Pretty good flight although didn't sleep very well and turned up in Sydney very tired - ended up at the hostel I stayed in last time I was in Sydney which I didn't like then and I don't like now - we will have to look to change - wandered through the CBD and Kings X as well as down to Circular Quay where you can see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Even though it is 17 deg C here at night we felt really cold having got used to the high humidity in Asia - it is nice to be able to walk around (or even sit around come to that) without sweating.
We both went to meet up with Darren and Sarah who we had met in the Perhintian Islands in Malaysia about six weeks ago - and their friend Simon (Finch) who is an Australian who much to his annoyance keeps getting mistaken for an Englishman. A 'quiet drink or two' turned into a mini tour around Balmain (surburb of Sydney where they live) and we ended up sleeping at Finch's house and struggling back the next day to start looking for work.
When Darren, Sarah and Simon foolishly asked us on Wednesday whether we wanted to go away this weekend to Kosciuscko National Park which we jumped at and it was time for another Road Trip. When asked earlier in the week how far away it was Simon said 'oh not too far' but of course we didn't realise this meant an Ozzie 'not too far' which equates to 6 hours driving !
However this was not a problem and as we set off at 5pm we were all in high spirits and looking forward to seeing somewhere different to Sydney - the journey was broken up by the obligitory fast food stops (after a 1/2 hour discussion about what we would have if we could have any meal right now - (Thai curry/steak/squid etc) which lead us to the eventual conclusion that we were all very hungry and should stop as soon as possible (we ended up at Hungry Jacks which is BK in disguise)) and a giant Merino which has the desired effect of dragging hungry travellers 20km off their route in order to star at a giant plastic sheep (very impressive green glowing eyes).
Arrived at the cabin in Jintabine about 2330 and went for a couple of cheeky drinks at the local pub before retiring - the locals having mutter 'Nazi's' at us in the pub (probably on account of Darren and Dave having shaved heads.....this of course with small town Australia being known for its liberal and open opinons.. !!! All this was lost on me as I was haapily finding five songs on the Jukebox at the time........