Day 21 - Home

Home sweet home.

Day 20- Mum's Birthday

They're all still young at heart.

Last night together.

At Hurricanes.

Wink for the camera!

Enjoying her birthday meal.

Seriously, Uncle Stu, there is good money in this.

Happy birthday mum (and Aunty Jane)! Callum and I paid for mum's breakfast as her present, and we went back to City Extra, where both mum and dad had the Canadian breakfast, and Callum and I had chocolate pancakes. It had stopped raining for a brief period of time, so we decided to go to Manly! When we got there, we decided to go on the "Scenic Walk". It wasn't a walk, it was more like a hike through the forest, and mum and I gave up halfway. It was so hot!

When we got back, it was raining again in Sydney, so we decided to go to the Museum of Contempory Art. What a load of rubbish. Modern art is awful - there was even just a tin of paint on a stool! Uncle Stu, you should think about changing jobs!

Afterwards, we went for some burgers at Hungry Jacks, and then a hot chocolate at the Guiylan cafe. It was very nice! For tea we went out with Aunty Caz and Uncle Pete to a restaurant called Hurricanes. The meat and ribs looked like they'd come from the flintstones, it was delicious. Well folks, that's my penultimate blog from Sydney. See you tomorrow for one last one!

Day 19 - Paddy's Market

Pat Butcher eat your heart out.

Inside the Opera House.

Dad took offense to M&S's sizing policy.

Ugh.

She was so proud when she managed to keep hold of the chicken for longer than two seconds. Better than I did.

Another rainy day in Sydney! This morning we went to City Extra for breakfast (we heard Pop went there a lot!) and had a huge breakfast! I had a croissant and a hash brown, dad had sausage and egg, mum had eggs benedict, and Cal had raisin toast and muffins. It was really nice! Following that, we got a taxi to Paddy's Market, a market very similar to the markets in Spain without the nice chicken, and it was inside. Cal got a great bargain on his kangaroo balls, and dad bought a hat. Mum also bought a new phone case for her iPhone, because the one we got her "stops her getting a signal".

We then went to Darling Harbour for a look around the shops inside, and then went for a tour around the Opera House. It was really interesting, and we even got to see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing a few pieces from Swan Lake during their rehearsal for tonight.

For tea we went out to a Japanese restaurant, which was really nice and the desserts were heavenly! Tomorrow is mum's b-day, and we're going out to Hurricanes for tea. Night!

Day 18 - Harbour Bridge Walk

Aunty Caz spoiling the picture (not my words!)

At the top of what felt like Mt. Everest!

Halfway up and all smiles... little did we know.

And for all you non believers...

Do you think he brushes twice a day?

We'd heard you were strict, Aunty Caz, but that's going too far.

Yep, there is definitely a pattern forming.

AWW!

This morning mum and I got up bright and early to go and climb the Harbour Bridge! When mum got up this morning the rain and fog was so thick you couldn't see across the wharf, but it promptly cleared up as we started to walk up. However, when we got halfway, the rain started to fall heavily again, and our instructor told us to put on our raincoats. It was really fun and exciting, and the rain and wind made it even more fun as we challenged ourselves to get to the top.

During the time mum and I were on the bridge, dad and Callum went to the Wildlife Centre, and went to go and see a short film at the IMAX theatre. We met them at 1pm for lunch at Darling Harbour, and following that we went to the aquarium. The first exhibit there was, you guessed it, a platypus! This one, unlike the one at the zoo, was lit up and very excitable! It was even doing tricks for us in the water! The aquarium was really good, full of weird and exotic fish, and great for keeping us out of the sheets of rain outside.

This evening we went for dinner at Angela and Keith's with Aunty Caz, Uncle Pete, and the boys. When we arrived, we found Matt with a swollen black eye he got during laser tag, he looked just like Rocky when he put his dressing gown on! We had a lovely meal of lasagne and potatoes, with a birthday cake for mum, and Angie's world famous Banofee pie! It was all delicious, and Angie and Keith are lovely. Having a lie in tomorrow, and waiting to see what the weather is like before deciding what to do. G'night!

