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Published: June 18th 2008
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We rolled up to Sydney Central Station around 8.30am and our hostel was a two minute walk away. Enter the best hostel of the trip so far, Wake Up! It was like a hotel but with bunk beds! It had a giant reception with lounge area and lots of computers, a Cafe with cheap breakfast and most importantly a bar in the basement called 'Side Bar'. So Sydney was off to a very good start and we were ready for some tourist activities. So where did we head....Sydney Opera House! I can't quite describe the feeling that came over me when I first saw the iconic building. It sounds stupid but it suddenly hit me that I was the other side of the world, in the one country I had always wanted to visit and I had the biggest smile! We must have taken nearly 100 photos between us and then it was the Sydney Harbour Bridge's turn!! We decided we couldn't afford to climb the bridge so we walked accross it instead. It actually shakes when you stand still! After a long day of walking around we headed back to the hostel for a well earned rest. Dan fell asleep
quite easily but before I could dose off an Irish guy came in to our room, sat down for 5 mins and then said "D'ya fancy a beer?". Have you ever tried to refuse an Irish guy a drink!? So off we went to the Side Bar and found a couple of other guys from England that I could understand easier. Drinks were pretty cheap in the Side Bar, but this was the only place in Sydney that anything was cheap. After half an hour it ended up just me and a guy called Minesh, he was from London. After spending 2 hours drinking cheap beer with the guy, Dan appeared looking annoyed. Our trip to the Blue Mountains the following day had been cancelled and moved to the day after that.....I soon put the smile back on his face by reminding him that now we did not need to get up and could indulge in the facilities provided! I, 3 pint Lace, was already starting to feel the effects of the 2 hour session and Dan felt it was his duty to join this feeling asap. So whilst Minesh and I continued to drink at a reasonable pace, Dan
was drinking 2 at a time! By the end of the night we had made another friend from our room, Andy Smith from Newcastle. The four of us had drunk alot but didn't seem to feel the effects the following day. We decided to stroll down to the harbour and whilst Andy and Minesh went to have some food, Dan and I took the ferry to Manly Beach. Manly is a very laid back town just half an hour from Sydney centre and has a wonderful beach. We both agreed that if we were to live in Sydney, then Manly Beach would be the place. After we got back from Manly we joined back up with Andy and Minesh and went to the botanical gardens. Yes they were beautiful but still just a big garden! Although we did see some wild cockatiels fighting, which for me was a highlight! So back to the hostel we went and Lucy arrived from Byron Bay. Lucy was doing the same route as us and we were all going to be in Melbourne too. The only difference was that she was flying and Dan and I were slumming it on the bus! After we
had all eaten we made an even bigger group! Me, Dan, Lucy, Minesh, Andy, a guy called Dhaval and two mates Tom & Andy. We spent the night doing what we do best drinking and taking random pictures! With Dan and Minesh in the group, we were very camera happy! It was a great night and everyone got on really well. However! 7.30am came and Dan, Lucy and I needed to be up for the re-arranged Blue Mountains trip! Dan was coping well but Lucy and I were very tired. We had a tour guide that grew up in the mountains and was therefore a little crazy but very knowledgable. It was very cold in the 'Mountains' and we did a lot of trekking and looking at stunning views. At times they did look blue but the guide did inform us that this was just an illusion! I would never have known! He also told us that they weren't actually mountains either! The lies! Forgetting the deceit, it was a good trip and on the way back we got to stop outside the famous Olympic Stadium where our very own Jonny Wilkinson won the rugby world cup for England! Once
we were home everyone had a little rest and then got ready to go to a bar on Level 47 of a very tall building! The bar rotated very slowly all the time so you could see the entire city from up high. It was an incredible sight and one that none of us will forget. Emma from Byron Bay had met up with us for the evening, as she was in Sydney and Dhaval came too. We all decided to try a Sydney night club....it was very expensive so we didn't stay long!
Morning came and I decided to check out the Aquarium at Darling Harbour. Once again Dhaval and Lucy joined me but Dan decided he was going to do his own thing and we split up for the first time! The aquarium was very good and I saw plenty of fish, sharks, crocs, seals and even penguins! After the Aquarium, the three of us went for some lunch before meeting Dan again. It was a very brief encounter as Dan was tired from all his sight seeing and wanted to go back to the hostel. Dhaval, Lucy and I continued to walk around Sydney until Lucy
needed to get onto the Ferry to meet a friend in Manly Beach. I, on the other hand, was getting ready to watch England take on the Mighty All Blacks! I found Dan at the hostel talking to a girl who went to his college and uni but he didn't know her! Small world eh? He wasn't keen on the rugby so off I went to Scruffy Murphy's pub to sit on my own. It wasn't long before Dhaval came to meet me and finally I didn't feel like the only English fan in the pub. We were surrounded by Kiwi's and they made plenty of noise everytime NZ scored...which was pretty often to start with! Straight after the rugby I had to get my skates on as I had 25mins to catch the Greyhound to our final stop in Oz....Melbourne! (Included in this blog are lots of drunken pictures due to a request from Lee Carr)
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Andy
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met an Andy
I am amazed you met an Andy Smith, glad to hear in spirit i was having lil trvael with ya! lol. looks like your having a fantastic time mate!!