In Sydney I was staying with a friend, Paul, for the Christmas period. I met Paul on holiday in Portugal in 2006. He's a Kiwi who, at the time, was traveling around Europe. A few months later I picked him up from Luton airport and he stayed at ours for the night. Since then he always promised to return the favour. So here I was, getting a cab to one of Sydney's seaside suburbs, Coogee. I'd been to Coogee before, but only briefly, back in February when we did the 2 hour coastal walk from Bondi.
I arrived and got the key from the plant pot where Paul had left it for me, and made myself at home, so pleased to be in the comfort of a house again, with a laptop, TV, and all the other things we take for granted. Staying here was doing me a huge favour, as all the hostels in Sydney bump their rates up to an extortinate amount over the festive period. It would have cost me $1000 for a 32 bed dorm for 10 nights. There was no way I'd ever stay in a 32 bed dorm, and especially not for $100 a night!
Paul didn't want a penny from me, so instead, before he got home from work I filled the fridge with beers, wine and food.That night, when Paul arrived home from work, we spent the evening chilling out, drinking wine and catching up on the last few years. He was disappointed that after nearly a year in Oz I had only just got round to seeing him, but I had 10 days to make up for lost time.
The following day, after a great night's sleep but still feeling a bit rough with a cold, I took myself to the beach. It was a beautiful day, and it was so nice being just metres from the beach and all these shops, cafes and restaurants. It was a lifestyle that I could really get used to. And, after being on the road for a while, it was a relief to know that I could relax without having to pack my bags and catch another bus in a few days.
The next couple of days before Christmas I caught up with friends. I met Louise, my friend from home who relocated here, in a bar for drinks not far from Paul's house. I also met up with a guy called Carl, who I met in Thailand in December 08, who had just arrived in Oz. When I met Carl I encouraged him to go travelling, telling him he'd have the time of his life and so on. It was so good that he'd made the decision to do it, and here we were a year later, sitting on Bondi beach.
On Christmas eve, while Paul and his housemate Travis were at work, I went out and bought loads of Christmas decorations. Being typical males, they had nothing. There was nothing at all to suggest that it was nearly Christmas. And so I filled the living room with tinsel and baubles (in blue, so it was a bit manly)! I bought crackers and put them round the room. And filled a bowl with chocolates which I left for them on the coffee table. It wasn't much, in fact it looked a bit pathetic without a tree or lights, but it was something. And it made me feel a bit more festive!
Before I knew it I was waking up on Christmas day. I'd had cards delivered from home that Paul hadn't told me about, which was a lovely surprise. I insisted that I make the boys a breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast with fresh orange juice, just like I have at home, which I cooked wearing a santa hat. Then, while we ate, I made them watch Love Actually with me, again, something I do at home, and also what I made all the boys do last Christmas in Thailand!
They stayed for a while, then went up the road to their friends house where they were spending the day. I waited at the house for my mum to call, then went on the dreaded walk to Bronte where I was meeting Louise and co. Bronte is along the coastal walk, near to Bondi. I was told that if I walked fast I could do it in an hour. I wasn't up for this at all. It was muggy and humid outside, and looked like it was about to pour down. I also had bags of stuff, food, drinks, christmas crackers and so on. But I set off anyway (not realising that buses still run on xmas day - damnit)! and power-walked all the way there. Any hopes I had of looking nice when I got there were ruined, when I arrived sweating, with my make-up smudged around my eyes, and my freshly straightened hair was frizzy (at least I had a santa hat to cover it up). But I managed to do it in about 45 minutes, and arrived there before everyone else!
I was amazed at how many people were out and about, forgetting that Christmas here isn't like it is at home. I walked around about 5 different beaches, which were packed full of people cooking on their BBQs, and kids swimming in the sea, despite the overcast sky and damp air.
I waited about 10 minutes, enough time to freshen up, when Louise and 9 others arrived. We picked a spot and laid our rugs out, with all our food and drinks etc. The boys were sent on their way to go and get the BBQ started, using one of the free BBQs here, while us girls chatted and drank lots of wine! It was such a shame the weather wasn't better. Even moreso when, after a few hours and when the boys had only just got to the front of the BBQ queue, it started to rain. Shortly after, the place had pretty much cleared out, which wasn't bad as it meant we could get a table under shelter, and the boys could cook in peace.
