SAMMIE IN SYDNEY

We arrived safely in Sydney and got the train to our YHA in central Sydney.
We were in a dorm for four women and Sammie kindly took the top bunk and I got the bottom one.

We went to the local Paddy's market and stocked up on plenty of food. Sammie got to work making our sandwiches in the communal kitchen in the YHA before we headed out to see the sights of the city.

I took her to Darling Harbour where we took a ferry boat round to Central Quay so that she could sail into the harbour and see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera house in style.
She loved it.
We then went for cocktails at the Opera house bar, (sightseeing is thirsty work!!!!). Sammie was so excited she phoned her boyfriend Ryan to say hello from Australia because she was missing him.

It is fantastic to be with Sammie on the other side of the world, we are both loving every minute of it and there is so much that I want to show her. But I have to say that everytime I looked over to the Sydney Harbour bridge my stomach churned because I knew we were going to climb it in a few days time. I was seriously worried that I would not be able to go through with it!!!But Carmel was coming with us so she would be able to go with Sammie if I chickened out.

The next day we took a long walk to the Manly ferry and caught the boat to Manly beach. We chilled out on the beach for a while. Sammie has been lucky with the weather it is very sunny. But I am driving her mad by telling her how hot the sun is over here and to put sunscreen on. I have seen so many Tourists walking around bright red with sunburn. I know I have a tan but I have been in the sun for four months and I have used nothing less than factor 30 to protect my skin.

When we got back to the YHA it was my turn to cook a veggie chilli for us both before we hit the sack. The next day was the big bridge climb!!! I hardly slept just thinking about it!!

We were not due to climb until three in the afternoon so in the morning we went for a walk around the parks in Sydney
and the Botanical gardens. They are beautiful, the views across the harbour towards the bridge and opera house were stunning. We sat on a bench and had our sandwiches
before meeting up with Carmel at the start of the bridge climb.
We were kitted out with special suits. Everthing that could possibly fall from your body, like watches, rings, hairbobbles etc had to be removed. We were given special earphones so that we could hear the commentary from the group leader during the climb. We were also given belts with metal gadgets that connected us to the bridge throughout the climb. We had to have a practice climb on a platform before we set off. That bit was ok, but I was very nervous. Sammie and Carmel just took it all in their stride. To cut a long story short. We did make it and I am so glad that I did it .But there were a couple of times when I nearly lost the plot with fear.Especially when we had to climb up four flights of metal stairs. I got through it by singing to myself like a mad woman and telling myself that I could do it, over and over again!!much to the amusement of other people in the group.
Sammie and Carmel were ahead of me and they just clambered up like a pair of mountain goats!!!! (Sammie is not impressed that I compared her to a GOAT)without a care in the world!!

I am so glad that we all did it together. It made it a very special day!!! And we got some lovely pictures and a certificate to remember our climb.

Needless to day I needed a stiff drink when we got down onto Terra Firma.

CHAMPAGNE TASTING

Ok so I was not there at the airport to meet Sammie on time but her holiday got off to a good start after that with a bit of Champagne tasting (I know it is not made in the champagne region, but it is made the same way as Champagne so its as good as the real thing!!!) in the Yarra Valley, with Rob and Heather.

We got a selection of four Champagnes to try and a lovely cheese platter.The scenery was beautiful as well.

Some of my friends got me a travel ted when I was due to leave England but I forgot him in the bed when I left. Well we have been reunited thanks to Sammie, she bought him out. Here he is enjoying his first sleep in in Australia.

That night we had a lovely roast dinner with all the family including , Brylee and her boyfriend Pete, her sister Stacee and Rob and Heather.

The next day Sammie and I got up early and got a train into Melbourne city and went sightseeing.
We went for a long walk along the southbank and had breakfast.

We got a fantastic view of the city from the top of the Realto tower.
We visited Captain Cooks cottage.

It was bought over from Great Ayton in Britain years ago and rebuilt in the park in Melbourne to commemorate his voyage of discovery.

