cool too and in the end we did the hokey kokey in Maori. Hmmm....

All the girls were then invited to have a go at the poi, which was brilliant! I love poi - they are so fun. We weren't really good with them though but we tried. Then all the guys had to go on stage to try and do the Hakka. Oh man, I nearly weed myself. It was too funny - there was no coordination and they didn't really look scary, more comical. I don't think they would have scared any kind of enemy away.

We then got fed - big buffet, yum! - and then got to visit the sanctuary to see all the different native birds and fish. That was really nice, especially because it was in the dark, but then a parrot did a poo on me. It was a very big poo, too. I wasn't impressed. I couldn't find it straight away, but I was convinced it was a poo, though the guy said it was probably a 'heavy leaf'. Hah?

I thought that was hilarious, but everyone else nodded like it made perfect sense...

Anyway, it was poo and managed to flick it off, so there you go. And then we saw the Kiwis, they are great! They are really big and funny, they are the size of a football and they have a long beak and stumpy legs like an ostrich and they walk about poking around for little snacks.

They have no wings, but they can run really fast. They are endangered though because possums and weasels kill them and eat their eggs, as well as domestic dogs, who chase them, too. So they need a helping hand, or they will go extinct. Apparently when they get older, they get better at defending themselves. They will kick their predator and run away, but they wouldn't have a chance against a dog, would they?

It was really interesting and I loved it. I want a kiwi. Oh, another fact for you. The kiwi fruit got its name from the Kiwi bird, because when the bird sleeps, it tucks its beak in and rolls itself up, so it looks like a kiwi. So cute!

Christchurch

Back to Christchurch and the Base Backpackers where we handed back our spaceship and celebrated our completion of the NZ tour by going for a curry.

It is completely freezing and the weather here is rubbish.

Robinson Bay

We made our way down the Akaroa Peninsula and spent the night at Robinson Bay.

It's a very pretty corner of NZ - again! - and many people from Christchurch go there for a day trip. It's a quiet little town really and many people go fishing and make a living by renting out holiday homes to the tourists.

To get there though, you have to drive on some very windy roads again and up a very steep hill. From there though, you get a magnificent view over the valley and the sea. This area was 'colonised' by the French, so many street names are actually in french and the style of houses follows this.

They also have a cheese making industry there and still continue traditions such as morning coffees with a fresh loaf from your local bakery. I'd love to be able to go there regularly and have it as a bit of a escape - it's really perfect for that. On a permanent basis, the novelty would wear off, but really as a weekend escape ...

Also found the most perfect, cute, gorgeous house there, right by the shore. It's empty and I think a bit abandoned, but it's so wonderful with a little garden and french doors and a crooked porch. From peeking through the windows, we reckon there is only one room and then there's a bathroom and a tiny kitchen. Very beautiful and romantic!

We chose to drink our Shiraz here with a great big bowl of pasta.

Kaikoura

Kaikoura is famous for it's wildlife. Lots and lots of tourists go there to swim with dolphins and go whale watching.

We went along to Kaikoura and it's another pretty little town nestled in amazing scenery. We went down to the beach and just watched the Pacific waves crashing into the rocks. So beautiful.

Spent the night before in a rest stop right by the sea and there was a bit of a storm at night and we could hear the waves - it was a bit scary and quite exhilarating! Force of nature and all that... amazing...

We decided not to go on these tours, some of you may think that this was a missed opportunity, but to be honest, a lot of the time you don't get to see the animals and then they might not want to interact with you. I'm also not entirely comfortable with the thought that every day lots of tourist boats swim about chasing down some dolphins or whales for the entertainment value. It feels really artificial.

Maybe I got spoiled by our sea lion experience in the Catlins. But truly, this was amazing, because they were completely natural and there was no one around. It was like you get to glimpse a tiny slice of their lives and it was an honour. I don't think I'd want it any other way.

Blenheim

It's wine country again and this time in NZ!
We had a lovely time driving to the different vineyards and sampling their offers - NZ wines are really good. We picked up a lovely Shiraz and a lovely fruity Sauvignon Blanc. Very nice, indeed!

They hadn't clipped the vines yet, unlike in Australia, so you can see that there was a lot of pretty foliage and autmn colours. The scenery is really calming.

Blenheim itself was alright, not much to report, just a small town really. We had a wander around the streets but the main thing really are the many vineyards around.

Nelson

We like Nelson. It's a nice little town, nothing spectacular, but it has a grand cathedral in the middle of town on a hill with these big steps leading up to it. It's very nice and the town itself is very historic.

