Sydney Day 4 A Ferry Ride To Manly & A Relaxing Day On The Beach Surfing – Friday 31st January 2014

We were up fairly earlyish this morning to head down to Circular Quay to catch a ferry across to Manly (north of Sydney). It was good to get the ferry across because it went through the harbour and right past the Opera House, seeing both the Bridge and Opera House from another angle (I think by now we have covered just about every angle of it!). When we arrived in Manly we had a coffee along the beach front before heading onto the beautiful beach where mum spent the day lying in the sun reading her book and me and dad took it in turns surfing. The waves were pretty big and the sea was pretty rough so it was quite hard but we did fairly well and we had great fun! On the ferry back we managed to stand right at the front of the boat which meant we got a great view as we came into the harbour and again some more great pics!

Once back in the city, we headed straight round to Darling Harbour for some Happy Hour food and drinks. Again it had been a beautiful day and it was really nice to be sitting outside with a cocktail enjoying my last night with mum and dad. We were still rocking the beach look, so after food we headed back to the hotel to shower and sort out some of our stuff before heading down to Circular Quay again to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House all lit up. They both looked really lovely in the evening and we enjoyed a drink in Opera Bar again while enjoying the view. The bar was really nice because it had a great atmosphere as it was absolutely rammed and buzzing with live music. After one drink we headed back towards the hotel by the train, which was double deckered I might add and made a pit stop for one last drink which would also be our last drink together for the next 6 months!

To see pictures from our day on Manly Beach and our evening in Sydney Click Here - Manly Beach & Evening In Sydney

Sydney Day 3 A 11 Mile Walk Around The City – Thursday 30th January 2014

Today we headed on a very long trek around the city (11 miles if you hadn’t read the title of the blog) and by the end of the day, again it was safe to say me and mum were both knackered (we were wearing flip flops – or thongs for you Aussie’s reading this!). First we headed to Paddy’s market, a massive market which sold all different stuff, but mostly Aussie souvenirs which of course we brought for certain people back home. Then we walked via Darling Harbour round to the Harbour Bridge where we stopped for a quick refreshment before actually walking across (well half way) across the bridge, where we got a fantastic view of the Opera House and city. We then made treks towards the Botanical gardens to Mrs Macquires Point which is the ultimate picture and view point of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, before our tired little legs took us back to the hotel (we had to more or less drag mum back). After a nice refreshing shower and well needed rest, we headed back into Darling Harbour for some drinks (it was happy hour after all) before heading to the Hard Rock café for some appetisers dinner. It was still fairly early by the time we were done so on the way back to the hotel we picked up another bottle of wine to enjoy in our room where very quickly we all began to crash.

To see 11 miles worth of pictures from our walk around the city Click Here - A 11 Mile Walk Around Sydney

Sydney Day 2, A Trip To Bondi, A 6 km Costal Walk From Bondi To Coogee And An Evening In Darling Harbour – Wednesday 29th January 2014

So this morning we were up fairly earlish to take a bus trip to the famous Bondi Beach! When we arrived the beach looked lovely, although not as big as I’d quite imagined and after a quick breakfast (well actually lunch) stop, we started the 6 km Bondi to Coogee costal walk. It was pretty damn tough at times and I was completely dead by the end of it (so was mum) but it was a fairly nice walk along the coast which took us past some really nice hidden beaches. For the last 2 km of the walk me and mum had pretty much lost the will to live and was just wishing we were back on Bondi beach, but we did make it to Coogee, although we weren’t quite sure it was worth the long and hard trek. Plus to top it off when we arrived in Coogee we had to get 2 buses to get back to Bondi – the last thing we wanted to be doing after a tough 6 km walk, we just want to be on the beach!!! Dad, being the nutter he is, decided to race us back via foot, we just about beat him for those interested! It was nice being back on Bondi beach. Me and mum got a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (yes they have Ben and Jerry ice cream parlours in Aus), which was delicious, before setting up camp on the beach. We spent a couple of hours on the beach and me and dad once again hired a surf board to keep us amused (we had to say we attempted surfing on Bondi – the conditions really weren’t the best and the “pro” surfers were being bullies taking the best waves and knocking us out the way).

