Returning to Australia was a strange experience and taught us if nothing else that you can't repeat history! First we flew in to Melbourne from Auckland and checked into our hostel in St Kilda, where we had lived when we were there 3 years ago. We were round the corner from our old flat and the cafe that always did $10 steak on a Thursday still did it so we headed there for dinner.
Many drinks later we headed back to the hostel and a few hours later discovered I had food poisoning! I won't go into detail...Poetic justice to get food poisoning from a place I ate from every Thursday for months then on a weekend long visit I get sick! Anyway we had to get out and get to the Doctor's for malaria tablet and ended up having a wander round the Queen Vic market.
Having spent most of the afternoon looking at digeridoos we decided to buy one that will take pride of place amongst the pan pipes and bongos that Ivor is convincing no-one in believing we actually need. After we'd bought the didgeridoo we headed to St Kilda sea baths an old haunt and chilled in the spa watching tropical St Kilda beach in all it's winter windy and wet glory!
Last day in St Kilda we woke up with hangovers on my 27th birthday and headed to Greasy Joe's for an obligatory fry then it was off to the airport for our flight to Sydney. Arriving in Sydney felt even more strange than arriving in Melbourne, mainly because we figured out that we had flown in an out of the city more than 10 times yet neither of us had seen the harbour before on our flights!
The view from the plane was crystal clear and we flew directly over the houses we used to live in. Staying in Newtown where we had met, we headed into the city to China town for birthday dinner and then a few drinks back in the bars we used to go to. The following day we were up and out to enjoy the sunny weather down at the harbour and take the obligatory snaps then on to Manly.
Once in Manly we ate fish & chips on the beach then caught the ferry back and headed round to Darling Harbour for a few drinks. Finished the day off with a $7 Chinese in China town. Ivor had been tempted to offer this up as my birthday dinner but you can imagine for yourselves the response but we decided after that it still was the best! Next day we thougt we should get some exercise so it was up and out to do the Coogee to Bondi walk!
The Coogee to Bondi walk. Something neither of us had done before and a perfect way to end our few days in Sydney. The walk was brilliant and weather was great. Passing through loads of hidden away beaches and remembering how lucky we were to have lived in such a gorgeous place! Then it was off to Tokyo but not before a call from Qantas to change our flight! Wanting us to take a flight a day later after we were already checking out of the hostel! So it was a polite no from us and a dash to the airport to make sure we got on the flight. As you probably already know by now, we did manage to leave Sydney again!
