Following a short flight and another random check to see I wasn’t carrying explosives (I must look the dodgy sort) we arrived in Sydney and opted to take a taxi to our hostel to save carrying the bags on public transport.
Arriving late on, we went in search of food and ended up in Pizza Hut, not luxurious but efficient. In the late evening we headed off to the cinema to watch Little Fockers, where although I enjoyed it, Soph managed to fall asleep 20 minutes into it.
The next morning we decided to go for an early run (since we were only 2 minutes from Hyde Park). Having managed to lose each other somehow along the way, we eventually met up half an hour later and then had enjoyed our ‘free continental breakfast.’ Later we visited the botanical gardens to work out where was best for the next evenings’ festivities, and although most of the gardens were going to be shut off, we decided Mrs Macquarie’s chair would be the best option.
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| Soph outside the Opera House and Harbour Bridge |
Having spent a few hours around the gardens as well as the Sydney Opera House in the blazing sun, we headed back to town to get some supplies for the next day as well as cool off. In the evening we decided to do things as cheaply as possible (made even more difficult by the lack of a kitchen of any note at the hostel) and bought a cooked chicken, a carrot (yes, a raw carrot) and some lettuce, and ate it in the park as the sunset over the city.
6.30am…new years eve and it was time to try and get a spot for the night’s main attraction – the end/beginning of years fireworks. Setting off at 7.30 we joined the queue at 8am, bear in mind there were 16 hours to go, there must have been three to four thousand eagerly waiting! Thankfully we had bought a couple of typically Australian hats the day before and decided to christen them as the queue didn’t start to move until 10am. After eventually getting into Mrs Mac’s Chair at 11.30 we managed to find the perfect spot overlooking both the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge!
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| Soph displaying our 'nifty' 8 hours to go sign on our mammoth NYE |
By 2.30pm the whole of our area was full and as the hours passed it became increasingly frustrating as latecomers were attempting to pretty much sit on our laps, much to our annoyance, but fortunately none prospered. As 9pm arrived the first set of fireworks were unleashed; known as the family fireworks so those with young children could leave early, they were particularly impressive considering they were just the warm up. As time continued to pass, people were eventually fitting in around us, and as is always the case, it was the strange people who ended up sitting next to me. First it was an immature Kiwi, well into his twenties who thought it was hilarious to shine a laser pen in people’s eyes. After he moved on it was a scouser, our age, who thought he would spend nearly an hour talking/ boring us about cameras since he had seen our new one and thought a camera discussion would be an appropriate topic to kill the time...I felt like killing something by the end of it!
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| Just one of the many fireworks that night |
At last midnight arrived and Sydney certainly didn’t disappoint. Although we’d waited for 16 hours, of which near enough 12 were static, it was an incredible way to bring in the New Year. Always shown on British TV before new years hit’s home it is easy to understand why it is hyped up so much, definitely well worth the wait!
New Years day…and to start with, we both decided a lye-in was the first order of the day, and it proved to be a good decision as most of the breakfast things were gone apart from the upgrade to a fry up…which was free for the day! Most of the day was spent on the internet planning how we were going to get up the East Coast, especially as more and more was being spoken abut the Queensland floods on the news channels. In the evening we met up with a course mate of Soph’s, Pippa, and headed out to Chinatown for a bite to eat!
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| Me, Soph and Pip at the Chinese Restaurant |
As Sunday arrived we had booked to go on a tour of the Blue Mountains, where we firstly stopped off at the Napean River before heading for the mountains themselves and the 3 sisters (a rock formation within the mountain range). Given that it was such an intensely hot day, we opted for our ‘cool’ Aussie hats again as we set off on a long walk for some incredible views over all of the above as well as the Wentworth Falls. We briefly stopped off for a bite to eat before heading on a couple more stops before we reached the Olympic site from the 2000 Sydney Games, beside the Sydney Harbour.
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| Just hanging out over the Blue Mountains |
Unfortunately for us however, we had to take a boat back to Darling Harbour, which happened to be about a 20 minute walk from our hostel. I know 20 minutes doesn’t sound a lot, but when the heavens decide to open in an almighty fashion and then you take a few wrong turnings, you’ll understand our frustration as the walk turned out to take closer to an hour!