Day 17 - Guylian Breakfast

Does this count as part of my 5-a-day?



Mum and I on the tour bus.

?

Great view ruined by Callum...

Great view enhanced by me!

Nightime in Sydney.

From Ormskirk to Sydney!

We had quite a busy day today! For breakfast we went to the Guylian cafe - it was gorgeous! Mum and I had pancakes with strawberries, bananas, and chocolate sauce, Callum had a chocolate muffin, and dad had a cinnamon roll. It was quite expensive a reasonable price, in my opinion, but I don't think dad agreed with me!

After that we walked to The Rocks and got a tour bus which was really interesting and gave us a break from walking for about 2 hours! When I've made my first million, I want to move to Woolloomooloo, and not just because it sounds funny (although that plays a big part in it), but because people like Nicole Kidman live there, and she'd be a pretty cool next door neighbour.

In the afternoon we met up with Aunty Caz, Matt and Ben, and we all embarked on the great search to find mum's Ugg boots. After much discussion about what were the official Ugg boots (the one with the big G in the middle) we found a pair for her (the same ones I got for Christmas... how embarrassing!). Went for ice cream after that, and I bought an opal necklace in the shape of a kangaroo. For dinner the four of us went to a steak restaurant - it was really nice! Up early tomorrow because mum and I are climbing the Harbour Bridge (Callum chickened out so him and dad are going to the Wildlife Centre instead).

Day 16 - Taronga Zoo

Although it's blurry, it was still mum's favourite photo of her.

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

It's behind you!

At Nicks.

The living room in our apartment.

Mum and dad's bedroom.

The kitchen.

The view!

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Did you know their horns are made of fur?

Simples!

We had a very busy day today! This morning Callum and I packed whilst mum and dad went to go and get some Ugg boots for mum (they didn't have her size in the end), and that was hard work in itself! In the afternoon we went to Taronga Zoo with Angela, Charlotte and Tony, and it was a lot of fun! We got really close up to a lion (the photos are really bad though), and a snow leopard, and we watched a bird show.

I finally saw a platypus! It was swimming around in an inside enclosure, but because they are nocturnal, it was really dark and you weren't allowed to take photographs. I also came up with a name for my platypus - Puggle! Baby platypi are called puggles, so I thought it fit well! I also really wanted to see a Fennec fox, and I did, but it was asleep in the very far corner of the enclosure, so we didn't get a very good look at it.

Afterwards, we arrived at our hotel. It's absolutely gorgeous! It's really big and posh, and it's like a mini apartment. Tomorrow dad promised we could go and eat at the Guiylan cafe for breakfast, so I'm excited for that. Tonight aunty Caz, uncle Pete, mum, dad, Callum and I all went to Nicks, a seafood and grill restaurant. It was really nice! We left the two boys at home with a babysitter, and promises of chocolate because it's Funday Sunday!

Day 15 - Bondi and BBQ

Bondi on a Saturday

Caz and her crew

Life guards in training...

Don't think the one on the end will pass the fitness test.

See a pattern forming?

Back in Sydney now, and we went to Bondi today. Dad went to watch Matt and Ben play football and Ben scored 2 goals (show off!) and Matt scored one (but not necessarily in the right goal). In the afternoon we went to get something to eat at the food court, where there was a new pen shop opening. It was great! :D We then went to Bondi - the sand is so different to Spanish sand.

BBQ tonight with some of aunty Caz and uncle Pete's friends, the ones who attended the wedding. We're now waiting for the football match to start, and trying to explain the rivalry between Everton and Liverpool to the Aussies.

I forgot to say, a few nights ago at Daydream, I went to the toilet, and there was a kangaroo in there!About five seconds passed with the two of us just looking at each other, and then it bounded out past me (without washing its hands!). Off to Sydney centre tomorrow to go to our hotel.