The flight into Australia was incredible. The desert scenery as we crossed the centre of Australia as the sun rose was incredibly beautiful and vast. Storm clouds gathered as we neared Sydney and we experienced some gut wrenching turbulence just before landing. The rain poured down as we reached the tarmac - ironic as Australia has its worst drought for 100 years. We caught the door-to-door shuttle to out 'boutique' hotel, the Macquaire, which was a rather scruffy but comfortable room above a real Aussie pub. The pubs are a cross between a pub / basic hotel / and a bookies. The public bar has TV's showing horse racing (mostly trotting) and greyhounds and bets are accepted at the bar. There was a sordid room out back full of slot machines. Saving grace at this pub
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