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Published: December 21st 2008
Well, a few things have changed from our original plan. Not things that we're bothered too much about to be honest, but the original plan was to spend four months in South America, two months in New Zealand, two months in Australia and four months in South East Asia. The first six months went absolutely fine. Talking to people on our travels though we decided that Australia appeared to be too expensive. With that in mind we decided we would get a job out there. We were offerred a job on a stud farm (horses) just outside Canberra. We wouldn't earn a wage but we would be accommodated and fed three meals a day and basically live as part of the family. Unfortunately a few days before we were flying from New Zealand we got a message to say that they couldn't have us. One of their kids was schizophrenic and had a funny turn so they couldn't put us up and look after him as well. That left us in a pickle because there was no other work available - all the jobs had been taken! We decided to more or less skip Australia out and just spend a few
days there. If we found jobs we could stay longer and if not we would just go to South East Asia early and spend longer there. When we arrived in Australia we noticed that it was indeed expensive! We looked for work at the Hostels that we stayed in but there wasn't any and in fact, most places had a waiting list of people wanting jobs - basically everybody was in the same boat as us and couldn't afford to pay to stay there. Looking into accommodation it will cost us about 50 quid a night over Christmas - and it's not even a nice room. We can rent our very own beach bungalow on Ko Samui in Thailand for 200 quid for two weeks! We therefore decided that we definately would leave early and spend the week relaxing in Sydney. This is more or less how it went:
Monday 01st December Travel day today. We have a 30 minute walk to the bus stop so "the big man upstairs" decided to turn the rain on. It's peeing it down! Caught the bus for 13NZ$ each. Everything went according to plan with the flight. Arrived Sydney 1600 and it's
31 degrees - nice! Got a free bus to the hostel. It's 80A$ (about 40 quid) which is ridiculously expensive!!! Checked out other hostels in the area for the rest of the week. Found one that will do us a double for 450A$ (205 quid) for the week - which is still expensive. We can view the room in the morning.
Tuesday 02nd December Went to view the room. It's a bit scummy but seems fine. It includes daily breakfast, pancakes on Sunday and a Barbecue on Friday. Went off to see the main sights - The Opera House and Harbour Bridge, probably the most well known landmarks in the world. It was a nice sunny day so the Opera House tiles are gleaming. "How many are there?" I hear you say. Well, 1,056,006 Swedish tiles decorate the roof. It's actually an off-white colour which we've been told makes it look dirty - but it isn't! It should have cost 7million A$ but actually finished off topping 20million A$, so it's not just us brits that can't build anything to budget (I think Multiplex, who built the new Wembley were Aussies too). The bridge is right next to
Another of the Opera House
(It's all we saw in Australia)the Opera House. "Can we have some useless bridge information please?" Of course you can:
The bridge is locally nicknamed The Coathanger because of its arch-based design. It was designed and built by Dorman Long and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough, Teesside and opened in 1932. It is the world's widest long-span bridge and its tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres (429.6 ft) from top to water level. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is not completely stationary - it can rise or fall up to 18cm depending on whether it is hot or cold. About 79%!o(MISSING)f the steel came from Middlesbrough, in the North East of England. The rest was Australian-made. The total weight of the bridge is 52,800 tonnes, and six million hand-driven rivets hold the bridge together. The rivets were made at the Park Bridge Ironworks in Lancashire England. We then walked back to our hostel which is in the Kings Cross area, described as, "a bizarre cocktail of strip joints, prostitution, crime and drugs, shaken and stirred." We haven't seen any evidence of it being like that, though we haven't walked the streets at night yet!
Wednesday 03rd December A little more sightseeing. Went to Hyde Park
A night out
Look! No hands!!! to see the Anzac Memorial and Archibald Fountain. Next was Macquarie Street. The buildings on Macquarie Street were commissioned by Lachlan Macquarie who was the first governor to have a vision of Sydney beyond a convict colony. His architect, Francis Greenway was a convict! We saw St. James Church (1819), Hyde Park Barracks (1819), the Mint Building (1816), Parliament House (1816) and Government House (1837). We then came back to the Hostel via the Opera House and Park again. Did a big shop, including 4.4 litres of boxed wine (aka goon and allegedly containing fish eggs) for 10A$ (4.50 quid). We got a little bit tipsy in the hostel then went out for a few at the Irish Bar over the road - which was about as Irish as a kangaroo! It was 10A$ for a glass of wine and a pint. We only stayed for a couple at that price! Then bed. I woke up in the early hours bursting for a pee. I didn't take the key (half in haste, half expecting Aimee to go after me). The door locked behind me and Aimee obviously didn't need to go so I was locked out. I knocked for Aimee
but there was no way she was being awaken from the drunken stupour she was in so I spent the night outside on the door step!
Thursday 04th December I'm a bit tired today - not sure why! Aimee is hungover. Had a look round Sydney, bought a South East Asia Lonely Planet and checked t'internet for Christams accommodation. Got a pie from "Harry's Cafe de Wheels" which is one of the only pie carts in the world to be a tourist attraction. It opened in 1945 and serves pies 18 hours a day!
Friday 05th December Another lazy day. Barbecue tonight in the hostel. It's free (well, included in the price). It was quite good! Had jacket spud, sausage, steak and kangaroo. Went out for a drink (just the one) then back to the hostel for a couple of romantic ones on the terrace.
Saturday 06th December Nice day today. We're off to the beach. Bondi Beach. It's a two minute walk to the train station, a 5 minute train journey (on a double decker train) then a 15 minute bus ride. It's very busy today and, suprise suprise, the weather has turned and it's cold
and windy. Still, we're British so we'll make the most of it! We're not coming to Bondi Beach and not going swimming (well, Aimee didn't swim). Spent the rest of the day shivering on my travel towel!
Sunday 07th December Down to Rocks Market today, just behind the harbour bridge. The Mission? Pick up kangaroo scrotums for my brothers. They don't really get the point of a market here - it's more expensive than the shops! That's because it's "handmade right here in Sydney." I don't care - that's why I'm at a market - for cheap stuff! It doesn't worry me if it's been stitched together by a four year old in a sweat shop in Taiwan. That's the whole point of a market. It's like Primark - you don't go there for quality! Mission accomplished, genuine hand-stitched kangaroo ball-sacks in hand we walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge. Not over the top of the arch (which costs about 250A$), just across the pedestrian footpath - it's free! As this is the furthest point away from the Hostel the big fella turned the rain on again. Walked back and got drenched!
Monday 08th December Well, we're leaving tomorrow
so went to the laundry and got ready to pack. Took a last look through Sydney then late afternoon got rained on again. Bought some amazing steak. It was reduced from 18A$ to 5A$! Bargain!! Barbecued it (why not? We are in Australia I suppose). Went down for a look at the Opera House and Harbour Bridge "by night." They look a bit dull to be honest. They're hardly even lit up! The rest of the city skyline is quite nice though.
Tuesday 09th December Travel day again. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. It all went smoothly enough.
The next part of the journey takes us to Singapore and through South East Asia but you'll hear about that another time. I'm just sticking Australia on this blog.
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