In the evening, after getting rid of the beach look, we headed down to Darling Harbour for something to eat and drink. It was really beautiful down there and we had a really yummy dinner of mixed rotisserie meat before heading back and crashing in bed!

To see pictures of our coastal walk and day in Bondi and dinner in Darling Harbour Click Here - Bondi Beach & Darling Harbour

A Trip To Sydney With Mum & Dad To Visit The Harbour Bridge & Opera House – Tuesday 28th January 2014

This morning we had an early start to head to the airport for the final part of mum and dad’s visit, a trip to Sydney. When we arrived at our hotel it was too early to check in, so we had some time to kill with a bit of exploring of the local surroundings (our hotel was on one of the main streets so there was lots around). We went to Queen Victoria Building, which was an upper class mall hosting names to top designers and we then headed over to Westfield shopping centre to find some coffee and lunch. By the time we had finished, we could check into our hotel so we headed back went into the room and got changed and headed out again but this time down to the fabulous Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

When we stepped out onto the Circular Quay the view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House really was amazing and the clear blue sky, with the sun beaming down, made it even more picturesque. There was also a cruise ship docked in the harbour, the Diamond Princess, which funny enough we had seen just two days earlier docked in Melbourne! After we had soaked in the sight of the harbour, we headed round to the Opera House to do a tour where we were actually got to go inside the famous and phenomenal building. We got to go into a couple of the smaller theatres, the studio and the drama hall, but the most amazing room we went in and the biggest in the Opera House, seating over 2000 people, was the concert hall! The design of the room really was breath-taking and as soon as we walked in, all we managed to say was “wow”! Everything about the concert hall and the architectural structure and design really was jaw-dropping, the walls and chairs were made out of white birch which allows the sound to be reflected off them and to the ears of the audience, while the very high and prettily decorated ceiling was suspended from above and not touching the walls to prevent the loss of sound through vibrations. There was also this massive organ at the back of the stage which is the largest mechanical organ in the world. I can only imagine the sound that must be produced from within the hall and it must be phenomenal, it really makes me want to see a musical performance in there. We had a bit of a bonus while sitting in the concert hall because Jimmy Carr (English comedian for those of you that don’t know) walked onto the stage and gave us a wave (he was performing there that evening). The whole tour was really fascinating, down to how the building was designed and built, the story behind it and the amazing views we also got to see.

After the tour we headed down to the Opera Bar just below the Opera House, where we enjoyed a drink and some yummy wedges (probably the best we’ve ever had) while admiring the view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We then went for another wander around Circular Quay and the Rocks, before heading back to the bar to watch the cruise ship sail out of the harbour. After an early start this morning we were all pretty tired, so we headed back to our hotel to rest and prepare  for another action packed day tomorrow.

Soooo until then,

So long from Sydney

xoxo

To see pictures from our first day in Sydney of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House Click Here - Sydney Day 1 Harbour Bridge & Opera House

Mum and Dad's Last Weekend In Melbourne For One Last Night Out And Australia Day - Monday 27th January 2014

On Saturday we had a pretty chilled out morning at Darc’s lazying about. Dad went for a run as did me and Darc while mum stayed home relaxing (seen as she doesn’t relax at any other time of the year). After a nice lunch we headed back to my apartment to quickly drop our stuff before heading out again to see Hannah’s afternoon production with YABC (Young Australian Broadway Chorus) of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was absolutely awesome and so professional and our little Han did amazing! The singers in it were unbelievable and I was blown away at the standard of it. Mum and Dad also thought it was really good and even Darc (a theatre first) enjoyed it too. After we headed to transport bar for a drink before heading up to Lygon Street (aka Little Italy) for a lovely Italian dinner. We finished the night once again in Crown Casino where Darc managed to make $70 bucks on blackjack (lucky git – should have sat in his chair) while mum managed to again turn 5 bucks into $20!!!