Apparently that's where some Maori chiefs killed a number of Western immigrants when there was a misunderstanding about some land trade or other, which was a bit of a bummer to say the least.

Other than that, we found a lovely pub by the beach! It's called the Honest Lawyer and is like an English country pub with a thatched roof. We walked on the beach and had a drink and then, well then I went to the dentist, because I couldn't put up with my tooth any longer.

I needed a root canal there and then. After a couple of injections, she did her drilling thing - it shook my entire head and felt like those big drills they use on the street when they open up the asphalt - and turns out that the nerve was dead and it must have been like that for a while. She was surprised that I didn't have more pain earlier and there I was, having felt stupid the last couple of days for having a tooth ache and thinking that maybe I was just being a wimp. Well, I wasn't.

So after we sorted that out, it kind of hampered the rest of the evening, because I was scared to drool every time I open my mouth, so we went to the cinema and watched Spiderman 3. It was alright and did take my mind of it.

And that was Nelson!

Hokitika

After Franz Josef, we jumped straight into the car and tried to get some dry clothes on and then hit the road to make it to Hokitika.

Hokitika is the jade capital in NZ and is where you can buy many of the traditional jade carvings. We wanted to see how it's done and Phil wanted to get a necklace. When we got there in the evening, we were so tired from our earlier glacier adventure, we went to this lovely pub and had our dinner there.

It was yummy! Phil had the steak and I had rack of lamb. I never had a rack of lamb before, and I didn't think it would be like a whole set of lamb ribcage! I thought you'd get two pieces but instead they give you EIGHT! There is no way one person can eat that - plus potato plus veggies! I did my best but had to give up ...

The next day I woke up with a tooth ache - unrelated to the rack of lamb I think - but nonetheless painful. I kind of put up with it as we wandered around the town but it didn't really go away...

Phil found a lovely necklace of a NZ silver fern made out of mother of pearl. It's very pretty! Other than that, there isn't much to do in Hokitika so we went and had a look around Greymouth and then went on down to Nelson.

Franz Josef Glacier

Wow Wow Wow!


Well, we made it to the township of Franz Josef and stayed in this little rest area by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with the Franz Josef Glacier in front and the Fox Glacier in the back!


We signed up for the 3/4 day glacier walk and decided to clamber on Franz Josef rather than Fox. We were told that on Fox, you walk through a rainforest first and then onto the glacier, whereas with Franz, you are starting from the bottom after a bit of a trek and then go up. It sounded a bit harder and we thought it might make it more interesting, so we went with that.


Woke up in the morning to the most rainiest day ever! It had been raining lots these last days anyway and though it wasn't always raining heavily, it was pretty much constant and it was an a*se to get dry or warm. It was actually raining so hard and the weather was so miserable, we actually thought they would cancel our trip, but no such thing!


Got to the place and got handed our kit for the day, which consisted of heavy leather boots, waterproof jacket and trouser, gloves and hat. We were told to wear three to four layers of warm clothing ourselves, so Phil and I were all decked out in our Helly's, Buffalos and walking trousers, etc. The stuff they gave us was ok, not really all that waterproof to be honest, but the jacket was ok, which was the main thing.


We were also given a bum bag each, in which we were carrying our crampons for when we get on the ice. The boots were heave leather and a bit big, so I ended up wearing two pairs of NZ thickest woolly socks ever to pad it out. We were ready!


After a short bus ride, we got to the walking track, where we assembled and then began to walk. All through it was absolutely pouring it down - none of us could see a thing really and we were just miserably splashing through mud and crossing big streams by wading through the water. Needless to say, our feet were soaked before we even got close to the glacier!


The wool stuff also just soaks up the water and unfortunately it's almost impossible to get it dry or less horrible and itchy on your skin - ah well. Finally, we got near the glacier and it looks like a great big dirty avalanche just frozen as it was thundering down the mountain. As we got closer, we could see the mouth of a big cave with a river running out of it and everywhere you look, there's water water water and more water.


Got our crampons on, which was quite funny - they are a bit tricky to get on, but once we had them ready, we made our first steps onto the glacier. Let me tell you, it was pretty amazing!


The guides hack into the ice to form steps and so you climb these ice staircases, further and further up the glacier. Other times you just scramble up and hold onto some ropes and step around crevices. It was quite scary sometimes! We also squeezed through some narrow holes and balanced around a bit. All the time you can hear this sound as if someone is playing drums, but it's the water and bits of ice sloshing around underneath. It's very cool - pardon the pun.

