Christmas & New Year - Sydney! Yeh!

What's happened since my last blog I hear you asking! Well, as it was about 2 months a go, I'd have to reply - "Quite a frigging lot!" Where do I start. Spent five days in coogee, where I wrote my last blog, it was great to see the place where I started my Australian adventure nearly 11 months a go! Happy memories of the beach and the hostel with one of the greatest views to wake upto! Me and Simon had a ball there, meeting up with Izzy who travelled quite a lot of the east coast with us! We sent her off in style visiting the Palace on her last night with us before she flew back to the UK. She was gutted she couldn't spend xmas and ny in sydney!

Some girls in my dorm thought it would be funny to straighten my hair one night before we went out, so always up for a laugh, I let them. Thought they were going to spike it up in some kind of insane way, but no, they made it look really good. I almost felt like a male model, except for the fact that my face didn't really go with that image! Oh well! Thanks girls (Rachel, Nat & Di).

Next off to the city (Sydney) where we were going to be staying over the whole festive period! We couldn't have found ourselves in a better location, just across the bridge to Darling Harbour, walking distance to Circular Quay where The Opera House is and the Bridge, and near to all the food we could ever want: China town, spanish square etc, and yet Mcdonalds and KFC still seem to win over all! Why, oh why! My Belly thanks me, I do not thank my Belly, just pat it every now and then like Santa!

Parents turned upto Sydney on the 22nd dec. I met them at the airport. They'd just come from Alice Springs where it was 43 degrees c, I haven't even felt that kind of temperature in the whole 11 months I've been here. Can't say I'm disappointed though! Did many things, getting up early for a change, well early for me. Did the Opera house tour, Ferry Tour of the Harbour, visited Taronga Zoo and the Aquarium. Christmas Eve was a great night, went on a Booze Cruise in the Harbour. 2000 people partying on about 5 different boats. Simon, Ash, Sandie, Pete and Johnny were there to create the laughs! Johnny went home shortly after xmas. I'll never forget his dancing - respect to you Johnny Boy!

Took the parents down to Coogee Beach on Christmas Day, where we shared a Breakfast for Lunch (if that makes sense) at a cafe on the sea front. They then explored Coogee while I met up with the guys to have a couple cold beers on the Sea Front.

Think I've covered most of Christmas there! So onto New Year. We started queuing to get into the Botanical Gardens at about 1.30, an hour and a half later and we were in! We didn't get a great spot for the fireworks, but a good picnicing spot for some dips and chips (Crisps to english people)! Biggest laugh of the day had to be when I put on the cheap disposable Poncho that nicola had brought with her, Ash decided to get in there with me, with the challenge to see how many people we could fit in it! So naturally Simon tried to slip up and under to get in there too. Unfortunately Simon was the downfall to the plan. If you've seen pics of Simon then you will know that he probably would have broken the Poncho on his own! We had the crowds around us applauding and cheering us on, happy days! The fireworks at 9pm were great, we picked up all our stuff and legged it to a better spot, then we camped out again when all the younger kids and families had left. There we waited for another 3 hours to see the main event, the midnight Firework Display. It was incredible, we had great views of the Fireworks going off over the Opera House, from the Harbour Bridge and many other places across the cityscape and Harbour. Best fireworks I have ever seen.

Parents headed off on the 2nd Jan back to Sunny England! Haha! and left me in the Blistering heat of the Sydney Beaches! At points it was getting a little too hot! By this point Simon had decided that he was going to head off to Thailand on his way to India. So I stuck it out in Sydney just til he left.

Then off to Tasmania on my own. I had booked two weeks there, just in case I needed longer than everyone expected. Gotta stay somewhere, so it might as well be Tas I thought to myself! How wrong was I?! Don't get me wong Tasmania is beautiful countryside, but the hostels are not great for meeting new people. I had Japanese people in my room a lot and they didn't say a word to me! Ignorant Bastards! I hired a car the first week and got around pretty much all of Tasmania that I had planned to see! I drove to see Lake St Claire which was beautiful, Wineglass Bay - not the best weather that day! And visited the Convict Prisons down at Port Arthur. One day I drove 4.5 hours just to get out of the car, take about 8 photos of Cradle Mountain (which may I add was covered in cloud - couldn't even see the summit!) just to get back in the car and drive 4.5 hours back to Hobart! Oh well, got me out and about! The second week I went to the cinema a lot and read 3 books! Always listen to people who have been to places you are planning to visit! It was a good experience overall though, just wish I'd done a 6 day tour like most other backpackers!

Off to Melbourne, where I am now. Back to stay in St Kilda at my trusty hostel Base Backpackers. I love it here. This is also the place in Oz that I know the most people. Met up with James (the guy in the photo with the Police Hat) for another funny night out with him! He will never stop cracking me up! Went to St Kilda Festival, which was good. Saw some good Jazz Musicians.

Oh, and I better add that I went on the Neighbours tour! Yes thats right, I visited Erinsbrough High, and Ramsay Street, much to the disgust of my Aussie friends! It was a good laugh though. Got to meet Harold which was interesting! He is nothing like his character, in fact I'll be honest, he's a perv! But hey, wouldn't you be if you were his age and were able to grope loads of English Backpackers everyday! No, you're right, me neither!

Think thát's about it for now.

Enjoy the photo's which I have just uploaded, finally got round to it!