Monday, and the final test was beginning – at this point I was in a dilemma as whether to go to the first day (which was forecast changeable weather) or hold out an go to a few other days. A good decision was made as only 60 of the 90 allocated overs were bowled. Thus, instead of the cricket we decided to go out to Paddy’s Market, where we treated ourselves to ‘genuine Thai massages’ by a couple of Chinese men, really genuine! However, in the afternoon we set off to Bondi beach, where although the weather was overcast, there were still a lot of people surfing. Having witnessed an actual rescue and unfortunately missing out on David Hasselhoff - who happened to be shooting a commercial - we headed off for a couple of hot drinks. At the café we met one of the more racist Australian immigrants as an Israeli woman decided to go on and on about how Princess Diana was killed because she was going to marry a Muslim. Absolutely mad! (I told you I attract weirdo’s)
In the evening we went out to an Italian where although the food was nice, the service was shocking. Obviously letting the manager know about how poor the service had been, we were given exactly nothing off the cost of the meal, which again didn’t go down well! Later that evening me, Soph and a guy from my room went to the casino where only Soph came back with more money… a whole $14!
Tuesday, and we were off to the SCG with Pippa. Having shopped around a few ticket touts, we eventually ended up buying from a Man City fan – the typical image of a ticket tout, dirty, small and bald - some might refer to them as the dregs of society. Pulling the tickets out from his Burberry covered crotch area, we got 3 tickets just to the right of the bowlers arm, great view! Australia resumed on 141-4 and were eventually bowled out as Mitchell Johnson and co helped the tail wag to a respectable 280.
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| The leader of the Barmy Army...Jimmy Saville as they call him! |
England came out and Strauss immediately showed some intent as he rattled to a run a ball fifty before succumbing to his own downfall through a poorly timed stroke to the offside. Trott then departed for his first duck in England whites as England eventually ended the day on 167-3 Not before a bit of fortune for Alastair Cook as he played a rather ill-timed stroke from Michael Beers bowling, only to be caught, however, Billy Bowden called for a replay which showed a no-ball had been bowled, unlucky for Beer who would have scalped his first test wicket, and what a big wicket it turned out to be.
Wednesday, and our first week in Sydney had gone by in a flash! We had decided by this point that we would leave on the Saturday morning as friends who lived just north of Sydney had invited us to stay for a few days, not to mention that the cricket was finishing on the Friday. As for Wednesday, we headed to Manly via a ferry along the Sydney harbour, where we spent a few hours on the beach and Soph just about managed to survive the clattering waves! We headed back following a visit to the local chippy!
Thursday, and yet again, I decided to go to the cricket, whilst Soph and Pippa decided it was too expensive; so we went our separate ways for the day -the girls went on a coastal walk whilst I went to watch a little bit of history.
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| Soph and Pippa at Bondi Beach |
With England resuming on 489-7 a lead of 209 they had the chance of batting themselves into an unassailable lead - the question on the lips of most, how much they could extend that lead to? With a number of lower order batsman over performing on an increasingly easy batting surface, England rallied to 644, a record on Australian soil!
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| I was there! The day England hit their highest Test score on Aussie Soil |
With England on the ascendancy the thing the entire English contingent wanted to see was an innings victory inside 4 days. An event which came even closer to happening following 2 wickets in as many balls from the powerhouse Chris Tremlett, not to mention the Barmy Army’s main target of the summer, Mitchell Johnson going for a first-ball duck! Simply followed by, “he bowls to the left… he bowls to the right…that Mitchell Johnson, his bowling is Shite!” Considering England had Australia rattled and Strauss had opted for the extra half an hour, a dogged innings from Peter Siddle and Steve Smith helped the Aussies avoid defeat and send it into the final day.
As Friday arrived we headed out first thing to the SCG as it was free entry for the day, as England required only 3 wickets for another victory and secure the Ashes. With the SCG coated in red and white, and hundreds of St George’s flags flying high, the atmosphere was immense. The Barmy Army was in full swing, as both me and Soph managed to join in and learn a number of their chants.
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| Me and Soph at Day 5 of the fifth and final Ashes Test |
Following a couple of rain delays England eventually managed to take a hold and dismiss Australia and seal the Ashes in emphatic style!
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| If you look really carefully at the two photos, they are a frame apart as I took a picture of the final wicket to fall |
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| You can see the bails dismounted from the stumps! |
The remainder of the day was spent seeing the remaining sites in Sydney. We went to the Powerhouse Museum and for a walk along the Harbour Bridge, before heading to the Rocks – a fancy young professional area of the city. In the evening we found the ‘Barmy Army Pub’ where having arrived as late as 9pm, the chanting was still as lively as ever, what an incredible day!
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| Us and the crazy Police Impersonator |
Things done:
- Meet an aussie with a proper aussie accent
- See England retain the Ashes for the first time in 24 years
Things still to do:
- Try some goon
- Eat some kangaroo meat
- Throw a boomerang
- Surf some waves
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