By that time, it started to clear up a bit and all was very pretty with the sun shining on it. One girl didn't make it though, she had asthma and was starting to feel unwell, so the guide sent her down. I found it a bit hard, but it was mostly because I wasn't used to the crampons and the boots were so heavy! My legs were aching and all I wanted to do was take my shoes off! After a while though, it's fine, because you just get used to it.

I wasn't that impressed with our guide though. He went very fast and we lost sight of him several times on the glacier. One time we even began to go the wrong way, because we coudln't see where he had gone. Also when the girl with the asthma was struggling, he just told her to go down and shipped her off on these two other chaps who were going down as well. He didn't really encourage her or anything. I'm sure he didn't do an ML or he'd have know better.

It was a shame about the weather, otherwise I think the group may have been a bit perkier, but as it stood, some really found it hard and others I guess just wanted it to be over... shame really... it's not every day you get to climb onto a glacier!

Phil took lots of pictures - I'll upload them as soon as I get to it.

When we got down, we were happy and knackered! It was really good to do the trip and we enjoyed it in the end. Our thighs were really stiff though the next day!

Queenstown

On to Queenstown next, the adrenalin capital of the world.

Phil was going to do a canyonswing - check it out on http://www.canyonswing.co.nz/ - but in the end, the cost was what tipped it over the edge... why do these things have to be so expensive?

Queenstown otherwise is alright. We went up the gondola for a great view over the city and saw where the people go to do a bungee, but really other than that, there wasn't that much going on. It's a very touristy place and everyone tries to get you to sign up to go Jet-boating, bungeeing and white water rafting.

It's set amongst the most beautiful scenery though and that to me was the biggest attraction. I knew I wasn't going to bungee and we went white water rafting in Thailand, so we let it be and weren't worse off for it, actually.

Some people spend a lot of time in Queenstown, because the party scene is quite big and there are a number of clubs and bars around. I think though that we're taking it really easy in NZ, the landscape is kind of rubbing off on our way of life. We go to bed quite early and get up early and in the evenings we have a quiet beer and chill out and plan our next day. I like this life style.

Milford Sound

So right now, we're loving Te Anau.

Spent the night at the side of the road, which was cool, except for the rain - boo - but luckily it cleared up, so we went for a bit of a wander and checked the place out.

Te Anau is right by - you guessed it - Lake Te Anau, which is very large and very beautiful. Again. The town is tiny and really tourist oriented, but as we are in the off-season, it's all quiet and lovely.

We decided to go kayaking on Milford Sound, so we will get up very early and drive to Milford township. Milford Sound is stunningly beautiful. We drove the 140km, setting off in the dark and making our way over the windy-iest roads yet through the Homer Tunnel. Basically, it's a big tunnel that they drilled through the middle of this great big mountain so people can get to Milfod township. Handy.

I made Phil shout 'D'oh!' all the while we were driving through Homer Tunnel, which entertained me a lot. The tunnel is quite scary, it truly is a great big narrow hole through the mountain and I just wonder how they did it... They must have had a massive drill and just carved out the rock, or something.

So we get to the kayaking place and before you can say 'Bob's your uncle', we are loaded up with gear. We had to wear a swimsuit, then a thermal top and thermal leggings. Then we had to wear a neoprene vest on top and shorts or trousers. Then a fleece and waterproof trousers. Then a jacket. Then a special kayaking jacket that comes with a tutu attached to it and then a life jacket, too. And of course gloves, fleece hat and a sun hat and shoes and socks.

We were about eight people taking part and honestly, by the time everyone was wearing everything the right way round in the right order... dear me... So by this stage, we could hardly walk, so they shoved a paddle into our arms and showed us how to wave it about. Then how to get into the kayak without tipping it over. Then we were off! Hurrah!

It was great! I was in front and Phil was paddling in the back. No, let me rephrase that. I was in the front and I was paddling. Phil was in the back, taking pictures. Hmmm..... after a while I got grumpy and splashed him, heheheheh!

The kayaking was great, I loved it. Phil was moaning that I was going too fast, but I can't help being terribly fit and gorgeous now can I? You can see from the pics just how gorgeous I looked on the water. I truly did bring 'sexy back'.