Looking around, the only people mad enough to stay on the beach were other groups of backpackers, with pretty much no where else to go, and determined to have a typical 'Australian Christmas' with a BBQ on the beach. We had this, except without the sunshine. After we'd eaten, and pretty much drunk everything we had between us, we made a decision to go back to Louise and James' to carry on the evening in the comfort of a warm, dry, apartment, where there was plenty more to eat and drink!I ended up staying at Louise's, and made my way home the following afternoon. It was quite embarrassing because the weather had changed, and today was quite cold. Yet here I was, catching buses, in just a pair of denim shorts, a bikini and a thin cardigan. People probably thought I was mad. I was also incredibly hungover, so I just wanted to get back, put comfortable clothes on, and chill out on the sofa, which is exactly what I did.
That evening I couldn't sleep, despite having spent the previous night tossing and turning on the sofa, and being hungover. It was because I was so excited. More excited than I get at Christmas, which to anyone who knows me, knows is hard to beat. And it was because Anna was arriving in the morning. My best friend, who I hadn't seen since she came out to see me in Thailand this time last year, was going to be in Central train station at 8am. After only about 4 hours sleep I was up and dressed, and on the bus on the way into the city to go and meet her. It was tipping it down today, which is such a bad first impression to get of the apparently 'sunny-all-year-round' Australia! But it didn't matter. I waited for what felt like forever for Anna to arrive, as I'd got a bit enthusiastic and was there far too early. When she walked through the barriers, as expected, we had a tearful reunion. After a minute or two to compose ourselves, we stepped out into the pouring rain to get the poor girl to Paul's, where she could dump her luggage and sort herself out after travelling for about 30 hours, via Hong Kong, to get here.
I gave her no time at all to let the jetlag set in, as we had no time to waste. Anna was here for 18 days, and we had so much to fit in in that time. We headed into the city where we wandered around taking in the sights, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc. Although I'd been to Sydney before, it was only for a few days, and I was always with people who knew their way around, so I told Anna that I was as much a stranger to this city as she was. Walking around Circular Quay we bumped into Louise and James, and another couple, friends of theirs from home who'd also just arrived for a holiday. With the weather still pretty miserable, we all went for a drink in the Opera bar, which has amazing views of, yes you've guessed it, the Opera house. It's definitely my favourite bar in Sydney. Yes the drinks are overpriced, but the view's great and so is the atmosphere.
After the others left Anna and I stayed for a few more. Probably not the best idea, but at the time it seemed ok. We drank a couple of bottles of wine, and by now it was only about 5.30. Feeling rather tipsy, we got the bus back so that Anna could see Paul, now that he was home from work. The 3 of us took a stroll to a nearby Thai restaurant, where we ate nice food, drank more wine, and chatted the night away.
In the morning I was so pleased to see blue skies and a bright beaming sun. We got up fairly early - by backpackers standards anyway - and, still not giving Anna any time to get used to the time difference, we got the bus to Bondi beach. We spent the day here, among about a million other people who had done the same as us. Th
e beach was packed and overcrowded, but I still managed to see two of my mates from my time living in Melbourne, who came and sunbathed with us for a while.Wanting to do as much as possible with Anna, and also other people I'd met on my travels, i'd attempted to arrange a big night out for everyone I knew that was in Sydney. So after a day of tanning, we rushed back to Paul's to get ready for a night out. While Paul cooked us dinner, we were frantically hair-straightening, applying make-up, and changing our outfits for the umpte
enth time. By the time we got out we were late. Late to something that I'd organised which was a tad embarrassing. And also, not all of the people I'd invited knew eachother. By the time we got there and got drinks, I had to find everyone and bring them together.It ended up being a really good night out. And, despite Australia being so big, I wasn't surprised that I bumped into a couple of people I'd met over the last year, even someone I'd worked with whilst packing fruit in Renmark. It's at this time of year when the place just fills with backpackers. Some of the people I saw tonight I knew that I would be saying goodbye to for good. The chances are that I won't see a lot of them again, even when they come back to England. But of course, by now, after nearly 15 months of travelling, I was perfectly used to this part, even though it doesn't get any easier.
Feeling sorry for ourselves in the morning, and sleeping in longer than I'd have liked, we saw the sun beaming through the blinds and decided we couldn't waste a glorious day hungover and inside. So we dragged ourselves the 100 metres down the road to the beach. An extra bonus was that Paul was with us too. He'd taken a couple of days off work to spend time with us. He even came out with us into the city the night before, the only guy with a bunch of drunken girls....Oh, ok, now it makes sense why he came.....
So anyway, here we were on Coogee beach. Anna braved the sea, overcoming her huge fear of sharks, and pretty much anything else you find in the ocean. The sun was strong today, and I was pleased that at last Anna was seeing some proper Ozzy weather.
