It started with Ben and Erin meeting me at the airport and we soon headed straight into the city centre to try on my suit that I will be wearing for their wedding. Fortunately it fits perfectly and just needs a slight decrease on the trouser length. This was to the relief of both myself and the bride and groom. Any major adjustments would not be welcome with just a few weeks to go until their big day.
After this we went to Circular Quay and I got my first view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. A beer at the side of the harbour, looking over the Bridge and Opera House was certainly very welcome. I have to admit that my initial reaction to the two sights were slightly underwhelming. The harbour itself seemed to lack the vibrant atmosphere I anticipated and it all seemed a lot smaller than photos suggested. Still, I was in Sydney and I was buzzing.
(I have later grown to respect the Harbour Bridge and Opera House a little more having seen it a few more times, however I still feel the harbour could be a little more atmospheric.)
In the evening of my first day in Sydney I was lucky enough to be invited back to Erin's home for dinner with her family. It was brilliant to meet everyone and have a typical Aussie BBQ on the veranda! Erin's family have been very welcoming and I've had dinner a few times there since my arrival. It's always a good experience and the chance to jump on the Xbox and play a bit of FIFA with Ben can never be turned down!
Me and Ben headed up to the Blue Mountains on Thursday and spent the night in a small, eco-friendly house in the middle of the bush. The house was rented to us via the Australian family who owned the land and was all conducted via the website AirBnB. The whole process from booking, to collecting the keys and to the experience with the house was very impressive and I look forward to staying in AirBnB homes again in the future.
Finding our home for the night (or the "shouse" as it was named by the owners) was relatively straight forward. Ben was the driver and I was the navigator and not too long after we came off the motorway we started noticing some brilliant views of forestry and we knew we were heading into the Blue Mountains. Along the way we noticed signs warning drivers to look out for kangaroos and we noticed some unused bush fire warning signs ready to be activated as soon as there was a danger. I knew I was in Oz!
The directions soon took us through more and more remote towns until eventually we were the only car on the gravel, winding road, leading us further and further into the forest. We then noticed the driveway to the "shouse", a ridiculously steep driveway at an unforgiving angle, and we decided to leave the car at the top and carry our luggage down.
As we reached the bottom we noticed Max, Ben and Erin's wedding videographer, had already arrived. Max creates wonderful videos documenting weddings, including the build up to the big day, and Ben had arranged for Max to record some footage of us two in the Blue Mountains. This, in itself, was a very unique experience. Max hooked me and Ben up with a mic and followed us around the Blue Mountains, recording what we got up to. It was a very different experience that I doubt I will experience again but it was a lot of fun and added a nice element to the occasion. It was fun pretending to be celebrities as Max walked around with his expensive gear recording us as if we were on some reality show!
The Blue Mountains were simply fantastic. There are numerous look outs you can visit (each about a 15 minute drive from each other) and they offer wonderful views of the forestry and natural formation of the rocks and cliffs. Words don't do it justice and neither do the photos below, it is very breath taking. As well as lookouts you can also explore some trails that lead you further into the bush and give you another unique experience. We took part on one of these trails that lead us down the hill and into the forestry, along cliff edges and around waterfalls (the water tasted amazing pure and fresh). It is a very magical place that I could spend many more hours exploring.
In the evening, after Max had gone, me and Ben cracked open our bottles of Asahi in the sheltered veranda of the "shouse". Towards the first few sips of the first bottle Ben noticed a guest joining us from a thin thread from the roof. Almost as if he wanted to join us for a beer, the large, black, horrible looking spider glared at us from the thread. Being the over dramatic Brits we are, we straight away decided it was most probably a Black Widow, one of the most lethal spiders in the world. (Later inspection would determine our guess was incorrect however, apparently, it was still a fairly dangerous spider). Ben killed our unwelcome guest and we moved on with our beer.
A few sips into the second bottle and the skies started to grey. They became very grey. All of sudden some of the loudest crashes of lightning I have heard began to echo from the sky and what followed was simply unbelievable. Hailstones. Hailstones the size of golf balls. For such a warm climate, how were hailstones possible? But there they were, of ungodly size raining havoc on our "shouse" and the veranda's roof. The weather in Australia can be lovely but it can also change suddenly and without any warning what-so-ever. I doubt I'll complain about the weather back home again!
The next day, before we left, we checked out the land the "shouse" was located on and we started to come across yellow ribbons, tied to tree trunks, that seem to lead down a path that wound it's way down the hill and into the forest. Feeling adventurous, I grabbed my camera and we followed the ribbons into the wild. A few slides down small rocks and climbs over streams, we soon found ourselves at a small waterfall in the middle of the forest. A sense of accomplishment was complete and, after a few photos, we headed back up the hill and to the "shouse".
Overall it was a fantastic experience that gave me a true sense of Australia and its unforgiving vastness.
Saturday, a week after meeting some orangutans in Singapore Zoo, I got to meet some Australian creatures. Emus, monkeys, snakes and feeding some kangaroos (one with a joey in her pouch) were fantastic but it was the koala bear experience that I will stay with me for the longest time. We paid a little extra to go and see the koala bears face to face. We could stroke them, feed them and have pictures with these shy, Australian animals. My parents did a similar experience when they were my age and for me, to replicate that experience for myself, was a very special moment. The koala bears were amazing. So wise looking, so gentle and yet they had great personality and an unpredictable, comical element. They are beautiful animals that are even as soft as the soft toy koala bear my mum has owned since she went to Australia over 24 years ago!
I will sign off here. This has been a very long post and I haven't been able to include all the stories and experiences I have had this week. I have experienced a lot of the real Australia thanks to Ben and Erin and seem to be ticking things off the bucket list every day. The photos are below, you can click on them to make them larger.
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