Trans-Tasman festivities: Part 2

Our first port of call on arrival in Sydney was, perhaps surprisingly, Wollongong, a town an hour or so South of Sydney on the coast. Greg's uncle Lee and family live here, and brought us up to speed on the various spiders and snakes resident in the area (their back yard).

South of Sydney on the drive to Wollongong

Though fearing every step might be our last, we went with Greg's cousin to the Wollongong waterfront/beach for ice cream and to swat away flies, then later with both cousins to 7-Mile Beach, a beautiful almost deserted sweep of sand. After a chilly, cautious dip (no flags to be seen), we tucked into a delicious picnic which showed Aussie food to be the rival of NZ. The evening light through the clouds and sea spray looked mystical.

After we'd exited the beach via a short section of bush, the cousins informed us of the resident pythons that sometimes drop out of the trees. We therefore needed the large drink or three we had with Lee and Pauline back at the house. And gingerly skirted a St Andrew's Cross spider hanging out above the route to our barn-conversion accommodation.

A hot night of spider dreams and a delicious fry-up later, we were chugging back to Sydney on the train (which cost a mere $5 and you could use your Opal card on it). We headed straight to Bondi Beach, cunningly dropped our bags in the Westfield shopping centre ("we're here from the UK to do some shopping") and headed for the surf. Bondi and its ocean swimming pool deck were chock full of very tanned people getting browner, so we took some photos and scurried southwards on the Bondi-to-Coogee walk. Lots of others had had the same idea, but we enjoyed the unusually shaped sandstone cliffs,crashing waves and extensive people-watching opportunities. 

At Coogee Beach we met my old uni friend Rob, who'd flown down from Cairns, and we all enjoyed a wave-jumping swim, noting the shark patrol jet ski enthusiastically. The five of us headed back to settle into our accommodation at Sydney University, St Andrew's college. Which was basically an Oxbridge college with a Scottish theme, extending to great insulation, no fans, no air con and no breezy aspects.

Excitement builds on the train

Perspiring, we met for NYE pre-drinks in our room, cracking open Becky and Greg's gift of unusual fizzy red wine (v nice) and the port we'd bought from our Northland tasting. As we chugged over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the evening light, jumping around the windows like tourists, the excitement began to build - we were ready for LUNA PARK.

Luna Park is a sort of glorified permanent fairground, or old-school mediocre theme park. For NYE it is an inspired choice - affordable tickets, free rides all night, fun music outside and in a huge DJ tent, a boardwalk next to the bridge and affordable unfussy drinks. It even had a little van selling frozen margaritas! (The rest were unfussy).

Ferris wheel view

 We enjoyed the atmosphere for a while, then aimed for the big ferris wheel. As planned, we hopped on just before 9pm and therefore had the best view in town (arguably) of the early fireworks on the bridge and barges. The wheel even stopped at the peak of the fireworks with us in perfect line with the bridge. 

Rog, Dora and Rob on the ferris wheel

Dizzy with glee and fumes, we had a frozen margarita and went on the dodgems, then picked up some drinks and food to head out and claim our spot on the boardwalk. A few surges forward as the early birds stood up gave us (in our opinion) another best view in town (in Luna Park). The fireworks were excellent, if deconstructed because we weren't in front of the bridge ($500 a ticket) but I think the excitement of being able to see three separate barges and the proximity of our next fairground ride made up for that. And we saw the golden waterfall thingy off the bridge, so.

After the fireworks we went on a ride called Wild Mouse which was built in 1963 and hadn't aged a day. It consisted of a little two-person cart on rails, which careered round an elevated route with brilliant views over the harbour which we entirely missed on account of being terrified of falling off on the corners. Somewhat hysterical, we meandered to the DJ 'Big Top' for a final hour of excellent dancing.

Ready for Wild Mouse. Or so we thought.

Rob sensibly departed the hottest room in Sydney for Cairns early the next morning. We aimed for brunch in popular yuppie area Surrey Hills, where in fact only one place was open. Many mushrooms, eggs and halloumi later, we jumped on the train north to central coast, where Becky's uni friends Arisa and Rob now live. We banished our collective hangover with a swim in the sea, a champagne BBQ, frozen yoghurt and crab-watching on the rocks. Becky also completed a life-long goal of throwing a shrimp on a barbie in Australia.

Back in the hottest rooms in Australia, we kept at the chocolate and port, whilst finishing What We Do in the Shadows and murdering a host of mosquitoes.

Harbour Bridge from the Opera House

Opera House from the Harbour Bridge

The next day we were true tourists: we went on the Sydney Opera House tour (did you know the white/off-white tiles are Swedish and self-cleaning?), wandered round the "old town" The Rocks, studied the construction of the Bridge inside one of its pylons and walked round to Mrs Macquarie's point. We played where-would-we-have-sat-if-we-watched-NYE-from-here.

Mrs Macquarie's Seat - Opera House and Bridge together!

Then to the Gallery of NSW for the Aboriginal art gallery and lunch with sugar-addicted parrots, to Wooloomooloo finger wharf to marvel at its architectural and interior cool-ness, and to the ANZAC Memorial for a moment of reflection. 

We went to bed later, exhausted, but not from the above. It was a long, tough, physical and abstract escape room that took it out of us, involving a big back story down a mine and a twist at the end where Roger saved all of us and sacrificed himself, which meant we won! And also we finished the puzzles in time.

Our final day merited a final, big brunch followed by a cocktail up the Sydney Tower at its 360 revolving bar. We also saw the most beautiful family in the world, which was disconcerting and mesmerising for us all. We said goodbye at Darling Harbour, then Roger and I came full circle on our trip by visiting the Spiders exhibition at the Australian Museum. 

We said goodbye again to Grecky in the airport, after their flight was delayed, and they super-generously gave us their compensation food tickets. True friend-love.

Back to Welly, back to work...