adventures in a new year

So its 2017! happy new year to everyone, been a fun start to the year with the highlights being a day trip to the blue mountains, the new years eve fireworks and a day wandering round Sydney and exploring.

The year got off to a fantastic start, fulfilling a 16 year dream of watching the Sydney harbour new years fireworks (you can see a video I made here: ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/sahom83iqujm3mr/Untit… ) decided to go with a song from the year that i first told myself I would be here for it one day (2000).

Whilst I wouldn't have changed a thing about the fireworks it was extortionately overpriced to do anything in Sydney that night, as it is in most places but when you're paying A$300 (£175, US$218) i would have liked a bit more than a picnic box (which was admittedly nice, but still cold picnic food and a bottle of water) and the opportunity to sit on a patch of grass with a great but still partially obstructed view. Like I said though, I'm glad i did it but it was a one off.

On the 3rd I decided to have a wander round Sydney and get my bearings while Rach returned to work, I was also hoping to buy myself a reasonably priced digital camera so that I can take some better photos and share them with you lovely people. But unfortunately no-where had what i was looking for in stock and nothing in Sydney is reasonably priced so that didn't happen. I did however find some fantastic views including a great bar in darling harbour with reasonably priced Gin and lovely fried prawns for lunch where i spent a little while before walking on and eventually finding Barangaroo reserve which was lovely with a great view of the bridge and some lovely grass to sit on for a few hours a read a book.

That day gave me a good opportunity to re-evaluate my views on Sydney, I do like this place a lot, as i did last time i was here, however its either gotten a lot busier or I have gotten a lot older and grouchy about crowds... I suspect its a combination of the 2. Don't get me wrong its no where near London busy or anything and I do still really like it here but its not quite the idealised picture i had in my head from 11/12 years ago.

The 4th was a fantastic trip up to the blue mountains.. The day started with a trip to Featherdale wildlife park in the north Sydney suburbs which had lots of kangaroos, Wallabies, Koala's, Wombats and Birds. I absolutely adored this Koala that was a) fast asleep (unsurprisingly) but was b) snoring his head off! I've never heard a noise like it i think he may have given me and my dad a run four our money with the racket produced. After a quick stop for lunch in a small town in the lower Blue Mountains we drove on to the aptly named Scenic World for spectacular views from the paths, horizontal, glass bottom cable car, the steep cable car down to the temperate rainforest and the worlds steepest railway back up again afterwards. The whole day was topped off with a short boat ride down from Parramatta into Sydney, under the bridge and into Circular Quay just in time to meet up with Rachel finishing up from work! (video highlights of the day here: ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/t3xkg55h5erelbe/Blue… ) .

Last night was good fun as well, my measure of a good place is always its people and running into a random group last night and being invited back to one of their converted warehouse apartments and partying on their roof until the early hours reminded me why i love the people of Sydney!

Next week I'm picking up a car on Monday lunch time and driving slowly round the coast to Melbourne for Thursday, Rach is flying down on Friday to spend the weekend and I'm driving back up to Sydney on the following Monday.Read more