A day out in Coogee

---

It's my last proper day in Sydney today before I head off to the Blue Mountains, so I've arranged to meet Rebecca, a friend and former housemate from the old Manchester Uni days. I met Becs last time I was over in Oz in 2008 but at that time, she and her partner Ross had only just moved to Sydney and were just beginning to find their feet.

A lot can change in 4 years! Ross and Rebecca are now the proud parents of 4 week old Elise, and I'm very excited to meet her today. They now live in Coogee rather than Bondi, so I headed off on the bus - too hot/too lazy to do the coastal walk despite the fact that it's almost certainly quicker. Coogee was just as I remembered it - a beautiful little beach with less of the hustle and bustle of Bondi but all of the laid back charm. The only other thing I remembered about the last trip to Coogee was the Chinese laundrette at the end of the beach, where I dumped 4 weeks' worth of washing and begged for the guys in there to bring it all back to life. A thankless task when my clothes were so dirty they would have happily walked themselves into the laundrette. I didn't stop to poke my head around the door this time, just in case they remembered me...

Becs looked so well and Elise is just beautiful. We walked around, had lunch, walked round some more and then settled in the park under a tree. Well when I say we, I mean Becs and I - Elise had other ideas about settling and it took Becs to take her home for her to finally give up on wanting to stay awake all afternoon! Mind you, I can't blame her - who'd want to be asleep when you live in Coogee?

A lovely afternoon later, I headed back to Bondi - again on the bus despite it taking over an hour to get there. I was meant to collect my hire car this evening but being the clever trevor that I am, I left my driving licence back at Jesse and Heidi's and by the time I got back there, it was too late to get to the rental place. In order to hit the road early tomorrow, I'm heading off to stay in a hostel in town tonight, but Jesse and Heidi have very kindly allowed me to stay on in Sydney at theirs once I'm back from the Blue Mountains. They may live to regret that decision - I'm loving Bondi so much that I may just stowaway forever. With that in mind, I'm off to investigate suitable cupboard spaces or room in the carpark where I can hide without being discovered for a little bit longer....wish me luck...

---