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Published: February 24th 2010
COOGEE, SYDNEY!
Us and ALL of our bags and arrived, sweaty and totally knackered with blistered hands (from carrying the heavy bags laiden with wine) at the Medina Apartments in Coogee, Sydney on Wed 23 Dec.
We must have looked a right state as we walked into the swish apartment block that Alan booked for us to stay in over Christmas. I frantically tried to justify our appearance, explaining since leaving Cessnock that morning we had caught a bus, train, another bus and had to walk a total of 3km all of this complete with all our bags! The reception seemed to check then double check our confirmation before putting on on of those ever so fake smiles and completing our booking.
The apartment was fantastic! Located on the top floor with a fantastic view - we had our own bedroom, a small but functional kitchen (complete with quite a large fridge for our copious bottles of wine), a balcony and a great bathroom - all we needed and more besides!! Immediately upon entering we emptied Santa's Sack and all its festive goodies which we had bought from the pound shop in Cessnock and proceeded to completely deck out
the apartment with tinsel draped from the pictures and mirrors, a huge 'Merry Christmas' sign across the balcony, flashing lights around the perimeter ... you get the general idea! I wanted to make our first Christmas away from home as festive as possible! by the time we had finished our room closely resembled Santa's grotto!!
Paul and I chose Coogee to spend our first Christmas away from home as we wanted to spend Christmas day on the beach, 'chucking another shrimp on the barbie' and I did not like the tacky, touristy Bondi so we opted for the more laid back, community orientated Coogee. A long sandy beach enclosed by two cliffs, green covered headlands, the town set amongst hilly streets lined with swish apartment blocks - it was just splendid! Just back from the beach a huge grass area with BBQs and picnic tables, all for public use! The Ozzie's certainly think of everything for outdoor lifestyles!
CHRISTMAS EVE (Thurs 24 Dec 09)
The day was spent in a hive of activity, trawling the shops for a small BBQ (as I was reluctant to be stuck in a queue for the BBQs on xmas day thought
we would buy our own) and picking up supplies for the Christmas festive period! The shopping excursion was remarkably successful, we did better than finding a disposable BBQ, we actually managed to find a camping gas stove but a really good one like we use at home - in fact ... identical to the one at home. (Well apart for the fact the the one from Scotts of Stow cost about £50 and this .... a fiver!!)! We got gas, a griddle pan, an Eskie (Cool Box) and tons of food and drink. Probably the only slight apprehension I had was not knowing anybody and being able to have a big Crimbo gathering with lots of people and partying. However, as fate would have it, the Glaswegian stalkers had also booked to spend their first Crimbo away in Sydney and although they were not in Coogee (Derek and Leanne were staying on one of the Northern beaches, Manly) we had vowed to spend Christmas day all together! Yippee!
One of the factors which surprised me most about Christmas in Sydney is that everybody says it is the place to be over the festive period, however, they do not celebrate
like us Brit's! There are no trees or lights up in peoples houses or the shops. If your lucky in the major shopping arcades right in the centre of Sydney there was the odd humongous tree but nothing like what we have. And OK, so I know its tacky but actually I did miss not hearing Christmas tunes blaring out of radios in cafes or anywhere for that matter. Frankly, it just didn't feel like a proper Christmas! It was due to that fact that I determined I would do my utmost to make it as Chrismassy as possible!!!
CHRISTMAS DAY (Fri 25 Dec 09)
'Merry Christmas, on the bus 20mins away' was the surprising text we awoke to with a start on Crimbo morning! Derek and Leanne had quite unexpectedly arrived on time at 9am! Another surprise were their faces upon entering our Santa's Grotto! They too had been missing the UK style build up to Christmas and all the shop decorations, lights etc so when they entered our room they were well impressed. Before they set down their bags they had a glass of port each in hand (as was my mum's tradition!), Derek was made to
strip to just his board shorts and we gave him a Crimbo tie and hat, Leanne got a set of antlers and the Christmas partying ensued!
We headed down to the beach as soon as we had prepared all the food as unfortunately the weather forecast had predicted severe rain by midday (only the second time since records began was it forecast to rain here on Crimbo day ... how typical is that!!!!)
Walking down to the beach was a surreal experience, nobody else was dressed up - not even in Crimbo hats (the Ozzie's really do down play Crimbo here) and we were getting some rather odd looks but upon turning the corner to the beach we saw all the people in hats and dressed up (or down - well it was still shorts and bikini weather) and everyone was doing their own BBQs on the beach. It was a great atmosphere, everyone was really friendly and in true festive spirit ... wine, beer or Champers typically! A streaker sporting only a gold thong even made a dash across the grass area before circumnavigating the beach and town and returning for his clothing - very funny! For
Crimbo dinner we had fresh prawns, kangaroo steaks and vegetable kebabs - very different but very yummy!
We were all having a great day and really making the most of our first Christmas away from home when the temperature suddenly started to drop. Undeterred we all hastily donned our jumpers, shortly after people started to put on coats, then as the temperature dropped even further, we begun to feel small but frequent droplets of rain. As the intensity and size of the raindrops increased it was not hard to guess that a storm was on the way! And boy ... was it a big one!! Rain like I have never seen began to pelt down with such ferocity it actually hurt if it hit you, the sky darkened to such an extent you would have never guessed it was only 1.30pm. There was only one thing for it, we packed up and ran back to the apartment, set up our picnic once again in the apartment and then started drinking games (I had made Vodka jelly for desert)!
