Stuck on you....

We were in Sydney for 3 days before we made it to the harbour. What an earth were we doing you may ask?! Well we had a ‘day off’ to catch up with sleep & chores such as washing, future travel plans etc & we also had to return the Hippee Camper to the depot,  so we took advantage of being that side of the city to explore the Royal National Park. We said our goodbyes to the van & drove to the park  (M&E had kindly lent us a car). First stop the visitor centre which also sold great muffins! Then we took to the waters in a canoe on the tranquil waterways at Albury where Mr L & I had a useful discussion on oarmanship & who might/might not be responsible for causing the canoe to veer into the reeds. The conclusion was it was probably the canoe – we are far better in a kayak. Then we drove further into the park to find a trail that took us through an area of  rain forest. We walked for nearly an hour through moderate terrain but quite wet in places due to the recent weather & because it's a rain forest! When we got back to the car I felt something on my ankle & when I reached down to get it I discovered it was a leech! I couldn't get out of the car quick enough to get my trainers & socks off. Mr L thought I was being dramatic (as if) until he realised he had leeches stuck on him too. Total count: me – 4 attached & 3 on/in my socks & trainers; Mr L – 6 on him. When we were sure we had removed them all we drove to the beach & stood with our feet in the sea to wash away the blood & clean the wounds. Leeches have been added to my ever increasing list of creatures I do not like. Currently in top position.  The next day M acted as our tour guide, starting with the coastal walk that took in 5 different bays/beaches including Bondi. The weather was particularly unkind to us, with heavy rain & strong winds which meant we didn't see the beaches at their best. The sun did come out later though when we strolled around the well tended botanic gardens and where we got our first glimpse of the iconic Harbour Bridge & Opera House. When you are travelling for so long you forget or take for granted that you are in another country- in this case one that is across the other side of the world but seeing that view reminded us of how far we have travelled & made us stop to enjoy the moment. Our next stop was an area called 'The Rocks' which we loved - lots of original buildings, houses & pubs that have been preserved & gave us a feel for what Sydney was like 100+ yrs ago. We went into some of the pubs – just for a look of course – and strolled around the streets & under the start of the Harbour bridge. Definitely an area to visit. With great train links to the city M&E’s house was ideally placed for exploring Sydney & we spent several days visiting the sights. Our trip coincided with the arrival at the Quay of the Queen Mary 2 Cunard liner – a great sight to see when we caught the ferry to Manly – described by my mum in her holiday diary as an Island. It isn't but I could see why she thought that & why her and Moy made several trips here when they stayed in Sydney. Cafes & shops line the pedestrianised walkways & seats along the beachfront to watch the surfers and the sea. We also explored Darling harbour & also took E up on her offer to show us around the Federal Court where she works (how could I resist!), where we sat in on an appeal being heard by the Lord Chief Justice. The courtrooms are very impressive and the building has great facilities. The real bonus is it's located right in the heart of Sydney so from  the 16th floor we were treated to great views across the city. The area where M&E live was also good for exploring,  with the majority of shops & houses, including theirs, built when Sydney began to develop as a city with beautifully preserved period features – definitely not what we expected. A great community feel too. One evening We got tickets to see an Irish band ‘The Young Folk’ at an unusual venue – Streatham Bowls Club. I've never been to a gig at a bowls club so my expectations were quite low. As we pulled up the place looked empty & we thought we had the wrong place but as we went in there were 4 rows of chairs set out in front of a small stage & tables at the back. By the time the band came on the place was packed – the vast majority Irish or of Irish origins & so plenty of support and interaction with the band. It was a great night – the band were good & it was nice to hear some live music.