Aussie, Sydney

We left New Zealand on a very, very large jet and the flight was rather cool with a great new comedy on the streets called 'Wild Hogs'. John Travolta is even funnier than when he was packing a pair of pop socks in his spandex pipes in SNF. Its a great Mid-life crisis spoof with Home Improvement man 'Tim' and lots of Harleys.
We arrive in Sydney and it looks even bigger from the air than i remember, still gorgeous after all these years. We pick up a compact and make for Bondi beach, it's only 5pm and a sundowner would be fabbo on the beach with a view of the ocean.
They have really cleaned Bondi up and there are walkers, joggers and gentlefolk everywhere. Sundowner and then off to Nick and Nickys in Clovelly. Great to see N&N again and Alice has shot up and is gorgeous 14's.
Next day is to Manley at dawn to meet Trent and pick up the keys to his flat. Manley is still the most beautiful place with the fir trees round the bay and the esplanande full of joggers and cyclists. Trent is looking good and we get to chat before he is off to Melbourne. Down to the Steyne Cafe for breakie...memories are made of this.
Spend the day in Manley and then back to Randwick. We take a walk with Nicky and Lucy - the Labadoodledandy - to Bronte and Coogee beach. Surf is totally up and the surfers are giving it their all in 8 - 10m waves. Back to Cafe city in Coogee and a gorgeous lunch - for Lucy too as she cleans up the pizza crusts littering the pavement. Sydney is awash with Cafes, restaurants and people eat out here..and who can blame them when you sre surrounded by sea air and blue sky...ad this is mid winter.
Saturday we get down to Bronte fo breakie and then get our swim gear and get down to the sea-water pool where Nicky get washed around like a washing machine while swimming and Nick and i do a teenage thing and Rail-Jump at the edge of the pool with the waves crashing over the top...its sensational!!!
Fo does lots of work for the book by visiting the museum in town where there is tons of stuff from the buccaneering past. There is also two replica boats in the harbour....Endeavour and The Bounty and they look so small!!! How did they survive with so little room and so many people on board??
Well to cap it all, unbelievably, the Opera House is showing the Barber of Seville, bit of favorite Opera and we get tickets. The Opera House is really something and to arrive for a large show in the main auditorium with the Chatterati of Sydney (not discussing butter) is top potato. This is the opening night and the Auditorium is full, the actors are already on stage lolling and chatting waiting forthe gun. The set is sumptuous and Gaudi-esque with great curvaceous features, rich colours complimented with lush costumes for the actors. The whole show is delicious, Rosina sings like a lark, the story holds, the singing tight with beautiful nuances in the acting. Alice whispers to Nicky at half time 'don't ever bring me to the Opera again' but i think she enjoyed the second half which has much stronger sections. I remember seeing 'La Clemenza de Tito' - Mozart and feeling exactly the same as Alice...It was more mindnumbing than watching the England Footie team...sorry Amadeus, that is harsh...England football makes Jonathan Ross look interesting!!! Pah, anyway my highlight of the trip so far...sorry Machu Picchu, more songs, dance and light hearted orchestration to tickle the fancy.
There is a small bar on the level behind the auditoriim where you have the half time drinks...the view over the habour is beautiful and the bridge is lit up in the left corner, the whole harbour and bays lit up to the right and i think you can see the fair on the north bank with the Ferris wheel standing out like a catherine wheel...although the view of the NCP car park behind the Hexagon in Reading still resonates!!!
We leave Sydney omorrow but this will stay in the memory for a long time. Ta ta Sydney....