It was another beautiful day on Sunday – Australia Day! We started the day with a lovely French Toast breakfast courtesy of Darc and then mum and dad headed off to the Shrine of Remembrance to see the 21 gun salute. They then continued to walk towards the city where they come across a park which had loads going on so they rang me and I went to join them. They had filled the park with loads of old fashioned vintage cars, penny farthings and activities which kids and families could get involved with. Mum and dad both thought it was great! We walked all the way up to Fed Square where we sat along the river and demolished a jug of Pimms before walking back through the food part of the market where we grabbed a lovely chicken schnitzel burger and a potato twist (which was yum). After, we headed back to the apartment and had a relaxing couple of hours before we headed back into the city in the evening to meet Sue and Hannah to watch the Docklands fireworks. It was a really lovely evening and nice for mum and dad to see Sue and Hannah again before heading home, the firework display was pretty good too!

Today we again had a chilled morning packing for Sydney and mum and dad unfortunately packing to go home, before then heading to Darc's and spending the afternoon soaking up another beautiful Melbourne day with drinks and a yummy BBQ - what better way to finish your time in Melbourne?! It was a very relaxing day followed by an early-ish night as tomorrow we have an early flight to Sydney to catch!

To see pictures from Australia Day Click Here - Australia Day

Road Trip 2 Down Great Ocean Road - Friday 24th January 2014

On Wednesday Darc had arranged to have his hair cut at highpoint so me, Mum and Dad also went along had a little wander around the shopping centre before grabbing a nice breakfast and heading into work where I was able to show mum and dad around the physiology labs where I work and also introduce them to some of the people I work with. It was a whistle stop tour because it was already hitting lunch time and we needed to get back to get ready to head off for road trip number 2 – Great Ocean Road.

It was a fairly long drive to Apollo Bay where we were staying (around 3 hours) and the road to get there was very windey, it can turn the stomach of a normal person so I dread to think of what it can do to someone who gets car sick easy! We took the inland route to get there as soon as possible as opposed to the scenic costal drive which we will take on the way back.

I was pretty relieved to pull out of the greenery of the forest and finally onto the coast to be greeted with the beautiful sight of the sandy beach of Apollo Bay and I couldn’t wait to get straight in the sea, especially as it was another beautiful day (the weather was really pulling out all the stops for mum and dad’s visit). After checking in, we immediately got changed, hired two surf boards and spent a couple of hours surfing, by which at the end of, I would say me, dad and Darc were looking pretty pro and getting more stands than splashes.

In the evening we headed down the one street of Apollo Bay and had dinner in one of the restaurants before heading back to our apartment where we chilled out with some wine and beer, watching Murray vs. Federer on tele in the quarter finals of the Aus Open.

Yesterday, after getting ready and having a cooked breakfast, we made an even further trip down the coast to the 12 apostles (although there is no longer 12). As we were driving along the coast to the 12 apostles we stopped off at Castle Cove and Gibson Steps where we got an amazing aerial, costal view. At Gibson Steps we could see one of the 12 apostles and not only did we get an aerial view from this stop, but we were also able to go down the steps onto the beach to get a picturesque view from eye level. I also got rather wet at this stop because as I was standing on the beach where the waves were crashing on the sand for a picture, I was unexpectedly hit by a big wave which managed to splash up to my tummy, soaking me and mum also managed to capture it on camera (her, dad and Darc thought it was hilarious).

We then got back in the car and made another short little car journey along the coast to our next stop the 12 Apostles lookout. The view from here was absolutely amazing and so picturesque and I definitely took lots of pictures to capture it. As this was a big tourist stop the car park had a café which gave us a chance to get a coffee and ice-cream to refuel before continuing our journey even further along the coast to our next viewing point the Loch Ard Gorge. At this view point we again got lots of different views and got to go down on the beach to get pictures between the two rocks. By this point we had more or less covered all the views and it was hitting mid-afternoon so we drove a little further to Port Campbell where we had lunch, before turning around and making the 90 minute trip back to Apollo Bay. We were all pretty tired by the time we got back in the evening, especially Darc after driving all that way and we had a chilled night in our apartment with wine and beer, watching the heat.

