I’ve spent this evening planning my NYE in Sydney, checking out the
best vantage points, looking up the extra public transport etc etc.
At first I decided that being at the Opera House would be the best
view, but thinking about it, I’d quite like it to be in my viewpoint
(and the photos!) So that’s taken second preference.
On the north shore, there’s the Mary Booth lookout, but getting back
across Harbour Bridge after midnight will be such a bitch. Then there’s
the Tarpien Precinct on the south side, but that’s a little too close to
the bridge for my liking.
So my #1 vantage point for Sydney NYE 2011: Mrs. Macquaries Point.
It’s on the south side, so will be easy (easy as it can be) to get back
to the train station post-midnight, and the view takes in both the front
of the bridge and also the lit up opera house. It opens at 10am and the
capacity is pretty low, so I’ll probably get there about midday and
spend the afternoon reading and writing and napping in the sun. I hope
there’s going to be sun, there were storms today. From about 5pm though,
there is entertainment and the such. BYO is banned sadly, and drinks in
there will cost a million, but I’ll take a picnic and I might even try
and smuggle in a small bottle of vodka under a cardigan or something,
then buy cokes all night. That said, there will be bag searches. This
needs more thought.
I like planning.
I also have planned many a thing for the next few days
between Christmas and New Years! I’m going to see the Opera House in the
daytime and have the obligatory picture taken. Then I’m visiting The
Rocks, which is apparently old cobblestone streets of housing where
convicts lived way back when. Then of course there’s Bondi Beach… I need
to stop being such a wimp and actually have a surf lesson, no one else
is going to teach me because I don’t know anyone! Finally, there’s the
Chinese Garden of Friendship, which I hear is beautiful.
I’m sure I’ll wander into many more things too. I’m so pissed that I
left my camera cable in Melbourne because I’ve taken lots of great
pictures! A post purely of pictures will be a-coming your way around
January 2nd!
The last couple of days have been pretty fun really. I've been able to sleep late, then Roger has been showing me things around the area. Yesterday we went to Ken Duncan's gallery. This man is a photographer and he is fantastic. Google his work, you will be astonished at the beauty of these places he has photographed and how he has taken the photo. I'm not convinced they look the same online as in the gallery, but still. I bought 4 postcards with some of his work on, since everything else was astronomically priced. Then off to Erina Faire, apparently the biggest mall or something? I don't know, but it is truly massive. I bought myself a couple of beachy things since once back in Melbourne we're visiting the beach house. I also got myself a new book since finishing Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? (Amazing book, read it!), I bought 1984 by George Orwell and I'm already a third of the way through, can't put it down and don't know why I didn't read it before in all honesty. Then I managed to sneak off to buy a box of chocolates each for these new family members of mine. They had told me not to bother with any presents, but they're being so great with letting me stay and showing me places that I feel like I really should, and want to, get something. We then headed over to the Japanese Gardens. Gosford is twinned with a town in Japan, and the gardens commemorate that. They were beautiful and even though it was raining, I think it added to it since in most movies it's raining in Japanese gardens. Cliche? Yeah probably. Anyhow, the Koi pond was lovely and so were the structures of the garden. Yesterday evening I spent teaching Roger all about downloading music (legally... of course..) and today I taught him Facebook. Just call me 'educator of the middle aged'.
Today we went back to Erina Faire because Roger needed some stuff and then we went to the beach at Terrigal. The day was gorgeous and so was the water, I went for a swim whilst Roger read his book. It's so strange to be able to see your feet through the water when you're shoulder deep in the sea. I'd had enough after a while so read some more of 1984 in the sun and Roger got us both some chips with chicken salt. Do we have chicken salt at home? I've never had it, but it's basically salt with a chicken flavouring, resulting in a taste like chicken flavoured crisps. It's really good. This afternoon I spent reading and planning and packing, since tomorrow morning we are getting the train to Julie's. We'll stay there tomorrow night then drive over to Lynda's on Christmas morning. I got another present today! That makes two. My parcel from Mum was here when I arrived and even though I know there's some Natural Collection make-up in there, that box is too heavy and big to be just that, so I suspect there's more. I may be wrong, all shall be revealed in two days, I am intrigued. Today my present from Nikki arrived, it's something I've been wanting for a long time but I'm not going to tell any of you what it is until I've seen it properly myself, I'm very excited about this too!
Just this second saw the Coke advert, I am so ready for Christmas in the sun now. I've changed my tune!
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