diary21

Spent the evening with Chris, his girlfriend Tanya and a friend Paul. Walked back to the town in the rain after the bbq, and spent the rest of the night and early hours in a huge pub! They all stay open really late out here, but I guess we have to get used to that for when we get back to England!!

7th Jan 2006
After a much needed lie-in w realised the sun was out so we went to Manly Beach. Stopped to chat to Chris who was competing in a sea surf rescue rowing competition thing!!! Terry boogie boarded for a couple of hours and managed to lose his fish hook necklace - surf really rough! Then the rain came down and the beach got deserted - ran back to the hostel and showered, then popped into town to get some lunch, by which time the sun was out again!! Spent the rest of the afternoon watching a day/night cricket match betwen Manly and Parramatta. There was a $500 cash prize for anyone in the crowd that caught a 'six' - Terry waited in vain as nobody hit a 'six', apart from the kids playing in front of the stand!! Manly won easily and just as they did the heavens opened again so we ot drenched walking 'home'!!

8th Jan 2006
Another lie-in!! Left the hostel at midday and walked the 10km Manly Scenic Walkway - Manly to Spit Bridge. Hot work, but well worth it for the views, especially from Dobroyd Head where you could see Manly to the left, the entrance to the harbour between North and South Head and the start of the city to the right. Took the track down to Grotto Point where there was a tiny lighthouse, more like a small church. Cooled off in the water along Sandy Bay for a while and then continued to Spit Bridge where we caught a bus back to Manly. Terry cooked what looked and smelt like a lovely curry, but it was far too hot for me!!! Went for a stroll along the promenade and could see a huge church like building lit up on the hill - looked beautiful!

9th Jan 2006
Yet another lie-in - must be the weather and relaxed atmosphere here, we just can't drag ourselves out of bed!!! Made it to the beach by 2pm (no.... we weren't in bed that long, we used the internet first!!)! Terry took a boogie board again, playing in the surf - far too many waves and strong currents for me, I had to just top up the tan until the clouds came over again! Had dinner along the front and while we were waiting for our food, there was an air raid siren and a lifeguard came over the tannoy system warning of 2 sharks in the water! Terry jumped up and went to have a look, but couldn't see anything. A lot of the surfers had got out and were lined up on the waters edge watching and waiting, but a lot of them didn't get out - stupid!!! After dinner we sat on the promenade coolong off in the sea breeze. I went for a walk up the hill to see the 'church' that had been lit up the night before, but it was a new block of apartments up for sale - bit like Clements Park! Looked very nice though and there were loads of other nice houses up there with fantastic views, shame they're all on top of one another! Went back to Terry and we strolled round to Shelly beach and up to the headland, before heading back for an early night as we have to be up at 5am to go fishing with Chris!!!!

10th Jan 2006
Alarm went off, didn't want to get up, then got a text from Chris saying it was cancelled because the weather was no good........ thank Goodness for that!!!!! So..... after another lie-in (!!!!) we went back to Manly beach - very hot and sticky today, beach packed and Terry said the current was really bad. He had to help a little boy who was part of the surf school - he'd drifted into the dangerous area and didn't have the strength to hold on to his board or get back to shore! Went for a walk along the beach front when it got dark to cool down in the cool breeze, but relunctantly had to head back to the oven which is our room - have juggled fans, opened and closed windows, door and blinds, but nothing cools it down!!

11th Jan 2006
We are officially sad!! Got the bus to Palm Beach where they film Home & Away. Saw the surf club and the swimming pool and of course the sand dunes down to the beach! Only saw the harbour side of Palm Beach from the bus, but looked very nice. Posh area - apparently where all the stars live. Back in the oven there was a brilliant thunderstorm after dinner!!

12th Jan 2006
Overcast when we woke up, so we decided to walk out to North Head. Still extremely hot though, so misjudged that a bit. Walked to the end of the driveway and then back to Spring Cove, where there was a tiny beach - deserted - so we had a paddle to cool off and sat chatting for a while. Then walked around Manly Cove to the Wharf where there were loads of dinghies going out for what must have been a race. Went back to the hostel and vegged until it got a little cooler to go out for something to eat. Then ended up in The Steyne Bar till gone 1am again, chatting to a local orignally from New Zealand - he was slightly worse for wear - had only popped in for one drink at 4pm - that's Aussies for you!!!

13th Jan 2006
Friday the 13th - unlucky for some - unlucky for us.... Left Manly and caught the ferry back to Circular Quay in the City. Found somewhere to stay the night, dumped our bags and headed back to the Harbour Bridge to climb the pylon for the great views at the top - or at least they would have been if it wasn't drizzling with rain!! Our last chance for a picture of the Opera House with a blue sky was thwarted!! Inside the pylon there's a museum about how the bridge was designed and built. We went back to Chinatown for dinner and then back to the Opera House after dark to see it lit up - beautiful - the bridge, the city, all lit up, and luckily Terry fiddled with the camera and found another setting so he managed to get some excellent photos. Walked round the Opera House and it was much bigger up close than it looks from across the Quay, also much more impressive at night!

14th Jan 2006
Left the city (of course the sun's out today) and got a bus to Coogee, just down from Bondi. Not much choice of places to stay - ended up in a dorm! Then hit the beach, with frequent dips in the sea as it was so hot! Andy & Mel came down to meet us (haven't seen them since Bolivia) and the day went quickly discussing South America. After changing we carried on talking late into the night at the busy bar in Coogee. Sitting outside talking in the early hours of the morning, a bloke that we bumped into a few times in South America just happened to walk past - small world!!!

15th Jan 2006
Overcast day, so stayed in our room (moved out of the dorm) relaxing and recovering from the night before! Went to the house that Andy&Mel were house sitting for a bbq that night - gorgeous house with pool table and bar - had shrimps on the barbie - first time in Oz!!!