Year 1, Week 1, Day 1

1st - 2nd September 2012

After arriving at Sydney airport me and my new friend Jess met Brandon, an inquisitive Canadian who we had met on facebook, and we got the shuttle bus to our hostel - WakeUp. We couldn't check in until 2pm but we were allowed to have a shower so we did and then we headed out to explore Sydney for the first time.

I finally got to see the things I'd been dreaming about for ages and working my arse off for 2 years for! The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge! I thought I would be more excited to see them but I think because I was so tired it was a little underwhelming.

the coat-hanger

Sydney Opera House (just in case you didn't know!)

We ate some breakfast in a little cafe right on the harbour where we met Soph, Hollie and Adam who were also on our intro week. Apparently the aussies don't really do the full english and if they do its missing the always missing the hash browns and the sausages!

We had a little walk around the Opera House and the Harbour before went back to hostel to get some much needed rest. The hostel was good. Clean with good kitchen and bathroom facilities but expensive for what it was, which was a theme we found in Sydney. Its expensive here!

The first person I met in hostel was a guy from Germany. Here I was all excited at the possibilities in front of me and there he was moaning he was fed up and can't be bothered anymore and wants to go home. Not the best start for me then! We all managed to get into the same room which was cool. We also met Mark and Shelly (a couple from Burnley (definitely Burnley not Blackburn!)), Angela and Kelly and we all went for pizza.

I had to check it was real

My first aussie pals - Jess, Soph, Adam, Brandon and Hollie

The building Tom Cruise abseiled into in Mission Impossible 2

Day 2 was much more exciting. Slightly refreshed (jet lag is a bitch), we were ready to explore Sydney properly. Hollie and I, decided we would take the scenic route to the Harbour and what a scenic route it is. Sydney seems so picturesque. Even the skyscrapers look magnificent against the bright blue sky. We walked through Hyde Park past Anzac Memorial and through the Botanic Gardens. We saw this bird and thought it was really exotic but we find out later it is effectively the flying rat of Sydney so that was a bit less exciting. Even on the other side of the world there are bloody pigeons as well!

Not so exotic flying rat

Anzac Memorial

We went in the Anzac memorial. It was basically a round room with a statue in the middle which looked out onto the 'Lake of Reflections'. It also had a side room with a little war museum with a cinema room playing a video about the help Australia gave during the second world war. Just outside was a plaque saying

ANZAC MEMORIAL

This memorial is sacred to the memory of all who have served in war

Let silent contemplation be your offering

Hollie at Archibald Fountain

We were suprised by the amount of homeless people there were in the park and in all of Sydney. There were quite a few sleeping on benches around the park.

Sydney Tower

We saw a big church opposite the park called St Mary's Cathedral. We thought we would go in and have a quick look around but when we went through the doors we found they were in the middle of mass so we quickly left. There were two women just outside the door welcoming people in and they just laughed at us!

The best view in the city (where I plan to spend new year)

Sat staring at the Bridge and Opera House and being more refreshed than the day before it finally hit me. I'M IN AUSTRALIA!!! Finally! and i'm incredibly excited!!! Not underwhelmed today! The picture was taken near Mrs Macquaries chair on Mrs Macquaries point at the end of Mrs Macquaries road. No idea who she is!

Sydney skyline

Do I look excited?

We went back to the hostel and with Mark, Shelly, Angela and Kelly we took a bus down to Bondi Beach. I'd seen it so many times on Bondi Rescue and I couldn't believe I was stood on actual Bondi frikin Beach! The sea was freezing so we didn't go in and the beach wasn't even that warm but it was nice just to chill on an Aussie beach.

BONDI!!!

Angela, Kelly, Mark, Shelly and me

The lifeguard tower off the TV!

That was the first weekend in Australian and it was soooo good but the adventure hadn't really started yet. That was on Monday on the first day of our Ulitmate Oz package.

Im on my way

What a journey! So epically long and exhausting but totatlly worth it!

I left my house at 11am Thursday 30th August 2012 to embark on the biggest and scariest adventure of my life. I'm told it will be the best thing I have ever done and I will return a different person. I will have to wait and see of that's true but it was very VERY exciting!

The first leg of my journey was from Manchester airport to Heathrow on the smallest plane I've ever been on. Only 60 people can fit on it and it was only a third full.

My diddy little plane from Manchester

It was a nice surprise when we seemed to do a loop over central London. We were surprisingly low down aswell so I did a quick sightseeing tour before landing.

There wasn't a game on

We did a loop right round the wheel

When I got to Heathrow I met up with a girl called Jess who was also doing the UltimateOz intro week. By pure coincidence she ended up sitting just one row behind me. I was sat next to an Aussie couple for Adelaide who were quite chatty. My first Aussie friends! not that I'll see them ever again. Next to Jess was a young english couple, Nick and Hannah, also on their way to Sydney and when we got to Kuala Lumpur after a practically sleepless 12 hour flight we hung out for most of the 5 hour wait. We didn't leave the airport terminal so I cant really say I've seen Kuala Lumpur but the terminal seemed ok. It was shaped like a cross and in the middle there was this round open air space with a small jungle in the middle. I thought it would be nice to get some fresh air but we quickly found that it was not at all fresh, it was extremely humid so we took a few photos and went to find some food.

The middle of the KL airport terminal

Being all adventurous with my travels I decided I would try some new foods. Well what actually happened is that everyone wanted noodles and as Malaysia was so cheap I thought I may as well try the one that had chicken in it! Think it cost me like £2.50. Plus I got some Malaysian money (Ringgits) that can find a hole in the bottom of my bag for a good while.

I cant remember what it was called but its chicken noodels

The exchange rate is awesome!

I was very impressed with the instructions on how to use the toilet. Just in case you didn't know! crazy orientals!

So I boarded my third and final flight on my way to Australia. I had a window seat so I managed to get at least a few hours of sleep but when I woke up and saw this I got extremely excited and couldn't sleep any more.

nearly there!

I landed in Sydney on 1st September 2012 after 36 hours travelling. I was exhausted, I felt disgusting and I looked like something out of a zombie movie but it was 8am on day 1 of Big Aussie Adventure and there was no way I was going to bed!

SYDNEY!