The day after my birthday I have to admit we were pretty lazy - although I think it was well deserved! In the evening we went out for a belated birthday dinner to a place called Pontoons on Darling Harbour - already one of my favourite areas in Sydney. Dinner was pretty reasonable, although the drinks were more pricey. Besides staying up late chatting at the hostel, we didn't really do much that evening, as we were determined to get up early and be active the next day.
The following morning we took the popular but still pretty walk from Bondai to Coogee beach. It was fairly easy, only complicated by my insistance that we take the more difficult route across the rocks for a challenge. I had a double reason for wanting to get to Coogee - I'm hoping to settle there for a short while to find work, as Sydney is too large and crowded for my liking.
Stopping for a drink at the huge Coogee Bay Hotel, I definitely felt this was somewhere I could stay; the whole atmosphere just seemed that bit more relaxed than Sydney and it sits on the beach, which is a bonus.
In the evening we attempted to cook dinner at the hostel. This is harder than it sounds, as Glebe Village must boast the worst kitchen facilities I've seen - there are no plates, cups or cutlery (although they do have a bafflingly large selection of carving forks). After consuming our meal of pasta and stir-fried fresh vegetables, which felt nutritionally good, we settled in for an evening's drinking. There's a pretty nice atmosphere in Glebe and a good number of outdoor tables, so evenings can be happily spent in this way (with the bonus that it's pretty cheap entertainment).
The next day I had an inexplicable low day, which I occasionally seem to suffer from. By now, I've got used to my various emotions but I'm not so sure that Josh was prepared for it! Still, besides that, he tells me that I haven't changed at all in the last month, aside from being more independent. I'm yet to decide if this is a good thing or not.
New Year's Eve in Sydney was always going to be a significant night for me. That evening, a few of us at the hostel organised a barbeque for the early evening, which really topped off my successful morning's shopping. It was incredible how much food we managed to cook between the eight of us - and even more impressive how much we managed to eat! I can honestly say I've not had that big a meal since leaving home - but it was a special day, after all. In the evening we followed the millions into the city centre to enjoy the various free events put on in Sydney.
Despite being restricted to where we could go by the 'no alcohol' areas, and the unbelievable amount of people who'd appeared as if from nowhere, we still managed to listen to a bit of live jazz before heading to Circular Quay for the first round of fireworks. These were spectacular, but were surpassed by the display a few hours later to call in 2001. Fireworks were going off in every direction, including a golden waterfall under the harbour bridge. The display ended with the rainbow spirit, an Australian symbol of unity, and the crowds went wild. It really was one of the best New Year's Eve celebrations I've ever seen - but it was definitely good to not be alone. I hope Sue and Sam found some good company during what could have been a lonely time of year.
On New Year's Day we got up early (seriously!) to lounge in the sun in the Botanical Gardens. Also, one of our dorm-mates scares us, so it's always nice to get away. In the afternoon we watched the 100 year federation parade. It was a spectacle of weird and wonderful floats celebrating the history of Australia, which was very long but ultimately enjoyable. And if anyone can tell me why Estonia appeared in the middle that will solve a great mystery. The evening was spent watching the live music and street theatre around Darling Harbour - this really is a buzzing time of year to be in Sydney.
The next day, we were determined to complete the more challenging walk from Manly Beach to Spit Bridge. Getting up early(ish), we caught the packed ferry to Manly, which is a lovely journey in itself. Stopping for lunch there, I got to check out the beach, which is claimed to be the best in Sydney - and I have to say, it was pretty beautiiful, if even more crowded than Bondai had been. Grabbing a map, we set off on what should have been a nine kilometre walk - although the way we did it, it was significantly longer. I would definitely recommend it - we came across some spectacular views and saw some Aboriginal carvings as well as parrots, lizards and an unidentified spider all in the space of an afternoon. One tip - take plenty of water. We ran out two kilometres before we came to a shop and were seriously dehydrated by the time we got there. The Australian sun can be pretty relentless at times.
The following day was our check-out day from Glebe, and our chance to escape the hordes for the Blue Mountains. Catching the train from Central to Katoomba, we arrived, as usual, without having booked anywhere to stay. Finding an advert for a place called Wollangambe Lodge in a backpacker magazine, we gave it a call. After a long chat with the owner Shaun, we realised this place was truly in the middle of nowhere - but we both wanted to give it a try. In fact, it's so remote we were told to bring all our groceries with us, and to request to get off at Bell station, as it is so seldom used. This gave Josh just enough time to try a kangaroo burger at the cafe in Katoomba, which was delicious, with a taste closer to steak or venison than chicken. When we arrived at Bell, Shaun himself picked us up in his van, which rattled as though it would fall apart when it went round the bends.
Every hostel is always a new experience, but this one tops the lot. Set deep within the bush in a town that was a once thriving community but now has only five houses, you really couldn't get further away from it all. It felt more like a house than a hostel, with the kitchen, bathroom and living room (complete with open fire) shared by everyone, including Shaun and his son. The only other residents were an American named Scott who'd been there for months, and a Dutch couple who arrived the same night as us bearing a tent. This hostel had no rules and no key deposit - because there was no key.
In the morning Shaun went to work, leaving us to amble round as we pleased. That first evening he took me and Josh for a walk down from his back yard to see some stunning views across valleys, and later that night we stayed up cooking, drinking, and chatting about the walks and the history of the area. We could tell we were going to love staying here, even though it was only for a couple of days.
Until next week (when I'll be having fun in the Blue Mountains),
Milly.
