Sydney Part III - Good times and goodbyes.

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- I was back at work on boxing day(but on 2.5x pay, i wasn't complaining...much) and the next big thing to happen was of course New Years Eve. After much research, planning and conversations with all parties involved, I managed to find a place we could watch the fireworks that accomadted everyone's varying needs. Was feeling a little nervous on the day in case everyone thought it was pants when we got there but was happy to get the thumbs up from everyone. We arrived over on the north shore at about 4pm with our picnics and plenty of alcohol and found ourselves a spot with a pretty good view and a fair bit of space.
The theme for the celebrations this year was 'Diamond in an emerald city' because they were celebrating 75 years of the Sydney NYE Harbour Bridge display. At 9pm a huge diamond appeared on the side of the bridge and this signalled the start of the first display of fireworks for the night. After 5-10 minutes of beautiful and perfectly timed multicoloured explosions, we knew we were in for a real treat at midnight.
The feelings of excitement and impatience grew as the minutes ticked by and 2007 rapidly approached. The midnight display certainly didn't disappoint - the fireworks were spectacular and the organisers were launching from several different positions so it illuminated the entire cityscape. It was also a bit of a surreal moment for me - the realisation that I was actually finally witnessing and taking part in something which had been a dream and always in the planning for my adventure. There are so many words that spring to mind to describe the display and the evening in general - spectacular, dazzling, breathtaking but the best one i can think of is...magical :)
-We finally made it back to our place at 5.30am after a mammoth mission to get back on to the other side of the river and home. We crawled into our beds and then were up again at about 11am. Shanna did her final bit of packing whilst I went round the house collecting all the other little bits she had forgotten to pick up and then it was time to say our goodbyes - let's just say it was not a pretty sight. We'd both had a blast in Sydney and learnt new things about each other which I think has strengthened our friendship even more.
-Was feeling decidely sorry for myself after Shanna's departure but decided that since it was sunny I'd head over to Manly beach and enjoy the good weather and Dan's company. Whilst we were having a dip in the sea (which was freezing!) I spotted something totally unexpected floating along on the surface about a metre ahead of us. To begin with I thought I musn't have seen it properly or was still a bit hungover but after good long stare, I concluded that yes, it was a...PENGUIN!! Seconds later the tiny fairy penguin had dived down under the surface and wasn't to be seen again!
-I was quite sad to be leaving work; I'd only been there for 10 weeks but had got on really well with the other people there and really enjoyed doing more nursing. Although it had had some seriously hideous moments (which will stay with me for a long time) they were rare and I had also gained new knowledge and practical skills from my time there (esp. with evil cats but I still have some scars as proof of my time at Livingstone Road!).
- The terraces became quite a strange place in my last two weeks there as everyone started to disperse and start their travelling again after the excitement of xmas and new year. For some it meant heading home, visiting some exciting places on the way and for others it was exploring other parts of oz but one thing was definite, the terraces just didn't have the same feel :( It was weird now going to house parties and not recognising half the people there! But the brief time I spent with my new housemates was good and they all seemed like sound people to be taking over the role of caretakers of No 36 (and it 3 goldfish!).
- I caught the train and visited the Blue Mountains on my final weekend in Sydney. I was so lucky with the weather - when I left the city it was cloudy and cool but on my arrival in Katoomba, it was warm and sunny(it continued to be a crappy day in the city though!).My first stop was 'The three sisters' at Echo Point Lookout - the visibility was amazing and the scenery was stunning. After several photographs I did some of the walking trails and headed over to take a ride on the steepest train in the world. Its only a very quick ride - less than 5 mins, but at times you are almost vertical and there is nothing to hold you in so I could understand why some people got off looking a little shocked. Then after a forest walk at the base, I headed back to thte top of the cliffside on the cable car and caught a bus back into the town where I grabbed some food and pottered around in some of the shops before catching the train back.
- The day before I headed to Melbourne, Dan and I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was something Gill had done and highly recommended and i was lucky enough to have been given money by Mum and Dad for xmas to do it (thanks guys, it was worth every penny and a once in a lifetime experience). It was the perfect ending to my time in Sydney; we were blessed with perfect weather - blue, cloudless skies, warm and with a slight breeze. Dan nearly didn't make it when he missed his ferry over from Manly because of some germans but got there in the nick of time. To start with our group was taken into a room where we had to fill in some paperwork and sign disclaimers - I nearly died (and Dan nearly wet his pants) when the guy asked me if I was under 17 - the cheek of it, although this may work in my favour in years to come! Then it was time to don those super sexy grey and blue boiler suits and get kitted up with our harnesses etc. Then finally we were off on our adventure, scaling the widest bridge in the world and standing on the top of the arch gazing out over the whole of Sydney - we could even see as far as the Blue Mountains. Our guide was really friendly and informative and told us a lot about the history and construction of the bridge. The whole climb took about 2 hours and all of our legs were a little wobbly when we got down after walking just over a mile and climbing over 1400 steps!
-The following morning it was time to check out of the terraces, say my goodbyes to the remaining people and head for the airport. I was sad to go but at the same time ready as well, I was starting to get itchy feet and ready to see new places and meet new people as well as catching up with friends from my travels.

(Sorry if i've missed out any interesting/exciting aspects of my time in Sydney but it was hard to compact it into 3 entries and to remember so far back - I know it's my own fault for being slack but I guess thats part of the experience - Sydney was a whirlwind of working and playing hard :) !!)

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