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Published: January 24th 2009
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So I arrived back in Sydney very early on 22nd December. The coach stop at Central station was literally across the road from my hostel so no problems finding it. Wake Up was to be my home for the next 10 days. Because I couldn't check-in until later I took a trek further into the city. I hadn't been in from this direction before so just walked and ended up at Darling Harbour. It is lovely here, lots of boats, restaurants/cafes, and a shopping centre. It reminded me of home because I could smell the sea, not that there's a sea in Stafford!!
I was in a 10-bed dorm, which wasn't actually that bad, the next day a few people arrived that I knew from gapyear so was nice to finally meet them. Just chilled out the next couple of days, taking things slowly. Viewed a room in flat in Newtown (short train ride away) with Ellie, but I wasn't sure about it, had a huge balcony and views of the airport though!
Christmas Eve Jocelyn picked me up in the evening and we went to her Mum's house in Campsia, west of the city, I think it is. Her
house is lovely, it has an amazing view of the river! Christmas Day I unwrapped my presents from home, thanks everyone! Got a load of photo's which was great because I didn't have any, though there were a few rather unflattering ones, what was your intention in putting those in Mum lol?! We went to the army, then to Jocelyn's brother and sister-in-law's. Had a different Christmas lunch of prawns and oysters! Oysters are yuck but prawns are actually ok! Spent the day and evening there meeting their family and friends. Their house backs onto what looks like a national park, it isn't I don't think as it is on a street but it looks like it! They get loads of birds in their garden, I fed a cockatoo!
Boxing Day we just relaxed by the pool in Jocelyn's Mum's garden, not a bad way to spend the day! In the evening we took a drive round the area looking at all the Christmas lights in people's gardens. Was the first time I had seen lights like at home, I had seen a few before but not many.
I got the train back into the city the next day.
Apparently there was a big storm that afternoon but I missed it as was watching TV! The hostel was really nice, it has about 7 floors and on our floor was the huge TV screen and kitchen. It was good to just lounge around there.
Sunday I went on a drive with Jocelyn and her Mum. We drove all the way down the coast to Kiama, stopping along the way at various places. The drive was so nice, as some of it was right on the coast. One of the places was Stanwell Park, a gorgeous little area with a beach. We stopped for lunch as possibly the best situated pub in the world, right on the edge with nothing obstructing the view of the sea. In Kiama there was a blowhole but unfortunately the sea was quite calm that day so it didn't do anything! We had ice-cream at this shop with the most amazing flavours, there was even a jaffa flavour! Ice-cream is great, I love it! It was a great day, it was a couple of hours max from Sydney but felt like we were so far away, i'd love to rent a car and take little
trips out like that!
Next couple of days I didn't do much but the day before NY Eve met up with Aimee who I was supposed to meet up with in Singapore but that didn't happen. She had just got here and the next day, NYE we went with loads of OzIntro people to the botanical gardens for the fireworks!
We left the hostel at 8.30am and queued for 3 1/2 hours just to get into the gardens! We were not that far back, but behind us the queue stretched for miles! We got in and found a spot with shade under a tree. You could see the opera house and bridge from there but the trees were in the way. Luckily someone discovered they were giving out a limited number of passes to get down the bottom to the good viewing spot, so we quickly got ourselves one of these. It was a really nice day, just chilling out, reading, playing card games. It got busier and busier throughout the day. We went down to the good spot for the 9pm family fireworks and then back down again for the main event at midnight. The fireworks were really
good, didn't know where to look, they were coming from everywhere, the tops of buildings, the bridge and everywhere! It was weird, couldn't believe I was actually here in Sydney watching the New Year's Eve fireworks, been a dream up until now! Went to the gaff once we got out, wasn't too good though because it was a little uncomfortable with my backpack on!
New Year's Day we went to Coogee for a BBQ, my first BBQ in Oz! I love Coogee, it feels like home when I go there.
I'm currently living in an apartment right in the city, as close to the centre as you can be! But more on that next time, i've spent far too long writing this and uploading photos! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy New year!
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