Wednesday 19th November 2014
Goodbye Christchurch New Zealand and hello Sydney Australia!
When I arrived back in NZ last year the plan was to spend one or two months
there maybe three depending on how I felt but pretty soon it was clear I needed
to get a job and get some funds rolling in again before I could take off
adventuring, I set myself one goal to b out of NZ in no more than a year and I have
just managed to achieve that.
Today I once again said goodbye to the country of
my childhood and headed out into the world, first stop Sydney Australia to see
one of my besties Ayla for a week before shipping out to Asia. My flight was in
the afternoon a Qantas/Emirates co-share that had me on a huge plane with a row
to myself, a vegetarian meal and all the movies I could cram into the three ish
hour flight, it made a huge difference to the shoddy budget airlines I’m used
to!
I touched down in Sydney and got the train from the airport to Central
station where Ayla and Charles were waiting for me. We headed to the bus stop
and waited somewhat impatiently for about an hour until we gave up and just got
a taxi to their flat, where we had some munch and Ayla and I settled into a mammoth
catch up session before we hit the hay. Me on the couch with two little fluffy
dogs clambering all over me.
Thursday 20th November 2014
This morning I was up before 6am which in NZ time was only a
bit before 8am so that was ok, soon after Ayla got up as well and we headed to
the apartments gym and had a quick session. Back at the flat and ready for the
day we chopped up a huge salad and had a munch before walking into town.
Aylas
flat is about 20mins walk from the CBD and so we strolled our way into town and
stopped off at Hyde park where we had some more food and sat under a tree reminiscing
about India and getting some weird looks as we chanted jaya Ganesha and banged
invisible drums.
Next stop was the mall so I could grab a sim Card and Ayla
could get changed for work it all took longer than it should have and before
long it was time for Ayla to head to work so off she went on the bus and I explored
solo for a while.
I cruised around Darling Harbour, had a wander through the
Paddies markets and bought a crystal, meandered around Chinatown and then made
my way back to the flat I was pretty impressed with myself that I managed to
get the without getting lost!
Friday 21st November 2014
Today Ayla and Charles both had work all day so I entertained
myself I headed into the CBD with a picnic lunch to check out the botanical
gardens along the way I stopped in the state library and had a nosy at all the
people studying in the big hall and checked out a couple of the free
exhibitions one was about Lynley Dodd (a NZ children’s author) which had a lot
of her early work and original sketches and another photography exhibitions
which was portraits of people of Newtown which was really cool.
Leaving the library I walked back into a wall of heat and
crossed the road into the gardens I spent a good few hours just eating, reading
and listening to music laying on the grass before I started to fall asleep and
so walked about looking at the different parts of the gardens I walked all the
way through and out to Mrs Macquarie’s lookout point which overlooks the
harbour it was a nice shady spot but overrun with several busloads of tourists
so I didn’t stay long.
I walked around the waterfront to the Sydney opera house and
then around again to the Harbour Bridge which I crossed on foot and then turned
around and crossed back. From there I walked back into town and got a train to
Newtown to check out some of the places from the exhibition.
I walked around for a while but by this point I was beginning to fade after walking all day! I got a train back to Central and walked back to the flat from there and made some dinner before long Charles and Ayla got back from work and we all chilled and watched a movie.
In the gardens
Mrs Macquaries look out
Mrs Macquries Chair
Sydney Opera house
Sydney Harbour bride and Opera house on opera house steps
Sydney Harbour bride and Opera house from the water front
Saturday 22nd November 2014
This morning we woke up early and got the ferry across to
Manly as soon as we got there we walked through town and found something to eat
burgers which we took to the beach and ate while being dive bombed by rouge
seagulls. With full belly’s we lathered ourselves in sunscreen and tanning oil
and crisped up for an hour or so before walking the length of the beach an
taking in some littler nippers doing a surf lifesaving comp.
We all felt rather hot and dry so we stopped off for a smoothie
which took an age since Ayla picked a revolting flavour that was basically just
blended spinach! With drinks down us we headed up the coastal path and walked
along it until we came to a wedding we didn’t want to walk through so we turned
around.
Back in town we got the ferry back to circular quay and at
home got ready for a BYO dinner out where we ate loads and ended up dancing in Coles
whilst getting ice-cream to take home to eat while watching a movie which Ayla
and Charles slept through (probably because of boredom as it was the least
scary, scary movie)
Sunday 23rd November 2014
This morning we all slept in and by the time we headed out
for breakfast we had missed that and brunch and had to settle with lunch at a café
around the corner which was amazing! We sat outside in the shady sunlight and
enjoyed practically gourmet food!
With full tummies we waddled to the bus stop and headed to
circular quay to get a ferry to cockatoo island, now days it’s a tourist
attraction but at various times it has served as a prison, a reform school for
girls and most prominently a ship yard. The island is reasonably sized and is
covered in a ton of hollowed out rusting buildings, towering cranes, decrepit machinery
and overgrown train tracks the island would make a great set for a horror movie
and would have been a bit creepy if not for the brilliant blue skies and the
music pumping from the islands marina café.