Anyway! It was beautiful!!!!! We saw some seals swimming about and basking in the sun and fantastic waterfalls and we had the best weather ever! Blue skies and sunshine - the place is famous for its rain - they get about 6 metres of rain a year - no kidding! Thoroughly enjoyable - I wish everyone could go and do this - it was so beautiful and amazing. The air is so clean and the water is so clear and pure - it's really wonderful to be there.

Had some lunch and then after some more paddling, we were done and ready to drive back to Te Anau for some rest! The journey back there was the same route as in the morning - I like the fact that here, you get roads that take you to some point and then just end. That's it. No more. It's like a lot of places are not connected to each other though they are not too far apart. Most of it has to do with the geography of it though. Those Alpes kind of get in the way of road building!

To be honest, by the time we had dinner, our arms ached lots, but it was so worth it!

Te Anau

A lot of driving again, because we really wanted to get to Milford Sound asap.

As we were making our way to Te Anau, I was saying to Phil that I really fancied going to the cinema tonight and wouldn't it be great that when we got to Te Anau, we would find a cinema, that the movie was just about to start and we'd have a drink and some popcorn. Phil was agreeing that that would be pretty cool, but pretty improbable all things considered.

And hooray, guess what happened! As we got there, we drove around looking for a camp site, when I saw a little cinema! And they were showing Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith, which we hadn't seen but heard good things about and it was just about to start! And yes, they served beer and popcorn! HOORAY! I think we are the luckiest people on earth!

The movie was good, too.

The Catlins

This is another stunning bit of NZ.

Along the south coast, you pass through the Catlins National Park and it is truly beautiful. I can't really begin to describe the scenery, as it's all mountains and hills and trees and rivers and lakes, it will begin to sound the same to anyone who's reading this.

I'll put in lots of pictures and let them do the talking!

Ooooh, we went to the beach and we saw wild sea lions! They are fantastic! They were sunbathing on the beach and sleeping. We got to go really close to them, it's just where they hang out and we were so lucky to get there when we did - so beautiful. They are huge and powerful and once they are in the water, they are so fast! All of them were so relaxed, it made me want a nap too. We saw one great big sea lion make his way into the water and then have a really relaxed swim around washing the sand off his body.

So amazing!

Mt Cook

Hooray, now on to the good stuff! We made it along some pretty windy roads, always heading towards the west coast, until we got to Mount Cook, NZ's highest peak. We had hoped we might be able to do some climbing there, but although the roads were open, the mountain is more or less shut now for safety reasons.

It's amazing though!

I think that's a phrase you will read very often in my NZ accounts. You can't believe how stunning the scenery is. Just your surroundings are so natural and wild and open and 'pure', it's astounding. You can drive through beautiful landscapes and not see anyone for miles on end.

It's true what they say, there are LOTS of sheep. I really like them. They are all a bit different - some are shaggier, some are woolier, some are shorn, some are lazy and some just are. I wonder if they complain to each other about the number of other sheep around...

Anyway! We got to Mount Cook (or Ma Cock as the locals seem to pronounce it - I was quite taken aback first time I got asked about whether I'd seen 'ma cock') via Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki which are both amazingly beautiful, clear, deep and perfect mirrors reflecting the trees and mountains surrounding them.

Once we got to Mt Cook, we went on a walk in the area (there are loads!) and had a look around at the glaciers and the snow everywhere. It sure was chilly! On our way back to Twizel where we planned to stay the night, we realised we were also slowly but surely running out of fuel.

Normally, that's not much of a problem, but in the middle of the mountain wilderness in NZ with no reception on the mobile and bugger-all around, it can be a tad uncomfortable. The distances in km are not that far, but all the roads are very windy and you have to be so careful to not go dropping off some cliff, you have to take it easy all the way.

We just about made it to Twizel where we found the world's best petrol station. Well, it was that, because it had petrol and we needed it... spent the night in a rest area near there, too which was good and cheap! In the morning, Phil made friends with a horse.

Geraldine

We're spending the night here, because unlike our trip in Oz, we don't have that much time and there are lots of things that we want to see.

So we got there quite late and stayed in this pretty village campsite. It had a really funny shop selling things made out of wool and possum hair and we found two lovely cosy hats, which we're both now wearing non-stop. Phil's is blue and mine is light brown. Some might even call it caramel.

Papanui

How great is this name? I love it.

Well, last I told you, we picked up our Russian Spaceship and started our way around the South Island. First stop was Papanui. Granted, it's only a few miles out of Christchurch, but by the time we got there, we were knackered from the day and not really with it.

Had a nice little drive through Christchurch's one-way system - I HATE YOU! - and also found out that the streetmap is USELESS!!!!! Ooh, that's better.

