Australia travels: Part 1

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Hello!



So once again this blog is long overdue. Apologies, we are trying to be better but all this travelling is getting in the way! So for the second time we bring you a 3 part saga, this time from the shores of the gigantic land mass that is Australia.



PART 1: The end of Sydney

We left you last time just before our blue mountain adventure. This was pretty sweet as we were fortunate enough to meet up with one of Alex's friends that lives south of the mountains, who has a degree in outdoor adventures. He subsequently took us on 2 days of rock climbing, absailing, and canyoning in some of the best and off the tourist track spots. The drive to tiger snake canyon (so named because the first people to find it were trapped half way down by a tiger snake that had been washed down in a storm, luckily we didn't meet a hungry and scared lethal snake on our trip) involved 30 minutes of dirt tracks, the first excursion into the heart of what most of Australia really is! It also lead to the first wild kangaroo viewing.



Back in Sydney, the end of our time working went with a bang. Simon Thexton joined us for a few days and nights, Jeppy and him reminiced over drunk Northerner holidays and the Blackburn dream team for hours. Me and Alex went back to the Sydney Football stadium where we watched the foo fighters, this time to watch the NSW Warratahs (local rugby union team) play against Tonga. It was a good game and right next door was a one day game between Australia and Sri Lanka, which we even maaged to sneak into for the last ball because the result was a cert. We didn't mind though as got the see the SCG in action! (though as a side note we would have been reasonably happy to see a run scored off the bat, we arrived when sri lanka needed one to win, so saw 3 dot balls and a leg bye then left).



Jeppy had work leaving drinks in style, with an all you can eat buffet lunch followed by slow relaxed afternoon up on the terrace with a selection of fine whites, then an evening visit to the cocktail bar above where he worked.



And so, minus a small falling out with the landlord, we left Sydney content and happy with the time we spent there. We decided before our trip that working and living in one city, and really getting to know a new place, would be both rewarding and a lot of fun. I think we can both agree it lived up to expectations, and we made some friends that will hopefully last (note to parents, I have offered everyone I met a free bed in the Cotswolds whenever they head that way)



Favourite moments in Sydney for me: Sitting on the terrace for our second bbq when the sun was out and the housemates were around, with some chilled beers in our new eskie. Manly ferry at night looking out at the opera house and the harbour bridge on the way to visit Ash in Manly. Being destroyed by 9/10 foot monsters at an after work surf session at bondi.

For Jeppy: Watching Clark hit 324 not out declared at the SCG. The second visit to the Baxter Inn (which we both agree is our favourite bar in the world). The look on the landlords face when he came to kick us out for a noise complaint assuming it was us, and we told him we were out all evening (which was actually the truth believe it or not)



Part 2 coming soon, our travels up the east coast!

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