Monday 7th may - Weekend in sydney

ARGHHHHH i just wrote the blog for the weekend and then it got deleted! Angry!!!

Gaz and i spent the weekend in sydney visiting his friend, Tom, who he has known since high school. Tom was meant to be running the ironman up in port macquarie but broke his hand 2 weeks ago and had to pull out so him a nd his girlfriend, sarah, were staying with a friend in sydney.

We drove to meet them in manly on saturday afternoon and Gaz got very stressed with the traffic...especially when some idiot almost drove into the back of us! we found a car park but once parked up, we noticed it was 40AUD for 2 hours!!! we went to leave but the car wouldn't start. Luckily the guy next to us was just leaving and noticed we were having some trouble so he very kindly offered to jump start our car. We found a cheaper car park but were a little anxious that the car wouldn't start up again! We had lunch in a pub with tom, sarah, Fi and carla. We talked non stop, laughed and enjoyed each others company. It was great fun. We then drove everyone into the centre of sydney and got to drive over the harbour bridge!

We found our hotel which apparently was 4 star but i would argue it was more 3. great location though. We went over to Fis flat in the centre of sydney and had pre drinks before we went out to enjoy the fireworks at darling harbour. For a free firework display, it was 6 minutes worth of very good fireworks! Afterwards we went and had dinner at a tepanyaki restaurant. For those thatdont know, it is where your food is cooked in front of you by a chef...he also entertained us by chucking food at us...sounds a bit like abuse but it was great fun!

The next day we met everyone to go for breakfast at a place ever looking the water in darling harbour. the weather was great - shorts and t shirt weather which aint bad for winter! We walked over to the chinese gardens where gaz had been to visit a few times when he was travelling...i can't imagine gaz enjoying chinese gardens but he did! afterwards we went to sydney aquarium...i was a little disappointed as they seem to have changed it. There weren't any crocodiles or any seals like there used to be and i was a little sad at the big turtle swimming back and for along the barrier in the hope he may be able to escape. not like how i remembered it.

In the evening Fi took us to a very posh chinese restaurant. It was busy inside, full of chinese people. We were seated...and given one menu between the five of us. Fi asked for another menu...we were given one more. We were then completely ignored for the next 15 minutes. No offer of drinks...and the waiters were just flitting about between the chinese peoples tables. I said it reminded me of our experience win canberra! Fi asked if we were still happy to eat there and i could see from everyones expressions they weren't too keen...so i piped up and said i didn't feel very comfortable in there and i didn't like the fact we were ignored. S o we got up and left...none of the waiters asked where we were going or made eye contact. We headed in to china town and found a pleasant cheap restaurant where we got a decent meal.

After our food we went to the entertainment arcade and managed to get Tom on dance dance. I have filmed him dancing and will have to speed it up to some benny hill music! It was yet another great day.

This morning we met up with sarah and tom and had a stroll around the shops before heading to our favourite, max Branner for another hot chocolate...yum! Gaz and i left not long after and drove safely home via Autobarn and picked up a battery operated jump start kit for the car. i then went to see Angie and rode her. Just uploading a video i have done of angie....stay tuned!