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Published: February 1st 2011
A Whirlwind Trip to Sexy, Sleek Sydney
"The time has come...", a walrus once said...for us to move on. Sydney has been our home for the past two weeks and it has certainly lived up to its reputation. We have lived the high life, the full on life and the all round crazy life.
We left Melbourne 15 days ago in Susan's trusty Gabby full of excitement, fear and far too much luggage. Ten hours, two meatball subs, one wrong turn and not a 'roo in sight (apart from the dead Wallaby on the side of the road) and we made it the "unofficial" capital of Sydney.
Susan's darling uncle and aunt offered to put us up in sunny Rosebery by the airport (yes the planes have been taunting us for the past two weeks, we want to be in one!) so that is where we have recently called home. The rest of the time has been a complete blur. A combination of family weddings, sightseeing, nights out, nights in, Australia Day, crazy heat, catching up with long lost friends have made our time here whizz by.
For family readers, the wedding was lovely and
fun, the gorgeous couple of Sera and Brendan put on a love show that dwarfed the Sydney Opera House they married in front of. Let's face it, if you're going to have lots of wedding photos where better than to have them in front of Sydney Harbour! The reception was all it was cracked up to be (or is that craic'ed up to be?), lots of fun was had at the Bronte Beach Life Saving Club. Bronte for those who don't know is one of the many quaint beachy inlets dotted up and down Sydney's coast, a lovely little spot to celebrate a lovely day where I have definately improved my dodgy Irish accent.
The next big event was Australia day, a day where if you don't have associated Aussie beer stubbie holder, temporary tattoos, bad singlets and sombreros you are in fact - a loser. So to celebrate our inner bogans we were picked up by sister and sister in law to travel up to picturesque Coalcliff.
We travelled along the southern coastline out of Sydney heading towards Wollongong to head to our destination, it was a trip that showed another side to life away from the
big smoke. Gorgeous little villages and townships sitting on top of cliff tops overlooking the Pacific Ocean made it a really tough trip and we had a thoroughly horrible time. In fact the whole trip was a bit drab, I mean who enjoys a four day getaway, sitting in a luxury house over looking the ocean, downing Coronas as the sunsets with good food and company? Cough cough. Alas the trip was over too quickly but we did don on Aussie wristbands and toast the great nation with a good Mexican beer before we made our way back!
As a complete newbie to Sydney I have to admit it does have a certain charm, it's greener and breezier than Melbourne. The combo of lush parks and harbourside feel makes it more akin to Auckland than my previous home. The towers are bigger, the people are brasher and the smell of money lingers in the air.
It's easy to see why tourists from throughout the world flock here. Bondi beach, or BallyBondi as Susan likes to call it thanks to the hundreds of Irish folk there, is a good example of how a bit of blue sea, yellow sand
and buff men and women have such a magnetic attraction for those from cooler climes.
We've been asked many times now - would you move back to Sydney? I guess that's all still up in the air, but the good time feel of the city does have a certain allure (but the prices don't!). In the meantime we are having a few 'lasts' - Susan had her last Laksa, I've said my last goodbye to Fernando Torres as he left Liverpool for the Blue Scum and in ten hours time we start our first long journey.
Farewell Australia. It's been 'bonza'!
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Annette Mitchell
non-member comment
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi
Thanks girls for the update - Sydney is brash but Melbourne is cool! Don't start me on the rivalry thingy! Noice to see Collin again - trust he is well and the rehab was successful. Oh how envious I am of your adventures to come- enjoy, enjoy enjoy! Annettexxx