Port Macqurie

Well folks, we are back on the move and back on our long coach journeys, our route between Sydney and Brisbane is 17.5 hours long so we decided to break it up with a number of stops along the way, first of which was at a small beach town of Port Macqurie. It is famous for have a collection of 9 different beaches, despite this we didnt spend any time on the beach! We were staying in back packers accomdation within a holiday park and right outside our door was the swimming pool, so instead we made use of that. On our first afternoon there we just relaxed after our journey around the pool and the weather was very muggy! When we woke up the next day we had the same sort of weather so we packed up our bag and decided to walk around some of the headland to see the different beaches which were really spectacular with waves crashing into the rocks. Halfway round it decided, for the first time in months to chuck it down in a huge two hour long shower! by the time we reached our destination we were soaked through! Our destination was the local Koala Hospital where we got to walk around all the Koalas that had been rescued from various places and read their stories, and a bonus for us (not so much the Koala) was that there was an operation in progress which we were able to watch. After a good hour there we headed back when the rain had eased up and walked back through the town and treated our selves to some really good pancakes! On our second full day at the holiday park, the rain had cleared and we were back to what we new best, the hot swealtering sun. Just through town was a huge Nature reserve and creek area, as we were yet to do any proper bush walking we though this would be a perfect chance. It was amzing to see the quick change from built up areas to peacefull, calm wildlife with vast amounts of water and crazy specicies of wildlife. Whilst we walked round the creek we came across different sizes of lizards, Kookaburras, Bugs of all shapes and sizes and some crabs and fish. We spent a few hours exploring and then quickly headed back for some sun bathing around the pool, it had been a whole day since we had seen the sun! Our check out day happened to fall on Australia day which is just a celebration of the country so while there were all sorts of festivities going on in the town we were packing up and having one last swim before we wandered into town to catch our bus up the coast. For our first stop it was a really really good choice everybody was helpful and friendly.

Sydney

Sydney is one of the best cities in the world that either of us have been to. It really was spectacular. We had seen the bridge and the Opera House in pictures and on T.V and we didn't think we would find it as breath taking as we did. Both are truely magnificent and really impressive, we couldn't take our eyes off the view across the harbour directly opposite the bridge and Opera House. The Opera House is very grand and is so amazing. It captures and represents Sydney in so many ways being modern, grand, unique and defined. So as you may all guess we were very taken by the city and loved savouring the atmosphere on aimless walks by the harbour. We were very lucky to have been taken in by Kayleigh and Todd, Barry knows Kayleigh from home, and they put us up (or should I phrase that put up with us!) for the weeks were in Sydney and we had such a great time and very much enjoyed their company. After many days exploring the city, we turned our attentions to the many beaches in and around Syndey-including Bondi beach which definately lived up to it's reputation of best beach! Many of you may already know we spent a day at Palm beach AKA Summer Bay! It was such a nice place and we had lunch at Alf Stewarts Surf Club-we have snaps to prove it!! The sea is incredible with such powerful waves that Barry spends hours in getting smashed around and if I can make it out passed knee deep without being floored then the waves are emense to swim in! Of course we spent a day at Olympic Park which was brilliant too. We managed to blag our way onto an explicit stadium tour for half price and it was so good. We got to see all the VIP areas, changing rooms and warm up rooms, how the stadium seats move and change the size and shape of the pitch and also the water structure that Kathy Freeman lit with the torch on the opening night of the 2000 Olympic games. We have seriously loved our time in Sydney and can't wait to go back to enjoy a few more days in such an awesome city!