Sydney - Bringing in the New Year

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Bringing in the New Year

After a bit of a lay in, we headed down to Wicked travel to pick up our tickets and we spent quite a lot of time on the internet booking hostels for the journey. Feeling a little hungry after hours on the internet, we head on over to ‘The Sugar Mill’ for their $10 steak. Yummy!

Thursday was ‘Blue Mountains’ day! An early start today and we are off down the road to Eva’s backpackers for the pickup. We started to get a little worried when the bus filled up, so there was no room left for Charlotte 2, Jason, Debs and Matt (Deb’s husband). However we were all being taken up to Central (where they were) and we swapped onto the same bus as them. Turns out they had five buses that day.

We all said hello to Matt and it turns out that he used to work with Jason at Nokia many years ago! We stopped off for breakfast at a little town but were soon on our way again to the first of two waterfall walks. It started off pretty easy going as it was pretty much all downhill, walking round the mountains and paths that where just wide enough for one person with a sheer drop down on one side. Then we got to the steps!

1,000 uneven steps cut into the rock, we had some trepidation about both of us doing it and Charlotte was willing to wait while Liam did the return trip to get some pictures. Kyall advised that us we didn’t have to do it, but it was worth it and he would wait for us. We decided to trust him and we both started the descent it was a little tricky with the varying height and depth of the steps but we agreed it was worth it, five minutes at the bottom and Charlotte decided to give herself a bit of a head start on the ascent.

Liam soon caught up along with the rest of the group, they soon passed us as we made our progress slowly but surely. Kyall stuck with us, helping Liam in egging Charlotte on stopping every 100 steps or so to catch our breath and drink some water. We got back to the bus to a cheer from Charlotte 2, Jason, Matt and Debs back on to the bus then off to. . .

Echo Point for a fab view of the Three Sisters, which are three rocks where at the end of a land mass where it has been corroded away, and great views of the valley of the Blue Mountains and across to the next part of our day trip. We all load back on to the bus to go and collect the lunches which are beef pies and salad, when Kyall does a head count and realises the only place in the Blue Mountains area big enough for us all to sit and eat was Echo point so back we go. We sit around in the park at Echo Point and gobble it up in no time.

Back on the bus to the Scenic World and the second walk of the day down the Furber Steps. This time to Charlotte’s delight we could get the train back up. This place used to be a tin mine and the train was how they used to get the tin out, it is the steepest passenger carrying train in the world. The whole place was bought by a man back in the 60’s for about $600, and now it make over $5,000,000 a year as an amusement park with the train, cable cars and sky wire.

This is a shorter walk and is mainly in the shade so turns out to be rather pleasant, and then we get to the train back. A little cosy to say the least plus there is nothing holding you in your seat except your knees on the seat in front. It feels and bit like an amusement park ride as it moves rather fast. We’re glad to get off the thing, we battle our way through the crowd of people waiting to ride up and down in the train, (mad buffoons!)Charlotte decides we have earned an ice cream Liam gladly agrees.

Back on the bus heading back to Sydney, via the Olympic village from the 2000 Olympics, Very impressive building and structures but like most of these types of venue not being used very much and the tax payers are still paying for it. We get dropped off by Kings Cross station a head back to the hostel for a bit of wine and home cooked dinner.

New Years Eves, we are so excited! We have a nice lazy day, stocking up on shopping and blogging, before getting ready for our big night out! We get our glad rags on and head down to Circular Quay a little early so we can get amongst the action. We go down there and enter at the rear with our special passes. We whizz through the security and head down the back streets towards the opera house.

Unfortunately we need a different pass to get through there. So we hang out at the back of the hotel before heading inside. We use the facilities and there are a few people around, so the bar decides to give us our wristbands early so we can go out and enjoy the crowded area at the front. We have a wander around, but it is far too hot and crowded.

We wonder how people have the patience to sit there all day! We grab an ice cream before going back inside and joining the queue and watched middle aged “intelligent” adults arguing over who was first in the queue, who was entitled to the best view, all steadfastly standing their ground. We knew what we were there for AS MUCH BOOZE AS WE CAN CONSUME BEFORE DIEING! And if we happened see some fireworks all the better.

We meet a couple from England called Toby and Abigail who are doing their own little tour of Oz. Charlotte starts ploughing in to the champagne, and Liam tries to make his money back, 53 scooners (about 2 thirds of a pint) to break even if you don’t count the canapés. A rather splendid night follows Charlotte 2 and Jason join us as we wait for the fireworks at midnight. 9 o’clock arrives and a little taster of what’s to come, a brief seven minute firework show.

The Canapés are fantastic, Oysters in shells, sushi, spring rolls and plenty of them coming around all night. Midnight soon comes around and we are treated to 5 million dollars worth of fireworks going off over the next 13 minutes. In this time Toby proposes to Abigail, so they miss half of the fireworks and end up having a row bout his bad timing and lack of a ring (he did not even get down on one knee!). But they soon kiss and make up as she agrees to marry him.

When the fireworks finish Liam goes to the bar to procure a couple of glasses of red wine and ends up getting given two bottles to sneak out, luckily they both fit into Charlottes handbag, with my heels dangling on the strap. We head out into the crowd and get swallowed up by it. We have to walk to the closest station at Market Place and jump on the train the one stop home.

We walked up from Kings Cross station and as we were passing The Sugar Mill we are beckoned by some good music and a crowd of happy faces. Why not, it is only 1am. We pop in but after one drink we decide that enough is enough and head home for a good night’s sleep.
New Years day was spent recovering and eating the hamper sent by Ben & Elen. The cheese and crackers were wonderful and gratefully washed down with the wine in the evening. A Nice lazy day was had by all.

Saturday was a day of relaxing, re-packing and preparing for the bus journey ahead. We had a bit of an internet uploading session at McDonalds (I swear I never want to smell burgers again! And No we did not eat every time we went in there). Afterwards we headed over to the Sugar Mill for a drink whilst awaiting Charlotte 2’s arrival. We decide to catch up with her and her goings on over dinner at a very popular Thai restaurant in Potts Point called the “Opium Den”.

We wandered down to the restaurant and were greeted by a huge crowd outside. When we got to the front door we booked a table for half an hour as they were so busy. We had a wander around, but none of the other restaurants looked as good, or as cheap. We went back and discovered to our delight that it was a BYO place, so Liam and Charlotte 2 ran next door and purchased a couple of nice bottles of red wine, along with a bottle of Passion Pop, which Charlotte 2 assured us was a nice, if very sweet version of fizzy goon!

We had a lovely supper and conversation drifted to Charlotte 2’s trip to Thailand, so we picked up many tips. We also were reminiscing about when Liam got stopped by the police sniffer dog in the underground station, just before meeting Charlotte 2 the second time at Manley beach. We forgot to mention it in the blog before. As we were heading through the station Charlotte mentions what a nice doggie the police have, before it sat down in front of Liam!

He was asked to step to the side before being cautioned (strange!). They were all very friendly and we knew we had nothing to worry about, but it was still slightly unnerving. They did ask where we were staying and mentioned that we might just have sat in some weed, which is quite possible in that hostel! We thought after the event that it might be the body shop hemp lip conditioner in his pocket that set the dog off!! We headed back to our hostel and sat around drinking the Passion pop, which was not too bad and said our final goodbyes before headed off in our separate ways.

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