We got a tram to St Kilda beach on the edge of the city, where Sammie finally put her feet in the Australian sea.



All that walking made us thirsty so we chilled out with a couple of fruit juices on the top of a bar overlooking the beach. And of course Travel ted joined us.

When we got back home to our friend house they treated us to a real Aussie Barbie, Rob even got into the role, swigging back the beers as he threw the meat on the barbie!!!

It was great fun. They have been so kind to us and we have loved staying with them. The final day Heather managed to get the day off work and Stacee, Brylee ,Heather, Sammie and I went to Ramsey street to check out where they film Neighbours. It was so exciting!!!!!




We had lunch then they dropped us at the airport for our flight to Sydney. I was very nervous when we overheard the airport checkin staff say that two planes had been grounded because they had been struck by lightening on the ground and they needed to carry out electrical tests on them before they could fly again. The skies were black and I have to say I was glad when we landed in Sydney.

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL and SAMMIE'S ARRIVAL

Rob and Heather and I drove into Melbourne and had a wander round.

Then we went to see an Australian football game. They support the Western Bulldogs and they were playing Adalaide.


Rob said that their team would more than likely get beaten. But it was an amazing game. They helped me to understand some of the rules. Strangely it is like a mixture of rugby and football. They run with the ball but they also throw and kick it. There are also FOUR goalposts either end of the oval pitch. If they kick the ball through the middle goals it is six points. If they get it through either side of the middle goal posts it is a point. And if they hit a post it is a point!!! with me so far!!! and if they catch the ball when it is kicked to them they can decide to kick it at goal or not!!. I have to say it was one of the most exciting sports games I have seen and we where thrilled when the Western Bulldogs won in the last seconds of the game by three points, because the opposition missed a kick at goal!!!

It was finally time for Sammie to arrive!!!! Her flight was due in at eleven thirty at night so we just chilled and waited to head off for the airport at ten o clock. Ten minutes in the car and my phone went. I missed the call but thought I would try Sammie's number, but it could not be her as she was not due in for another hour and a half!!! yes you have guessed it. She answered her phone saying "Where are you? I am in arrivals!!" I had got the time wrong for her flight. I felt sick in my stomach. Rob drove so fast and we got there half an hour later. I ran through the arrivals door on the phone saying "Where are you?"When we spotted each other and I just ran over to her. Heather was chasing behind and she took a lovely photo of us hugging each other and crying.


I was so glad to see her.


I just could not believe that she was finally here!! I will never live it down that my daughter flies half way around the world to see me and I am not even there to greet her as she comes through the arrival doors.But I will make it up to her, we are going to have a great time!!


Poor Heather even shed a few tears. She said everyone was looking at us when I ran over to Sammie and started hugging her and crying. But I was totally oblivious to what was going on around me. I just wanted Sammie to know how thrilled I was she was here to chill out with her mother.

FINAL BUS TO MELBOURNE

I spent a lovely day in Merimbula walking around a boardwalk along the edge of the lake. I saw some lovely wildlife, and reflected on just how much I am enjoying my trip.



But I was also counting the days until I saw Sammie. I had to get the overnight bus to Melbourne at midnight so I passed the time at the hostel with some of the other travellers, before venturing out for the bus.



I stood in the dark on a street corner with my rucksack for an hour waiting for the coach. I began to wonder if I was waiting at the right spot, when the bus eventually came into sight at one O clock in the morning. I did not get much sleep, and we eventually arrived at the bus station in Melbourne at eight o clock in the morning.

Heather and Rob ,who I met in Thailand in December, came to collect me. We went for a ferry crossing and fantastic drive along the ocean road. It was great to see them again.

The next day we drove to Sovereigh hill at Ballarat.
Gold was discovered there over a hundred years ago, and settlers came from all over the world to prospect for gold. I did a bit of prospecting for gold but did not find anything!!.

We also saw the history of the settlers and the trades in a reconstruction of their town.


I even went down an old mine shaft to see what their working conditions were like as they mined for gold. We had a great day.