So please allow me to sit and reminisce a second, as I share with you a little more of my trip. This is mainly for me to look back and remember some of the things I have done and places I have gone to. Please forgive me if it sounds like I am bragging or repeating things I have already discussed in the blog. I just want to try and have it all down somewhere. Its been a great 10 months, with plenty that I will always remember. I just wish it could have been longer.
In Sydney:
- Walked across the Harbour Bridge
- Rode the ferries around the Harbour (still some of the best views of the city at night)
- Saw the sunrise over various beaches
- Saw the sunset/rise from the same bar for the RWC Final
- Went to a Waratahs (Super 14 Rugby) game
- Lived in five different suburbs (North Sydney, Chippendale, Coogee Beach, Bondi Beach, Pyrmont) for a minimum of 2 weeks
- Had a pint in several places that claimed to be the oldest pub in Sydney, one of them has to be the one
- Walked the Coast Walk from Bondi Beach to Maroubra Beach
- Gone shopping in the Sunday morning markets (Bondi and The Rocks)
- Gone to the Fish Market
- Gone to several festivals – Sydney Festival, Darling Harbour Chinese, Korean cultural celebrations and the Darling Harbour Fiesta and others
- For the Sydney festival, watched the Spanish Harlem Orchestra play in the Domain
- Celebrated Australia Day on Bronte Beach with a BBQ
- Went by the dawn memorial service for ANZAC Day
- Learned how cricket, AFL and Rugby League are played
- Danced (salsa) all night long
- Played Two Up
- Saw fireworks over the Harbour Bridge
- Gone to a couple of Sydney Kings basketball game
- Grown a Mo and shaved my head
- Gone to a fancy dress (costume party) and dressed up
- Won money at the casino, horse races, Two Up and pokey machines
- Lost money at the casino, horse races, Two Up and pokey machines
In General:
- Eaten Kangaroo
- Learned how to talk like an Aussie (sort of and not on purpose)
- Visited Melbourne, Perth, Alice Springs, Cairns, Airlie Beach, Newcastle, Fulham, Moss Vale and lots of small towns/suburbs in-between
- Been to prison (for work)
- Saw wild kangaroos, kookaburra, cockatoos, lorikeets, flying foxes, dingoes, sea turtles, stingrays, dolphins, wallabies and camels
- Been to more beaches than I can count, including in NSW – Coogee, Bondi, Bronte, Gordon’s Bay, Tamarama, Maroubra, Manly, Shelley, Seal Rocks; QLD – Fitzroy Island, Whitehaven, Hook Island, Cape Tribulation; VIC – 90 mile beach.
- Played beach cricket on Christmas day
- Saw huge crocodiles in the Daintree River
- Snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef in the Whitsundays and Cairns
- Went sailing in the Whitsundays
- Went sea kayaking around Fitzroy Island
- Went whitewater rafting on the Tully River in QLD
- Camped in the outback in a swag
- Hiked around Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon
- Saw the sunset/rise over Uluru
- Listened to aboriginals play didgeridoos in Alice Springs
- Bought some aboriginal art work
- Rode cross country in the outback (10+ hours over a weekend)
- Went surfing and managed to stand up on the board
- Traveled by car, plane, train, ferry, boat, tram, monorail, bus and countless miles walking
- Went to several BBQs, house parties and beach parties
- Eaten too many sausages, pies and endless pints of beer
- Had to explain what biscuits, BBQ and shagging are in Southern terms
- Hung out with locals, tourists, ex-pats and backpackers
And probably most importantly, made lots of friends. There are lots of people I will miss and a few I know I will see again soon. I will miss several things, most of all the great friends I have made, but also:
-the smell of frangipanis after the rain
-watching the flying foxes come out at night
-the views of the city, surf and harbour
-the convenience of living in the city, ability to get to the beach in 20 minutes
-beautiful summers and mild winters
-AUSTRALIA
Thanks to all of you who were a part of my trip and I hope to see you again soon.
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