Bye bye Sydney

This morning it was time to say goodbye to the Mantra and to Sydney, and head up the Oz equivalent of the great north road to Port Stephens. I thought Sydders was a great place. All the usual reservations which apply to any big city, of course, apply to Sydney e.g. the nice bit in the middle is surrounded by endless dismal suburbs where everyone except the uber-rich live. However, it does seem to be blessed in terms of climate and location on such a beautiful bay. I don't think it's quite as isolated as it once might have been either, given the centre of the world's gravity steadily moving east. One of the topics of conversation at lunch yesterday was Duncan and Angela's impending 9 month career break, during which they will 'do' central Asia and South America overland. Dad though it was sad that they felt they had to do that - I don't think it's sad because they have no kids (that may possibly be sad) and they obviously both want to do it, but it is a little strange from my point of view. It strikes me that Australians still seem to be responding to their nation's years of isolation with a rather manic desire to travel, even though they really aren't that isolated any more.

Anyway, we hit the road at a leisurely pace after packing. (I have averted a pant crisis by doing a wash using the machines at Mantra. I am pant-rich for a week or so. This gives me peace of mind, in the pant department at least) Getting out of central Sydney was easy - down the road and over the big bridge and then north on the "freeway" (eurgh! how Septic of them) through the aforementioned endless suburbs, which reminded me quite strongly of New Jersey. We turned off for lunch at the Hogs Breath at Terrigal, a resort - with the obligatory perfect crescent beach - north of the Hawkesbury River. Had prawns, served, as usual, by perky but excessively made-up identikit Aussie blonde. The service here has been uniformly good, as in the USA, and food portions generally big. Not as many lardbutts here though, ISTM. Dad remembered it was my birthday half way through the prawns, prompted by a 2.30 am txt from mum...

North again as far as Newcastle, where the coal comes from (and wine, from the Hunter valley) and then off on the side roads towards Port Stephens where we're staying at a place called Pepper's Anchorage. V posh, but no wireless broadband. What flippin' century do they think this is hmmm? This being a trip with Dad, we of course stopped off at "Fighter World" on the way, a small but still interesting collection of old RAAF jets in a hanger next to an extant F18 airfield.







Declined the astronomically priced dinner here and, after watching Australia get a flukey win against SA in the rugby and having a happy birthday chat with C, Ali, Jim and mum, went for a cheapy Thai with byo VBs up the road in the local smoke Nelson Bay. Acceptable green curry. Nothing to write home about.

Sun came out this afternoon, and it is appreciably warmer here. I was looking forward to swimming up at Port Douglas but the Aussies took great pleasure yesterday in telling us we wouldn't be able to swim on account of the killer jellyfish. We could possibly swim at Margaret River but there we'd almost certainly be eaten by a Great White. Humph. The water may be bone-numbingly cold in Cornwall, but at least you can be fairly certain of setting foot in it without suffering a horrible untimely death.

Have been writing this while watching Sean Connery sporting an incredibly unconvincing Japanese disguise in "You Only Live Twice" on local telly. Hilarious.