After a few hours, again, not wanting to miss an opportunity to meet up with
people, we went back, got showered and changed, and headed back into the city where we were catching a ferry to Manly. When I was here in Feb I'd stayed with my mate Becky, an Ozzy I'd met in Portugal. Well I lived in Portugal with Anna, so obviously she knew Becky too and wanted to see her. And even better, another friend of ours from London who we'd also met in Portugal was staying with Becky. And another friend Tim, had also arranged to meet up. So it was a mini Lagos-reunion.Once over in Manly we met the others in the Wharf bar, a trendy bar that's particularly popular for a Sunday session. All types come here. The protentious girls in their dresses and heels and men in their smart shirts and shoes. The surf-dude types who've strolled in after a day of riding the waves. And the backpackers.
Paul came with us, but the poor guy couldn't get a word in. The 5 of us hadn't seen eachother as a group since summer 2007, and the excitement was obvious, lots of squealing and hugging. Paul went to get the drinks in.
After catching up for probably only a couple of hours, the sun started to set. The atmosphere was great here, but we were well aware that we had a long journey to get back, and the tiredness from our hangovers was kicking in. Reluctantly, we said our goodbyes, my 2nd time in 2 nights, and made our way back to Paul's for a takeaway and a DVD. We all fell asleep on the sofa at about 9pm.The next day was New Years eve. Again, the sky was grey and overcast, but it was still warm. Anna and I had a lie in, then spent the day, yes, the entire day, getting ready for tonight. We were meeting Louise, her boyfriend James, and a few others, to go to Shark Island. Shark Island's quite a way away, but is the perfect location for watching the famous fireworks they set off in the harbour.
At about 5pm we set off, getting buses and taxis, through the chaos of the city. There were people everywhere, roads were closed and police walked the streets, all in preparation for the 4 million people who spend New Years Eve in Sydney. Thankfully we were going about 15 minutes out of the ci
ty, where we waited for our boat to take us to the island.Shark Island has no facilities except for toilets, so we had to bring all food, drinks, seats, music etc ourselves. The island's small, but there were only a couple of hundred people there, so we all had plenty of space to spread out and get a great view of the Harbour Bridge.
To get the boat over on a normal day is $18. On New Years Eve, it's $160, so we all hoped it'd be worth it. There were about 10 of us there in our group. Between us we'd brought so much food that we could have fed another 10. We also had so much alcohol, but of course we knew we'd have no trouble finishing that off. We were there for 7.30, so we had plenty of time before the fireworks started. The first show was at 9pm, the kiddies show. These were brilliant, and our view was incredible, but it was nothing compared to what was to come at midnight.
Whilst we drank the night away, it gradually got darker and there was a chill in the air. We sat huddled, playing drinking games and listening to our music, as loud as we could have it. So far the night was brilliant. NYE always seems to be a let down. At home you spend extortinate amounts of money on entry to a bar or club. They hike the price of the drinks up, that's if you can get to the bar amongst the hundreds of other people they've managed to cram into the place. So after you've spent a fortune on tickets and drinks, spent hardly any time with your mates because you've been stuck in queues for the bar or the toilet, you then pay triple for a taxi home. At the end of it, you look back and promise not to spend another NYE like that.
But here we were, close friends, sitting together in a completely chilled out, laid back atmosphere. Yes the boat tickets were expensive, but when you think what we saved by bringing our own food and drink it balances out.
We talked and laughed and drank our way through the warm evening. Before we knew it, the first lot of fireworks for the countdown to midnight had started. Everyone rushes for their cameras. Sometimes we forget that while we're trying desperately to capture everything on camera we're not actually seeing it for ourselves. At the end of the night I must have had 100 pictures of those fireworks, and they were all as blurry as the one I'd taken before. Realising how hard it is to take a good photo of fireworks I stopped trying and just enjoyed the show.
I'd smuggled some sparklers onto the island (apparently these are strictly forbidden - I'm such a rebel) and shared them out with everyone. So, amongst the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' we were there spelling our names out with our sparklers, and watching the most amazing fireworks display I've ever seen, and probably ever will see.Not long after the hugs and kisses and 'happy new years', it was time to get the boat back to Rosebay, and make our way back to Paul's. Everyone else was heading to a house party not far away, but with no time to waste, Anna and I had a flight booked to Melbourne in the morning (something we later regretted)!
I really enjoyed Sydney, and had such a good NYE that I'm sure will be hard to compete with for years to come. However, I'm not sure it's a city I could live in like I did in Melbourne. It's so spread out that to get from one place to another requires changing buses 3 times. And the transport/ restaurants/ bars are so expensive, unlike Melbourne. But for what it's worth I had a great time, made better by the fact that Anna was here. We crammed in so much over the last few days, meeting people and seeing the sights, that I was ready for a break, but no such luck. Melbourne here we come.....
