I spent a couple of days in Sydney around New Year, which was busy with visitors, people piling onto the beaches and buzzing with an air of excitement about the forthcoming festivities over New Year. By this stage I had lost track of which day of the week it was, a pleasing sign of being on holiday! I think it was Sunday when we had a nice English like Sunday afternoon jaunt to Vaucluse House followed by afternoon tea, with a passable attempt at a cream tea!
Nearby was a lovely little cove called Parsley Bay, where people were enjoying themselves in the warm, calm water – there’s so many hidden little corners like this in Sydney which adds to its charm.A few miles down the road and Bondi Beach was steamy with countless people from all over the world enjoying the evening sunshine, a few beers and the odd game of Frisbee.
A few illegal immigrants joined the beautiful people on the beach (looking total misfits needless to say!) for some scrumptious pizza and watching the sun go down.
The next morning and the sun rose for the last time in 2007, and people began setting up camp at
vantage points all over the harbour for the annual fireworks extravaganza. Unbeknown to me beforehand, there are actually two firework displays – one at 9pm and then midnight. We had gained some tickets to a major road which they close down in the heart of the action on Circular Quay for the 9pm showing. This was the ‘family display’ and the collapsible chairs and Coles Roast Bird and bread rolls were out in force. The view was great, the only disappointment being the lack of Bridge action during the 9pm display.
And then we were cleared off the road and left to mix with the rabble cramming in for a midnight view. We managed to find a slot down on the western side of Circular Quay, which had a pretty decent view, especially of the Opera House and a great atmosphere. The waiting was pretty painful but finally midnight came and Sydney did what Sydney does best, to the oohs and aahs of the thousands of people massed along Circular Quay and the millions spread out beyond.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
New Years Day felt very much like the day after the night before, but I headed with my friend Caroline to Parramatta in the west of Sydney. There isn’t really anything of note there, but it is pretty much where the harbour ends and the ferry journey is a lovely cruise. I suppose New Years Day on sunny Sydney Harbour cannot be bad. We had some lunch and headed back by train, not prepared to wait another hour and half in Parramatta for the next ferry!
By this stage I was ready to make the final jaunt back to Canberra for a day of shopping, washing and blog writing, pepped up by a frozen coke on the final stages of the road trip. I cannot believe it has only been two weeks, given how much I have seen. I’m still hanging onto the holiday, treating myself to nice food and a G&T as I write this and reliving the moments. It feels like the summer holidays should just go on and on and on, but I’m not going to get too greedy and am just thankful to be in such a lucky position to be able to do these things. Besides there are plenty more fish in the sea, or, more accurately, big things along the road to discover.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2008,
Neilio
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