Sydney 17 Jan to 7 June 2005
Our home for 5 months, home to beaches, parks, odd jobs, new friends, old friends, day trips, night trips

Extracts from 1st e mail in Sydney�
So - Australia - we're being very kindly put up by Miss Barton & her friends while we look for work & housing. Spent first day checking out the Opera House (not a house, more like three buildings with a slightly brown tint) & the Harbour Bridge (big & bridge like). Have interview tomorrow morning with a recruitment company & am sniffing around a few others as well - will keep you informed.

Extracts from 2nd e mail in Sydney�
Moved into an apartment in Bondi Junction - nice place. We live with two Japanese girls, who are here learning English - they have a great teacher...me. Hence they now know the words for Fridge, Shelf, Rent, The Simpsons and 'would you like a cup of tea Rob'.....well, that last one needs some work on, but work  they will.

That nicely brings me onto my next topic -  I have found a job - I now work in the sales department of a teacher's book company - Blake Education. I am working there for two months. The job has its good days (like the bonus of $125 I received last Friday) and its bad days (today - what you remember from school is right - there are some nice teachers who will help you, but the rest are nasty pieces of work). Still everyone I work with are really sound, so generally it's a good time. Sadly I now know / remember how it feels to get up at 6am, iron a shirt and get a train with all the other bleary eyed people.

 Other Activities...
>>> A Victoria State wine fair - 25 dollars paid & you get to attack...sorry, taste, as much wine as possible for 4 hours. We attended with Larissa and Chris, the two we met in New Zealand and had a wonderful time - highlight being the quality picture taken at the 'Roberts Wine' stall....genius as I'm sure you can guess!
 

 >>> Australia Day - like Aussies St Patrick's or St George Day - big boats in the harbour, bands in parks, fireworks in more harbours & meeting a friend I hadn't seen in many years - all in all a good time.

 >>> Watson's Bay - after cleverly taking the train to the harbour and then getting a boat to Watson's Bay we found out it was a five minute bus ride from our house - damn. Still, nice journey & lots of tourist pics were taken. Watson's Bay is home to a very famous Fish & Chip place....Doyle's....well, actually this chain own the whole harbour & have food for all pocket sizes. As ours were quite small we just managed the takeaway and bottle of bubbly option...still, a good time and a reminder that seagulls are evil thieves.

 >>> Digeraredoo (not correct spelling - but do any of you know how to spell it? thought not..) Performance - in Darling Harbour - a very good time and good effort by a man with rather bad facial hair...

Extracts from 3rd  e mail in Sydney�
All good here, we've been here for over 2 months now and are settled in the Bondi area. Aside from work, what else....

>>> Mardi Gras - excellent day had sitting in Hyde park rocking a picnic and amusing ourselves at some of the costumes people decided to venture out in. My favourite was a blue leather cat suit with a zip around the butt area - if I had the figure I may have asked where he purchased it!! Parade was a good time - and much fun was had with some 'gay radio' whistles!

>>> St Patrick's Day - well, actually this was split into two days - the Sunday before had a big parade and then a big day of entertainment in the park - lots of bands, wine and craic,.... although work the next day wasn't. The actual day was less fun as pubs were mobbed (most opened at 8am!... dirty), but we had a good night in a few messy bars with a couple of old friends, so that was good

>>> Birthday - I turned 26 on the 15th March and decided to take the day off to celebrate - first time I've had 30C weather on my birthday I can tell you! Pubs were hit and a picnic lunch of swordfish + bubbly was done

Extracts from 4th e mail in Sydney�

Firstly - the Japanese housemates have left the building - they were quite enjoyable house mates near the end - as they found boyfriends and ventured out the flat - which meant it felt like we had our own apartment - aside from the fact there were lots of long black hair everywhere! They have now been replaced by a nice girl from Kildare called Maura. What sort of tourist stuff has been done?

>>> Blue Mountains - Massive tourist must do apparently - and a good time was had there. It was nice to get out of the city. The day was spent walking up and down pathways and taking far too many pictures - truly impressive.

>>> Hunter Valley - I'm sure many of you have heard of the Hunter Valley's wine - the day was spent getting driven around the area and trying to fit in as much wine, cheese and chocolate as we could...which happened to be a fair bit, thank you very much.
 

>>> Other activities have included beach sitting on (& Richard Branson spotting), more Zoo's, pub testing and overtime working.