Not much to report, except that the scenery is wonderful.

Christchurch

I'm freezing!!!!!

That's the colour of my hands and feet - seriously, it's so cold, why did we come here in autumn?

Christchurch is really pretty though and very english. It has a river called Avon. There are pubs called 'The Victoria' and 'The Hog' and they have punts on the river and a cathedral. I keep getting a bit confused, because the architecture is English, the layout American, the style and cleanliness German, the tourists Japanese, the street names Maori, the food international and the season absolutely Christmas! Now, who wouldn't turn slighty schizophrenic with that?

After arriving into town, we twitched our way to our hostel which was surprisingly good, where we got the attic room and the most lovely thick soft duvets on our beds. Yay!

Got settled, then had a bit of a look around, but frankly, it was too cold and wet, we didn't spend too much time outside. All the trees in the parks are loosing their leaves and everything is red and golden. It's so pretty, so we spent some time taking pictures, before giving up struggling against the cold and went to an Indian for big fat hot curry - yummy!

We didn't want to leave there, it was nice and toasty - so we had lots of hot drinks. The ladies room was unfortunately right next to their freezer room and the ice cold air was blowing into it whenever you had to go, so everytime I came out, I had to have another hot drink, which meant I had to go back in and so it went...

Managed to tear ourselves away though after a while and made our way to an internet cafe at Cathedral Square where I'm writing this interesting blog for your reading pleasure. :-D

Soon to bed, soon to rise (we didn't, we overslept and got kicked out) and went to pick up our home for the next three weeks. It's called a 'spaceship', it's bright orange and basically a camper / peoplecarrier. It's named 'Mir', so in fact we have a Russian Spaceship. Hooray!

We'll start our way south in the morning!

Sydney

Well, we made it! The end of a very long journey - we clocked up over 5000k's and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves along the way. Would recommend this to everybody.

Dropped Cookie off in the morning and then checked into our hostel. It's fine, it's called Big Hostel and it's quite nice and roomy. There's eight of us in the doorm and again, all guys! I think the entire floor is just guys, I haven't seen a single girl in the shared bathroom for the four days we were there... Of course every time I'm changing, someone walks in - haven't been this jumpy in a while now!

The hostel is really close to Chinatown, so we went and had a little look around and went for some Vietnamese noodle soup, which was delicious. The service wasn't. It felt like we were back in Vietnam. It was good, I don't think it would have felt right if the service had been good.

Met some nice people, too, might meet up with a couple of them in NZ and then got ready for the rugby match. Yeah! Waratahs vs Chiefs in the Super 14. We walked to the stadium and it's great - it's so big and there's loads of people about handing out free gifts and flag things and other bits, which was great.

The match was really good too with the Waratahs loosing by only a few points - so sad - but it was exciting seeing the game. We were both shouting and cheering throughout, so I got a sore throat. Had a hot dog, too. Can't go to a match without eating a hot dog, right? It tasted a bit weird though...

After the match, Phil managed to get one of the players - the full back Peter Hewitt - to autograph his programme for him and it was the guy who was actually featured on the cover page, so that was a really nice touch!

The next day, we had a wander around Sydney, down to the Opera House and the markets, where we bought a certain someone a certain little something that will get to this certain person in about three months. Well, we could only afford sea mail... Sydney is alright and I like the harbour area with its ferries and markets. Lots of things remind you of London, like the street names and the buildings, which are Victorian in style. It's nice all around.

At the end of it all, it's a big city though with lots of traffic and lots of people, like any other major city. I'll see if it grows on me.

On our walks, we also came across a German Bierkeller! We had to have a beer then of course. Then we decided we liked it so much, so we had another. Then we decided to have some more, because there were quite a few different ones to try. And then we moved to the bar and discovered it was Happy Hour! So we had another couple. We were all set to go, but then the Oompah band started to play. So we stayed. And before you could say "Zwei Maß Bier, bitte", we were up on the stage, ringing cow bells...

We had planned at some stage to have dinner, but didn't want to eat dinner there (it was pricey but looked and smelled delicious!), so we had a pretzel. In the end, that turned out to be dinner. I blame Phil of course for leading me astray. Heheheheh... at some point, we left and went back.

The next morning saw us greeting the day very early and sprightly - who are we kidding? We spent most of it in bed and then we had a pizza and packed our bags, as we're getting up at 4.30am to fly to Christchurch, NZ. Yeah, baby!