The next morning after checking out, downloading photos and lugging my backpack across town I arrived at the Goldsborough Appartments in Darling Harbour. Happy to be in a rather less sordid area of town, I was very excited about seeing my parents. Come 1pm they arrived, jet lagged after 3 days of travelling by plane via Dubai. It was really strange to meet them in Sydney after such a long time but so awesome. Em arrived after mega download session and we hit Darling Harbour for lunch. Hadn't been to Darling Harbour before and so it was interesting to see. It reminded me of Port Solent in the south of England, with lots of bars and restaurants, an Imax cinema, aquarium and zoo. After lunch, we went back to the appartment, moved our stuff in, got supplies, Dad had a nap and we went out into the city for dinner. Having tried the 360 bar and been turned away because Em and I had 'thongs' on, we went off in disgust to Circular Quay to show my parents the Opera House. Here we tucked into a mega sea food platter with a view of the harbour and the opera house. We all decided that the O.H. was decidedly smaller than we had imagined but still quite impressive, if yes, a little stained by pollution. Well stuffed, we went back to the appartment, parents passed out and Em and I had a swim in the appartment block pool.
Unfortunately on the Sunday, the time had come to say goodbye to Emma who was flying to Hong Kong for her last few days before returning to Blighty for Christmas. It was very weird saying goodbye to her as she boarded the shuttle bus after so many good times. Sure we'll have many fun times at A&O ahead of us! Heading out to the city, my parents and I walked around the botanical gardens and Macquarie's Chair before lunch at the harbour and the afternoon Sunday markets at the Rocks. Unfortunately it was shutting and raining but the market area had lots of interesting crafty aussie things to see. Returning to the appartment, Dad went to sleep, still majorly jetlagged, Mum and I head out for some Moroccan food which was lovely.
Monday consisted of a trip to Manly on the ferry, had a swim in the v cold sea, sat on the beach, had some exciting chocolate frappe concoction at the Max Bremner Chocolate Shop place which is a chocoholic's heaven, unlike anything I'd seen, even beat Bar Chocolat in Bristol and that's saying something. We returned to Darling Harbour by ferry and went to the acquarium. Even after seeing the real deal at the Great Barrier Reef, this acquarium was stunning. We were particularly wowed by the sea horses and water dragons which I've never seen anything like before in my life and the shark tunnel which had massive stingrays (poor Steve Irwin) and turtles swimming overhead. Everyone in the tunnels were mesmerised and rightly so. WOW.
We finished off a fantastic day with steak and wine.
Tuesday: the Blue Mountains. After a 2 hour train journey out of Sydney we arrived at this beautiful national park and got a bus ticket for the Explorer Bus where you can get on and off at different stops wherever you like. The Explorer Bus was an old London red bus and had comedy drivers giving commentaries, sadly unlike the grumpy UK bus drivers. After hairy train journeys down valley slopes to the tune of Indiana Jones, little walks around and beautiful blueish panoramas we had a scary Devonshire cream tea in a shop full of teapots, not unlike something out of Little Britain and we caught the train back to Sydney, pleased and bemused.
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