This morning we were heading back to Melbourne and had to be checked out of our apartment by 10, which meant we were on the road nice and early. We had a fairly long drive all the way along the coast to Torquay (about an hour from Melbourne), where we stopped for a spot of shopping and surfing. This time, me, dad and Darc got a board each and also a wetsuit, which we were all thankful for because the water was bloody freezing. The surf was a lot harder though compared to Apollo Bay, as the waves lacked power once they crashed and we weren’t quite looking as pro as we had done 2 days earlier! By the time our time was up we were well and truly surfed out and tired and we headed back to Darc’s where again we had a very chilled evening.

For pictures from this Great Ocean Road Trip and the beautiful sights we saw Click Here - Great Ocean Road

Road Trip To Phillip Island Sunday 19th – Tuesday 21st January 2014

On Sunday me and dad were up early to go and collect our hire car from the airport for our road trip to Phillip Island! Dad was supposed to go and get the car on his own but seen as he seems to get lost in Essex, mum didn’t trust him to go alone because we’d never see him again!

We didn’t end up getting to Phillip Island until around 3 and we didn’t have much planned for the afternoon but had booked, as recommended and a highlight of Phillip Island, to go to the Penguin Parade in the evening. We sat on the steps infront of the beach, where as we hadn’t expected, sitting in shorts, t-shirt and cardi, unlike everyone else who was wrapped up in coats and jumpers, it was a little cold and breezy – no one told us!!! It was so cute though because as dusk came around 9.15 pm, we started to see little groups of penguins appear at the water’s edge and slowly gather to make their long trek across the beach to the their burrows. We saw quite a few penguins and we saw several groups waddling their way across the beach, they were all so small and really funny to watch. After about 20 minutes of watching the penguins emerge from the water, we started to slowly walk up to the main building where we saw the penguins meeting up with their little babies and heading to their burrows. Mum found one penguin (I named him Brian) especially amusing because it seemed as though he was racing all the other penguins up to his burrow but it also looked like he was drunk (bit like Mum after Stapes and Shillo have fed her one too many).

Yesterday, we decided to spend the day at the beach, especially as I wanted to surf. Me and dad hired a surf board for the day and we had great fun surfing at Smith’s beach where the waves were pretty big. We both didn’t start off too well and took a few tumbles and dives but we both eventually started to get the hang of it a bit more getting a few stands. Mum even had a little go body boarding on the board which I think she actually found quite fun heading all the way into the beach. After me and dad spent a few hours surfing we were pretty tired, and a bit cold and we headed back to our apartment and got fish and chips and drunk wine!

This morning as we were driving off the island there was time for one last stop at Panny’s Chocolate Factory. We went in and had a tour of the chocolate factory (a chocolate ticket allowed us in) and we got the opportunity to play games to get free samples. The chocolate was pretty good – but then isn’t all chocolate?! After we went into their café and had a very nice iced chocolate before it was time to hit the road for the 2 hour drive to the hot springs. Now I made a little error because when we turned up to the hot springs I didn’t even think to book and it was at full capacity so we couldn’t go in. I felt a bit bad because I know mum was really looking forward to it. It also meant we had to find a couple of hours to kill before heading back to Melbourne to return the car. We ended up finding a beach so we sat there for 2 hours before taking, at first a scenic route along the coast back to Melbourne, where Darc was waiting at the airport to pick us up. We spent the evening at his house, where he cooked us a great carbonara and we had a drink or two.

For pictures from Phillip Island of us surfing and from the chocolate factory Click Here - Phillip Island

Mum and Dad's Week In Melbourne - Saturday 18th January 2014

I can't believe a week has gone by already since mum and dad arrived but we have been out and about lots and I've been keeping them busy!