In the few hours we were on the island we walked through
building and tunnels, up rickety stair cases, explored the cliff tops and got
attacked by aggressive seagulls all before heading back on the ferry.
We got off at Darling Harbour and were just in time to see a
street dance show which was amazing! Just as it finished it began to rain so we
took shelter in a food court and had a beverage stop the rain lasted just long enough
for us to have our refreshments and when we came out it had stopped.
The bus stop was right across from the scientology building which
had two big screens in the window and I learnt more about it than I ever wanted
to needed to know!
Back at the flat we made a huge dinner and chilled out all
evening.
On the Ferry to Cockatoo Island
On the Ferry to Cockatoo Island
Going under Sydney harbour bridge
In a warehouse on the island
out on the docks
View from the clifftops
Monday 24th November 2014
This morning was a bit of a slow start as I sat blog writing
and uploading photos and what not but by 11.30am I was ready to walk out the
door and walk out the door I did right into town to the central train station
where I boarded a train for Bondi junction when I got there the plan was to
walk to the beach but it was so poorly sign posted I gave up and got the bus.
The next few hours passed by with me eating my wee packed
lunch and then slathering myself in tanning oil and rotating sides. Eventually I
moved enough to notice that the sky had turned an ominous grey which soon
changed to a black and then there was thunder and finally lightening and then
pouring pouring rain so I boarded a bus back to the station and thankfully by
the time I arrived in central the rain was done and I could walk home without
getting saturated.
Back at the flat I made some dinner and did some washing
because that’s just how much of a badass I am.
Chilling on the beach
At the view point at Bondi
Tuesday 25th November 2014
Today was the best last day in Sydney that I could have had.
Ayla had the day off work so we got up early and took two buses to the most
northern beach in Sydney, Palm Beach otherwise known as Summer Bay it took
about tw0 hours to get there but the drive was mostly along the coast so the
view the whole way was pretty cool.
We arrived and headed straight to the beach at the life
guard station there was a sign saying “summer bay-the north end of the beach”
so we took off our jandals and took a stroll along the sand as it had been
raining the day before and all night the sand was really sinky and so we walked
along the shoreline where we came across a dead puffer fish in the sand.
Eventually we saw some flags and walked towards them it was
the surf lifesaving club from the road side the building is labelled as the
Palm Beach club but from the beach side as Summer bay it was all closed up but
you can see it’s the outside set from Angelo’s an the surf club, where everyone
gazes moodily out to sea! We took some photos outside and said hello to the
surly old dude manning the merchandise kiosk before continuing on.
We were both starving and I had read online that you can eat
in the café that is the diner so we headed to the other side of the peninsula
in search of it. I was pretty sure that filming for the year would be finished
so imagine my delighted surprise when we got there and they were filming! We
stood and watched a scene between Nate and some new girl I didn’t know (stop watching
for a week and there’s new characters!) when the scene was over we took a photo
with Nate before heading in for some food.
The food was incredible and the staff in there were super
friendly and sitting outside we could see them filming another scene on the
beach this one with Jet and VJ. After we ate we walked along the pier and took some
photos there and in the bait shop then watched another scene with Nate and the
mystery girl again. After that scene they took a break for lunch and we headed
down to the beach to lounge around, it was a cold overcast day but we both
managed to get sunburnt!
When they started up again we watched one more scene between
Matt and VJ before it was time to head to the bus stop and back into the heart
of Sydney. By the time we got back we had time for some food and a shower
before we had to leave the flat to go see Nahko Bear and medicine for the
people, hands down the best show I have ever seen. We got in a about 7.30pm and
Dustin Thomas played the first set neither of us had heard his stuff before but
he was incredible and had an infectious smile and amazing stage presence, he
did a lot of crowd interaction so even though we didn’t know the songs we could
sing along in a call repeat kind of way. Next set was Trever Hall we didn’t
know much of his stuff either but he had a huge following in the crowd and an
absolutely beautiful voice. Then it was time For Nahko Bear, he was brilliant
and I didn’t want the show to end, as well as playing his songs the band and
him had an interesting array of guests come up, at the beginning of the show an
aboriginal guy said a prayer and then during a song he had this chick come out
and dance she was phenomenal, he had a dude come and talk about oil fracking in
Australia and what people could do to get behind the drive to put an end to it
and then during the final song they had a hoop dancer from Cirque De Solei come
out and perform while they played. They night was fantastic the crowd had so
much good energy and the room was full of amazing vibrations. I couldn’t have
asked for a better send off!
After the show we walked back to the flat but I was way too
buzzed to sleep so sat up drinking peppermint tea and eating hummus.
Puffer fish
Summer Bay Surf club
Summer bay beach (Palm Beach)
Home and away filming
Lunch at the Pier Diner
The pier and bait shop
The beach and more filming
