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Published: January 6th 2012
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After spending a few days chilling out and relaxing on Coogee Beach, waiting for the Geordie Boys to arrive, we decided to get off our back sides and research about the places we were going to be staying over the christmas period. Checking on trip advisor we were thrilled to see that the hostel we were booked into the next day, had been described as "falling down" and "infested with bed bugs and cockroaches". On this advice, we decided to start looking elsewhere...with only a couple of days until christmas (one of Sydney's busiest times) - we knew we were pushing our luck. Another problem was that Naz and Ric were blissfully unaware as they were flying from Singapore, heading straight for that hostel when they arrived!
The only way of stopping them going straight to the hostel was to intercept them at the airport - so after a nail biting bus journey back to the airport which seem to take 3 years (and caused Sam to age about 10 years) we arrived, among a crowd of people emotionally embracing each other in the arrival lounge, in the nick of time complete with santa hats! After a quick
mothers meeting (by this time it was 11pm) at the airport we took them back to Coogee to stay the night there before beginning the search for a new place to stay.
We eventually found a place which was conveniently located above a pub, the only proper pub we have found in Sydney. We checked into our family room - complete with bunk beds (for the children - Naz and Ric) and began the Christmas Eve festivities. This started with splitting up and finding $5 presents for each other in Paddy's Market (do not be fooled by the name - it was a Chinese Market). Then after wrapping our presents, we headed to the roof terrace, began drinking and playing cards until midnight where we paused and began opening our novelty gifts.
Presents received were:
Ric: Olive oil & a garlic necklace - not stereotypical at all.
Naz: Ozzy vest & Nesquik strawberry milkshake
Tom: Ozzy vest & Ring engraved with "Bff's" (Best Friends Forever) from Ric and Naz obviously.
Sam: Spaghetti hoops, bake beans, diet coke, kiwi & a Burka again from Ric and Naz.
We were all chuffed with our presents.
We were up at 9am on Christmas Day, preparing ourselves for a festival on Bondi Beach where after one trip down there and back before we got in because Sam forgot her ID, we finally got in about 2pm where the drinking commenced. Part of the reason I was attracted to this festival was the offer of a free BBQ - this, to my HUGE disappointment, consisted of 2 thin slices of white bread, a lettuce leaf and a sausage...not what we expected from the famous ozzy BBQs! My mood then changed when they announced a bikini competition and a wet t-shirt competition!
After losing Sam's dry clothes in the sea and having one too many drinks we all decided to head back to the roof terrace with our friends and play drinking games until the early hours. Not the traditional christmas we have been used to.
Boxing day was more traditional, we headed round to Beth and Adam's (friend's from school) apartment in Darling Harbour, chicken and veggie's in tow and spent the day cooking a roast and watching the only way is essex (yes, the ozzy's love it too - i still think
it's shit though). The meal was amazing and much needed - we rolled home afterwards!
We spent the next few days recovering and relaxing before moving onto our next hostel. (the biggest hostel in the southern hemisphere) It's pretty much the same as uni halls so we all settled in pretty quick and had some great people in our dorm. After taking advice from the travel centre in the hostel we all headed to an ozzy wildlife park. It was absolutely incredible...kangaroo's and wallabies just strolling around the park with you like a dog, stroking koala's and feeding various animals. See pictures...
Now New Year was upon us...we were advised to pick a viewing point around the harbour and get there early...we didn't anticipate how early this would be until we were leaving our hostel to head down to the harbour at 9am, with pack lunch in tow. We pitched up and after 14 hours, 5000 card games, sunburns all round, and the occasional smuggled in drink the fireworks began! One word can describe them....Amazing! The pictures do not do it justice! Well worth the wait!
We will update you from Cairns..........
xx
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