Oh my word! Am I in Sydney? Hehehehe
So just how long have I been harping on about getting to Australia? Over ten years? And I'm here.
It's weird making a dream come true....
I left New Zealand in high spirits much to the horror of travel companion James from London who I met on the bus on the way to Auckland Airport. He was catching the same Sydney flight as me but instead of getting off in Sunny Sydney he would be continuing for another 20 hours to London, as his 8 month trip was OVER. The poor guy ended up sitting next to me on the flight and we whiled away the 3 hours with good natured banter;
Me- Ooooh bet you cant wait for those cold winter nights!
James - Shut up shut up! You are going to be surrounded by annoying 19 year old backpacker brats! Australias rubbish!
Me- Bombarded by english tv adverts for kids toys and M&S xmas turkeys and the madness madness madness of the xmas shoppers. In the cold. S'cuse me air-hostess can I have another complimentary vodka please hehehe...
Him- Ive heard its raining in Syndey anyway hur!
Me- What like that warm summer rain? Surely not like the horrible minus two rain you get in England at xmas... etc
So, got off the flight in high humour, said goodbye to my brief companion, and hooked up with Rob & Rich of Kiwi Ex who had also arrived on the same flight. We walked out of the airport and I couldnt resist a Scream'esque 'Helloooo Sydney!' and we jumped a cab to the city.
I dropped off the lads on George St and headed to Circular Quay where I would catch the ferry to Manly where a friend of my brother was going to put me up. And standing on the front of the ferry in the hot evening sunshine, I looked at the Harbour Bridge, and then at the Sydney Opera House and I just grinned and grinned. Because I had arrived. And it really is as stunning in real life as it is in the countless pictures and tv images that represent AUSTRALIA. Could it get much better?
Well yes.
As the ferry lazily pulled into Manly I heard 'Les! LES!' and I looked up and saw a geezer with curly black hair and sunglasses standing on the railing waggling a huge sheet of paper with SCOUSE LES? written on it in massive letters. Marcus, a university friend of my brothers and scientist(?) has been living the Aussie Dream for the last 7 years. And he kindly put me up for the first 5 nights in his very swanky condo overlooking Curl Curl Beach (aka Curly Beach). He was a star. And when I got heat stroke the following day due to being very naughty and not drinking any water he made sure I was okay. So Marcus, thanks so much.
So that was just over two weeks ago and Ive been a bit slack so heres the news in briefs...
* Sydney v Melbourne footie game. Hilarious! Met up with Kiwi Ex's Neil & Charlotte, Rich, Rob, Sam Breckon and others. It was brilliant atmosphere made up of mainly ex-pat fans and the Sydney supporters had such inventive terrace chants as 'Walking in a Sydney Wonderland', 'We Hate You Cos Your Victoria!' and the complicated 'Fuck Off Melbourne! Fuck Off Melbourne! Fuck Off Melbourne!' Poor old Melbourne only had about 40 fans sat behind the goal...
* You can get 5 dollar steak here. With mash. And its nice.
* The cockroaches are big around here. As are the mozzie bites on my legs...
* More than one night down Wake Ups Side Bar.
* There are millions of 19 year old Danish backpackers. 7 of which were in my 8 bed dorm. Damn you James! They drove me crazy!
So prompted by this last fact and also by the cost of hosteling in Sydney Ive been flat hunting. Im also on my second run of 'freeloading' by staying with a mate from Leeds, another James, in posh Paddington. The xmas run up has made this search fraught because more than the average amount of backpackers has chosen Sydney for festive celebrations. In the search Ive met a girl/time-twin in the shape of Lucy from Carlise. Same age, went the same university as me at the same year I did and arrived in Sydney a day after myself to work here. We met for one drink, which became two bottles of wine on Darling Harbour, and a night down Oxford St, followed by being hijacked by a load of strangers and taken to a Japanese Kareoke bar, with private room, and enough free Bacardi Breezers to make you sick. And with these strangers we belted out Gwen Stefanis 'Watch you waitin' for?' and danced on the sofas. Lucy is my new Bondi Beach buddy. Which by the way, is smaller than you would think- but very lovely. In fact, I move into a gorgeous flat down there tonight with two charming fellas who'm Im sure you will hear about. I hope beach life is all its cracked up to be... Now, if I could only get a job...
