Mountains and Sea

Hello again from Sydney again!
Australia is a stranger place. It is the most like England another country could possible feel I think. It is full, well, firstly of us. I work with english people (who all had the same idea), I live with a half english person, I go travelling and meet english people. It is also full of our history, Queen Victoria buildings, Prince Henry Cliff walk, and Queen Elizabeth Road. The coins are stamped boldly with the face of our Queen, and the dollars strangley mimic our pounds and the 50cents are link enlarged 50p hectagons. They even have a national holiday for the birthday of OUR Queen, we don't get that!! My heart warmed a little when I saw that I could take the train to Croydon, which along with many other English place names is immortalized here. It si strange to think on the way past Penrith (lake dist.) or Torquay (Cornwall) that really is what the founders of these places came from and yearned. On the other hand the Australians wear pants, drive on freeways and eat chips out of foil packets so its not quite right. Oh, and the sun shines (one of my favourite bus advertisements here states simply "someone has to look after the English backpackers" It is for suncream). I find it ironic that here we are colloquialy (I would say fondly, but I suspect it is more mocking) referred to as Poms, translated to me as "Prisoners of Mother England". Centuries ago we packed off our convicts here and now the ones are left are all thinking ...dammit, if only my great grandad had been a bit more wayward I could have had all this too!

I am sorry that it has taken so long to update you on things here, just as I thought it was getting boring alot of fun things started happening again! I thought I would let you in on a few of the best bits! The picture opposite is believe it or not the hub of one of the wprlds most succesful, innovative and influential companies: Google. Although you could be forgiven for mistaking it for a children's play area. This here is the "barrier reef room" but there were beaches and jungles galore throughout the building. Still, you can't knock a system that has worked so well, and besides they let guests eat their amazing staff buffet lunches for free :)

A little while later (even if I wanted to tell you exactly I can't quite remember any more) I decided to take a trip to the blue mountains. This was partly because in all the excitement of google's inflatable crocodiles, sailing schools and living in a nice apartment I wasn't feeling much like a backer and I was becoming increasingly suspicious that I hadnt seen much of a glimps of Australia at all or met nearly enough random characters. I am extremely glad that I decided to go, because I got the lucky fortune of staying at a fantastic and friendly hostel where they had a fire outside in the evenings and once brewed a big pan of mulled wine just for free :) Also despite a setting out in the rain (again! why does this happen everytime I start walking anywhere?) on my own, ipod plugged in and stomping away, I soon stumbled upon another english girl on my route and having got chatting after about 20 minutes we then caught up with a set of 3 banterous American guys and the five had a fun day of wondering about in the bush, eating cake in town and talking about the little idiosycrancies of all our commonwealth countries. I was more than chuffed at the days social success and the next day I went to Wentworth Falls with Sarah, the girl I had met first (the guys headed back to Sydney), it was an absolutely stunning walk in glorious sunshine and here is a picture that does it no justice at all.


Today, as I write this I have just got back from my first yacht race which started in Pittswater, about 25miles up the coast from Sydney and finished up in none other than perhaps the most famous harbour in the world. It was fantastic fun, the wind was good, the sun shined, we messed up the start but still managed to pull in about 5th across the line. Here is a picture of the exciting arrival at the opera house and bridge, pleased note the actual matching team kit!!