Sitting on the dock of the bay

We got to Sydney after a surprisingly easy overnight bus.  I thought it was gonna be hard to sleep and we were gonna be knackered but on advise from our mums, we popped 1/2 a travel sickness pill because they make you drowsy.  Actually got about 8 hours sleep (and no accommodation costs that night!).

We got a taxi to Jo's flat in Glebe and then got the guided tour around the building.  It's a really nice flat and we're so lucky because it's saved us on room, washing, breakfast, internet and some dinner costs!  It's cool to stay in an area where people live rather than inner city youth hostels.   Glebe is excellent and only 20mins bus ride into the centre of the city.  It's got a real Camden kind of vibe to it along with residential friendly safeness. 



So we chilled out for the whole morning and headed into Sydney's Circular Quay to do all the stereotypical sites.  I was a little bowled over about how excited I was to see the bridge and opera house.  It's one of those sites you've seen on the TV all your life and then suddenly you're straight in front of it.  We walked up along the dock until we were directly in front of the bridge, over looking the harbour and the Opera House.  We decided it was most appropriate to have a drink .  Right next to us was this swanky looking restaurant and we thought sod it, how often are we gonna be in the gorgeous sunlight in Sydney?  To add extra swank, we even upgraded to have lunch there!  (which wasn't as much as you think; we had 2 salads, garlic bread, a drink each - £25 altogether.  Not mad expensive considering the area).

Then we had a slow strut up close to the Opera House.  The white sail like structures are scally like a snake.  I didn't much expect that.  It's a lot more solid than I thought it would be.  I imagine soft lighter materials.  You can definitely tell it was built in the 70's.  It a bit gaudy but still quite amazingly big.  I was interested to learn a fact about the bridge too.  When it was built (around the 20's I think) the designer had the foresight to build it with 4 lanes each way despite their being hardly any cars in the country at that time...  So now in 2009 it still has the original design and copes well with the traffic...  Boring or interesting?  Answers on a postcard.

Then it was back to Jo's to cook her dinner to say thank you for having us.  Jo introduced us to an interesting phrase:  Flashpackers.  Not just backpackers, but people who do it a bit more flash.  Not just staying in hostels but not staying in expense hotels.  I quite like it.

We're going to Hunter Valley on Tuesday and then Blue Mountains on Wednesday.  Action packed days for the Flashpackers...