Christmas & Boxing Day

Well Christmas has just passed, I started the celebrations on Christmas Eve at the Soho nightclub, the club is diagonally across from the hostel. The club is quite an upmarket; it started fairly quietly with one floor open then at about midnight 900 people turned up who had been on Christmas Eve “all you can drink” Harbour cruise. The club then opened up in to 5 floors and was pretty cool, apart from mirrors were everywhere which didn’t help after a few drinks! I lasted until 2:30 then called it a day, the club was open until 6AM I think.

Christmas day I got up about 10AM and had just had a shower when my Mum & Sister phoned me to wish me a happy Christmas, a good start to the day! I opened my pressies from my mum & Sister which made it feel more like Christmas (it was 30 deg+).
The hostel put a Christmas lunch on at 12:30, so we had some festive drinks (Tooheys Beer) prior and a couple of lads (Rich & Kev) broke open bottles of Port. You might notice Kev who had got a handlebar moustache as part of a bet!

Des one of the hostel workers is Maori, so the Christmas buffet was started with a Maori chant. The food was good and was a great effort by the hostel but didn’t match up to a home cooked Christmas Dinner.

After the Buffet a lot of the hostel went to the beach, some went to Bronte Beach and about 15 off us went to Bondi. Bondi had an alcohol ban on, but it was very lax, they had 2 people checking bags at entrances for the whole beach – everyone just popped bags over the rails!

We were at the beach for about 4 hours, it has to be said it’s strange (but good) to be swimming in the sea on Christmas day!

After the beach everybody was knackered so the evening was pretty non-descript, I was in bed at about 11.

On Boxing Day the prestigious Sydney – Hobart yacht race starts and we were advised it was a good spectacle to watch. We therefore walked from the hostel to Macleay’s point (about 15-20 mins) to watch all the boats sail past, unfortunately the boats set of from Watson’s Bay which was further up the Harbour, and therefore we saw absolutely nothing!
In the evening we all went to a local pub “the Goldfish Bowl” which has a Pizza & Pool night, a few Schooners (Sydney’s version of a pint – about ¾) were drunk.

Well just New Years Eve Left now, I’m hoping I can get a good spot for the fireworks!

Speak (actually blog) to you all soon!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone, hope you are all well.

Its been really good weather here recently so it doesn’t feel to much like Christmas, apparently its going to be 38 deg. C on Christmas Eve and 28 Deg.C on Christmas Day
My mum & Sister have sent me some presents over which were a really nice surprise. I’ve just about managed not to open them early!

I’ve been working for the last couple of weeks fitting mobile shelving, the boss is pommie from Leek – it’s a small world. Its been quite good as the jobs are all around the city so you get to see a lot when traveling, I’ve also been driving a Ute about, and went up to Newcastle (about 2.5 hours up the coast (about a millimeter on the map) which was a good scenic drive. Its like been in America, everything has massive engines, my lowly Ute has got a 4.5 litre engine!
I know a few of you will be amazed to know that I’ve been starting work at 6:30 ish in the morning!

I’m still in the same hostel (Original Backpackers) and am booked up until January the 2nd. The hostel is good as there is something to do every night (Normally including free beer) if you want, although it’s been fairly early nights getting up at 6:30. Although the hostel is good I’m looking forward to moving in January, I’ve been hanging on to be here for the New Year. I am either going to do a surfing safari to Byron Bay (up the coast towards Brisbane) or go down to Melbourne. However my boss Simon has a bog job lined up from the 9th-15th January, so I may stay back for that but still move out to Bondi/Coogee/City Center and leave on the 16th.

You might be interested to know what I’ve planned for Christmas & New Year - Nothing at the moment, really I do have a slight plan. For Christmas Day the Hostel is having a Christmas lunch, their will be about 100 people so it should be quite lively. After the meal I think I’ll probably go to one of the beaches. For new year I’m going to go down to the botanical gardens which are next to the Opera house & harbor bridge, apparently you need to be their at about 10AM to get a spot. I've read in the newspaper that the celebrations start at 1 PM with various events like sky writing & things on boats. At 9pm their is a family firework show and one at midnight. The bridge has a massive frame on it in the shape of a heart which apparently will light up. After the fireworks the main streets are apparently closed, so you can walk about. Some of the people at the hostel have moved out in to flats now, so maybe their maybe a house party or two.

As for what I’ve been up to recently (apart from working), I’ve been mainly been at the beaches, a couple of weeks ago our hostel and another went to Bronte beach which is just above Bondi. It was really good as their was a grassy area behind it with barbecues so we had loads of food & chilled out (playing the mandatory 500+ games of cards) and played Frisbee.
Last weekend I was working Saturday morning then I went to Bondi beach which is 1 stop away on the train and a short bus ride away (about 20-30 mins all in). Sunday went to Manly beach with a Dutch guy Bart, it takes about an hour from Circular Quay. It’s a lovely town and the beach is great but once you’ve got a train to Circular Quay, then the ferry then walked to the beach it’s a bit long.

Saturday night myself, 2 Dutch guys (Bart & Paul) & a Kiwi (Jason went out in Oxford Street (photos on the web – Paul in Green tee-shirt, Bart in orange, Jason with small Goti beard). It was a good night, quite a few bars and ended up in a electro/funk night club which Paul wanted to go to, me and Jason left quite soon as we were not as energetic as the Dutch guys (them been 20, us been slightly older!). I’ve also visited Luna Park which can best be described as a slice of Blackpool put slap bang next to the harbor Bridge, it’s just a few dodgy fair ground rides and is an eyesore.

The most memorable event this week was trying desperately (no shame!) to get on GMTV, they were broadcasting Christmas messages and me Chris & Jo were in the crowd. When they panned round we were jumping up and down. I stood next to someone who had a small child on their shoulders as I thought they’d definitely be in shot! I think my mum was probably really pleased me phoning here at about 6am to tell her to watch GMTV, although I think she did phone my sister.

Well I think that’s all, just hope you all have a great Christmas & New Year; and think of poor old me sat on the beach!!!

Waste of Space

Sorry I'm not been very up to date with this blog, I'm now desperately trying to remember what I've been doing! I went out last night so my brain is not working at its full capacity.

I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know the weather was bad to start with, we had a lot of tropical style rainstorms with lightning. However this week has been really good its been around 27-30 deg.C and we had a one off day at 39 deg.C which was a little hot for me.

I've been to the Maritime Museum which was good, they had destroyers and a sub their, I had to push a few children away to get my photo in the captains chair! (only joking)

I bought a travel pass for $40 which means I can travel on bus/underground & ferries for a week (top tip Hayley!), I took a ferry Parramatta not realising it took about an hour. Paramatta is apparently Sydneys 2nd largest district, unfortunately as I hadn't done any research I only had an hour their because the last ferry left an hour after I arrived! Well I've got plenty time to go back.

I've started looking for a job now and have done a couple of courses, to serve alcohol you have to have a RSA certificate (Responsible service of Alcohol) so that took a day. Another day was taken been told about occupational health & safety which is required for general work & construction work, its commonly called a greencard but the course is titled the white card (that's Australians for you).

Apart from the above not been up to much, just been walking round the city taking in the sights and hopping on and off ferries.

Well hope everybody is doing fine, hopefully I'll update this blog a bit quicker next time!