On Monday we went to the Australian Open for a day of tennis and we even got to support and cheer on our own Brits Laura Robson and Heather Watson. It was a very warm day and even when we got there at 10 am we could already feel the effects of the heat and were already sweating. First we went to watch Laura Robson take on the 18th seed but she didn't perform as well as we'd hoped and she lost in 3 straight sets; it was still good to watch her though. We then were able to jump to across to one of the other courts to watch our other Brit Heather Watson, who was 1 set down, take on the 33rd seed. It was a great game to watch and she looked very promising winning the second set and taking it to a third set thriller of which she ended up loosing. Not only did we have great tennis in this match but also good crowd entertainment from the Aussie fans who started a Mexican wave, controlling the speed of the wave and getting a super slow mo one going, which everyone found highly entertaining. In the afternoon we watched some men's tennis which was great to see, before the heat finally hit us and become too much and it was time to head home.

For pictures from the Australian Open Click Here - Australian Open

On Tuesday the weather was even hotter hitting above 40 and I don't think mum and dad were quite ready for what hit them. Because it was so hot we decided to head down to St Kilda to the beach for a bit and we were all very much looking forward to a refreshing dip in the sea, which was as expected - heavenly!!! After an hour or so we went for a little stroll in St Kilda (just down the main street - it's too hot to walk too far) and had a drink and ice cream to guess what ... cool down! In the evening Darc came over and we went out for dinner at our fav place - Chin Chin's (I had promised mum and dad we would go because it was so good last time). As expected we had an hour wait again, so we went to fed square where we had a drink in Transport bar before having another delicious dinner (courtesy of Darcy) which was enjoyed by all! After dinner I took mum and dad for their first trip down Southbank on our way to Crown Casino. They couldn't believe the size of the Casino and mum had great fun on the slot machines winning 20 bucks while I once again had another huge cocktail and this time lost money on blackjack (it was obviously beginners and birthday luck on my 21st), with Darc doubling his money! It was a really lovely evening and was nice for mum and dad to properly meet Darc!

For pictures of our day and evening Click Here - St Kilda Beach and Evening in the City

On Wednesday it was another 40+ day and me and mum had a fairly relaxing morning just chilling out in the apartment whilst dad went to play a game of golf at Albert Park, which we could see him on the 18th hole from my apartment. In the afternoon we headed into the city to Bourke street where we went in a few shops and I took them into the big department stores of Myer and David Jones before heading up to Queen Victoria Night Market. Dad loved the night market because it was full of loads of little traditional market stalls and then loads of different foods stalls which had different foods from all over the world. We had a couple of different dishes between us to try which were all good, but safe to say I will be going back to try some of the other food!

For pictures of the night market Click Here - Queen Vic Night Market

On Thursday it was our third consecutive day of over 40 degrees and it was a clear day which made it a great day for going up the Eureka Skydeck. We had amazing views up there and could see out across Victoria and it was impressive to go up and see Melbourne during the day (I had already done the Eureka of an evening). After this we went to meet Sue for a drink before we went to DFO on Southwarf (outlet shopping centre) to spend some money. After we dragged dad around and he had had enough and was bored, we headed to Southbank and sat outside with a jug of pimms, watching the tennis - I think it's compulsory in 40 degree heat! The pimms went down a treat and not surprisingly, me and mum demolished the jug in no time!!!

For pictures from the Eureka Skydeck Click Here - Eureka Skydeck

In the morning yesterday we went for a walk in another day of 40+ heat to the Shrine of Remembrance which is a memorial site for those that died in World War 1. While we were in there we saw a replica of the light display which occurs on remembrance day, where the sun ray moves across the memorial plaque and then we went up to the viewing balcony where we got a great view of the city (although it was a little hazy). We then headed into the Botanical Gardens to sit in the tea rooms by the lake to enjoy a nice cold milkshake before we shot home to grab our stuff to head to Sue's for the evening where we had a lovely evening catching up over a takeaway and wine.

