Destination Sydney

Friday 12 May

Although a close run thing thanks to rush-hour traffic and a spot of tricksy navigation, we returned the Kiss campervan (our trusty accommodation and transport for the last four weeks)

on the stroke of 10am. A 40-minute taxi ride took us to our budget hotel in the heart of Sydney proper. Here, the lure of a freshly-made queen-sized bed proved too much after some 'difficult' nights in the van, and we both fell straight in and slept soundly until late afternoon.

The promise of a much celebrated 'English-style' pub prompted us to take an unexpectedly long but pleasant walk through town in the evening, but on arrival we were slightly disappointed to be met by a familiar looking range of Australian fizzies... naturally though, we made the best of the situation.

Saturday 13 May

This morning was spent gathering up stuff to send home to the UK, including a couple of decent bottles. We lugged all this to Sydney's main Post Office and were hit with a postage bill for around $120 AUD!

To recover from this financial blow we decided to spend the afternoon taking in Hyde Park, the Botanical Gardens and Sydney Harbour. The day was sunny and warm, perfect for taking snaps of those oh-so-well-known landmarks...

Sharon at the Hyde Park fountain

Some opera house or other

Downtown Sydney, viewed from the harbour

After such a cultural day, we decided to round off with an evening at the cinema; a (very good) thriller called "Inside Man" which played to an audience of around 15 people!

Sunday 14 May

Our last full day in Australia. According to our guide book, a 'must-do' for Sydney is to take the famous ferry to Manly.

The hour's journey across the harbour gave a great opportunity to view the many yachts out on the water

Manly itself is reminiscent of Brighton; a bustling, cosmopilitan seaside resort. Today was Mother's Day in Australia and as such the many restaurants were full at lunchtime, but we found an excellent spot for a terrific fish-and chip lunch. Feeling the need to be virtuous and walk this off, we took the steadily climbing walk through town to scenic North Head which offers panoramic views back towards Sydney.

After a good afternoon's walk, we made our way back to the ferry terminal as the sun began to set, giving another perfect opportunity for some lovely, cliched photos:

In keeping with a recurring theme of this blog, we were determined not to leave Australia without having sampled a decent pint, and salvation was at hand at a pub belonging to the Lord Nelson micro-brewery. Cheers!