A few hours later I decided it would be a good time to escape momentarily and phone dad. Whilst standing
in the phonebox, looking out across the wind ravaged streets being bombarded with torrential rain - no matter in which direction I looked from the crossroads I was at, you would have never have known it was Christmas!! No lights, trees or festive apparel was anywhere to be seen and there were no other people in sight! I'm glad we have tried Christmas away from home but in future I will be sticking to a traditional English Crimbo. The grass isn't always greener!!
After far too much drinking shenanigans and after being coerced into teaching an unanticipated Pilates class by Derek, it was decided that there was no way on earth they could make it back to Manly so they spent Christmas day night crashed out on our floor, so inebriated that they didn't even use the duvet or cushions we gave them!!
BOXING DAY (Sat 26 Dec 09)
Housekeeping and chilling day!!
CIRUCLAR QUAY AND THE OPERA HOUSE
Determined not to let the rain get the better of us, we set out on Sun 27 Dec and took a bus into the city centre. It was shopping heaven, huge department stores, massive sales. Only
problem was the sheer volume of people fighting their way round the shops and onto escalators and lifts. Havoc!
In a bid to escape the crowds we walked from the city out to Circular Quay, location of the Sydney Opera house and the Harbour Bridge. We found a gorgeous little bar overlooking the two - the Opera House Bar. A gorgeous setting and location, with huge metal bar stools surrounding long tables. The bar was outdoor but sheltered from the elements by the walkway to the opera house and as the weather took a turn for the worse again, trapping us in the shelter of the bar we decided there was only one thing for it ... we ordered a bottle of sparkly and started to create a plan of action for New Year's Eve!
SOUTH AMERICA REUNIONS!!
Tues 29 Dec was going to be an eventful and exciting day. We were due to meet up with two sets of people who we met at different times on our South America trip. An insane but loveable Auzzie girl from Melbourne - Monica, who we met first on the Bolivian salt flats and then again in Chile and
yet again in Brazil. Also, the coolest couple in the world - Bob and Gea originally from Newcastle and Holland respectively but who met in Sydney whilst travelling and decided to stay there, we met them whilst trekking in Torres Del Paine and then again in Mendoza, Argentina. They are mad keen travelers who have ventured EVERYWHERE! We arranged to meet Bob and Gea just round the corner from where we were staying and Monica was flying in later that day so would meet us in the evening. It was GREAT to see Bob and Gea again, they are a great couple and a really good laugh. What we didn't realise was that they only lived around the corner from our apartments so rather than just being a one off meeting we would be able to meet up with them a few times before leaving Sydney - I was well chuffed! In fact they arranged to pick us up the next day!!
We spent a lovely afternoon in the beer garden catching up and soaking up the now once again fabulous weather!
WATSON'S BAY FISH AND CHIPS!
At 10am on Wed 30 Dec Bob and Gea picked us
up and after helping us transfer a stupid amount of luggage (check out the photo) from the Medina at Coogee to Medina Harbourside at Darling Harbour (in preparation for New Years Eve) they set off to show us an insiders view of the sights and sounds of Sydney and after extensive travelling why they chose it as the city to live in!
They were excellent tour guides, giving us real local insights and taking us to absolutely gorgeous viewpoints overlooking the city, the Opera House, the Harbour bridge, the cliffs and the beach. I have to say, I was never really taken with Sydney - I never saw the attraction. However, Bob and Gea introduced us to a collection of delightful suburbs, a short drive from the city but all possessing a country feel surrounded by greenery, water and beaches. They totally changed my view on living in the huge sprawling metropolis. After exploring various different suburbs, two different Harbours and several stunning view points from where it was possible to watch the New Years Eve fireworks, I was totally astonished by the seclusion, breathtaking views and countryside lifestyle it was able to possess whilst being in such close
proximity to a major city.
As if they needed to convince us any more of the host of attributes and advantages of living in their home city then they introduced us to Watson's Bay! An outstanding bay home to an infamous fish and chips shop. Bob informed us it was a little over-priced but you paid for the view ... and wow - what a view!!! We got a fabulous table with views overlooking the water and the Harbour bridge in the distance. It was a scorching hot sunny day with brilliant blue skies. The fish and chips were divine and the ice chilled cider was glorious!
To conclude our days adventure, Bob and Gea walked us round to a neighbouring beach and we all took a dip in the Ocean whilst watching yachts sail by and having the Harbour bridge as a stunning back drop.
COFF'S LOUNGE
That night we returned to our apartment, which as I forgot to mention previously, was even more impressive than the previous apartment. This time we had two bedrooms, a lounge, a dining room, kitchen (complete with everything - incl dishwasher, and I don't mean Paul!!), it was like our
own house!! Thanks Alan, your my hero!!
Whilst Paul, Monica and I got ready, Derek and Leanne arrived and the five of us went out for dinner on Darling Harbour then partied to the wee hours (as the Scots would say!! Miss you two if your reading this!!) We had a heady mix of cocktails which seemed to comprise of so many spirits I lost track when trying to write the concoction down to replicate later!!!
At some early hour we decided as we were having a big day the next day we should really call it a day and returned to the apartment and prepared everything for the next day, legendary in Sydney ... New Years Eve!!!
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Barbara
non-member comment
Looks Fab!
You certainly had a great Christmas! I know you had no snow, but give me sunshine any day! Never been to Australia and would one day love to visit. Paul - loved the tie but think it should have been worn alone!!! Sending lots of love, light and hugs, Barbara and George xxx