For pictures from the Shrine of Remembrance Click Here - Shrine Of Remembrance

Today the cool change we were told to expect came, meaning the temperature dropped to 23 degrees, which was a bit of a relief. We have had a very lazy day at Sues watching some of the tennis and soon we will be heading back to the city for a lazy evening and to pack and prepare for the next week when we are heading to Phillip Island and Great Ocean Road.

So until then my friends, 

xoxo

Mum & Dad Arrive In Australia & ODI Cricket Eng vs. Aus - Sunday 12th January 2014

On Friday I was pretty excited because after nearly 6 months, it was the day I was going to be reunited with mum and dad! They weren't arriving until 12 am Saturday morning, so I had some time to kill during the day but I had to go into work anyway to complete Andy's study with a VO2 max and then needed to tidy the apartment for their arrival. The VO2 max (where you find out your maximal oxygen uptake - basically exercising at your "maximum", for those of you that don't know) only took around 10 minutes to complete as the workload increases each minute and very quickly progresses to a hard work rate which is difficult to sustain.

I found it a little annoying because it didn't really feel like my maximum as my legs seemed to give up and not able to push the high work load rather than actually having to stop because of fatigue, but I still managed a VO2 of around 42 ml/kg/min which isn't bad I guess. When I got home I spent the afternoon and evening just chilling out, tidying the apartment and viewing an amazing sunset while waiting for the text to go to meet mum and dad!

It wasn't until 12 am that dad text to say they were here, through security and customs and on the bus heading to the city and I was straight up and out to go and meet them. It was sooooo good to see them and we were all a little teary as we exchanged hugs outside the station. As they arrived so late we headed straight back to the apartment where they unpacked a few bits while we had a bit of a catch up before heading to bed.

On Saturday we all had a bit of a lay in, especially after a late night on the Friday, and had a pretty lazy day. We went out around lunch time to go and get some food shopping but before that I thought it was essential I took them to a slightly more important shop - Dan Murphy's, a huge liquor shop!!! I think they both had a bit of field day in there, as did I the first time of heading into the shop, finding it unbelievable how many different varieties of wine there were and of course we brought a couple of bottles for the evening. After a bit of a struggling trek back to the apartment carrying a large amount of shopping and wine we had a quick snack and went out on another walk. After a very long 30 hour journey out the day before the last thing mum and dad wanted to be doing was sitting down! I took them to Albert Park lake which can be viewed from my balcony and then into the Botanical gardens for a little wander and it was a sunny and fairly warm day so ended up being a nice walk. Jas also returned from her 3 week New Zealand trip during the day and in the evening we all happily opened up the wine and had a Saturday night in with nachos, fajitas and a good catch up!

Today we were heading off to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) to see a one day international cricket match between England and Australia where we were hoping England were going to pull out a better performance than they did in the Ashes, especially as we were going with Darcy the Aussie and I didn't want him to have any more reason to give us stick!!! The cricket didn't start until 2.30 pm and by the time we got there we missed the first couple of overs of England batting and not surprisingly we also missed the first wicket - good start, good start!!! It was a very sunny and warm day sitting in the MCG, which made great weather for watching the cricket with beer and it was an enjoyable day. England didn't seem to start off that well and it seemed like we was going to have a very short day, however they managed to reach the end of the 50 overs with a score of 270. When it came to fielding however, they were terrible and Australia from the start were clearly going to win - which they did! Because Australia batted so well it kind of made the cricket a little less interesting but entertainment was provided in other forms of the crowds where a lot of banter was being thrown around and led to amusement in the form of people getting kicked out, but going out in style, which again provided more entertainment! You can't beat the nutty Aussie fans! By the time we got home around 11ish we were all a little red and very tired and crashed very quickly, especially knowing we had another big day tomorrow going to the Australian Open to support our very own Laura Robson and Heather Watson!

For pictures of Mum and Dad's first couple of days in Melbourne Click Here - Mum and Dad Arrive In Melbourne & ODI Cricket Eng vs. Aus