It's weird making a dream come true....
I left New Zealand in high spirits much to the horror of travel companion James from London who I met on the bus on the way to Auckland Airport. He was catching the same Sydney flight as me but instead of getting off in Sunny Sydney he would be continuing for another 20 hours to London, as his 8 month trip was OVER. The poor guy ended up sitting next to me on the flight and we whiled away the 3 hours with good natured banter;
Me- Ooooh bet you cant wait for those cold winter nights!
James - Shut up shut up! You are going to be surrounded by annoying 19 year old backpacker brats! Australias rubbish!
Me- Bombarded by english tv adverts for kids toys and M&S xmas turkeys and the madness madness madness of the xmas shoppers. In the cold. S'cuse me air-hostess can I have another complimentary vodka please hehehe...
Him- Ive heard its raining in Syndey anyway hur!
Me- What like that warm summer rain? Surely not like the horrible minus two rain you get in England at xmas... etc
So, got off the flight in high humour, said goodbye to my brief companion, and hooked up with Rob & Rich of Kiwi Ex who had also arrived on the same flight. We walked out of the airport and I couldnt resist a Scream'esque 'Helloooo Sydney!' and we jumped a cab to the city.
I dropped off the lads on George St and headed to Circular Quay where I would catch the ferry to Manly where a friend of my brother was going to put me up. And standing on the front of the ferry in the hot evening sunshine, I looked at the Harbour Bridge, and then at the Sydney Opera House and I just grinned and grinned. Because I had arrived. And it really is as stunning in real life as it is in the countless pictures and tv images that represent AUSTRALIA. Could it get much better?
Well yes.
As the ferry lazily pulled into Manly I heard 'Les! LES!' and I looked up and saw a geezer with curly black hair and sunglasses standing on the railing waggling a huge sheet of paper with SCOUSE LES? written on it in massive letters. Marcus, a university friend of my brothers and scientist(?) has been living the Aussie Dream for the last 7 years. And he kindly put me up for the first 5 nights in his very swanky condo overlooking Curl Curl Beach (aka Curly Beach). He was a star. And when I got heat stroke the following day due to being very naughty and not drinking any water he made sure I was okay. So Marcus, thanks so much.
So that was just over two weeks ago and Ive been a bit slack so heres the news in briefs...
* Sydney v Melbourne footie game. Hilarious! Met up with Kiwi Ex's Neil & Charlotte, Rich, Rob, Sam Breckon and others. It was brilliant atmosphere made up of mainly ex-pat fans and the Sydney supporters had such inventive terrace chants as 'Walking in a Sydney Wonderland', 'We Hate You Cos Your Victoria!' and the complicated 'Fuck Off Melbourne! Fuck Off Melbourne! Fuck Off Melbourne!' Poor old Melbourne only had about 40 fans sat behind the goal...
* You can get 5 dollar steak here. With mash. And its nice.
* The cockroaches are big around here. As are the mozzie bites on my legs...
* More than one night down Wake Ups Side Bar.
* There are millions of 19 year old Danish backpackers. 7 of which were in my 8 bed dorm. Damn you James! They drove me crazy!
So prompted by this last fact and also by the cost of hosteling in Sydney Ive been flat hunting. Im also on my second run of 'freeloading' by staying with a mate from Leeds, another James, in posh Paddington. The xmas run up has made this search fraught because more than the average amount of backpackers has chosen Sydney for festive celebrations. In the search Ive met a girl/time-twin in the shape of Lucy from Carlise. Same age, went the same university as me at the same year I did and arrived in Sydney a day after myself to work here. We met for one drink, which became two bottles of wine on Darling Harbour, and a night down Oxford St, followed by being hijacked by a load of strangers and taken to a Japanese Kareoke bar, with private room, and enough free Bacardi Breezers to make you sick. And with these strangers we belted out Gwen Stefanis 'Watch you waitin' for?' and danced on the sofas. Lucy is my new Bondi Beach buddy. Which by the way, is smaller than you would think- but very lovely. In fact, I move into a gorgeous flat down there tonight with two charming fellas who'm Im sure you will hear about. I hope beach life is all its cracked up to be... Now, if I could only get a job...
posted by LesAlanos @ 9:22 PM
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