Sydney, the heart of Australia!

Let me start by saying G'day to you all! I know my blogs are becoming sparse with long periods of waiting between--but really, I figure no one really wants to hear about the mass amounts of homework, 'wonderful' group projects, and all the uneventful happenings of my daily life. So...I am saving this blog for the 'good stuff' only!

Friday of this past week was an Australian holiday called Anzac Day; A day that Australia remembers and honors their Soldiers! It is a HUGE and PROUD holiday for the Aussies, and they celebrate big with lots of food, booze, parades and more booze! In fact our Aussie friend Andy told us it was a crime that we hadn't made it to a bar on Anzac day. This public holiday kept us out of school on Friday so we (Lacey and myself) had booked a trip to Sydney before the semester even started! We left on Thursday and stayed with some boys we had met on our spring break trip...their house was huge, and a little messy. I am starting to come to the conclusion that most boys are just messy! Anyway--it was sweet because they had a room made up for us complete with clean sheets and comforters!

When I landed Thursday night I instantly fell in love with Sydney...the cab ride to the boys' house was about thirty minutes and I was greeted by Lacey(She had left earlier in the day because she didn't have class, I on the other hand had class from 7:30am-3:00pm STRAIGHT!) the boys, and a beverage! We went to a local bar (in Coogee, a suburb on the outskirts of Sydney) and had a few drinks, it was a good night--and we made it home early enough to rest up for the long day ahead, we needed to get some serious 'touristing' goin' on!

Earlier in the month we had booked the infamous "Bridge Climb." I wanted to climb in memory and honor of my Uncle Jim! It was something he had wanted to do when he visited Sydney, but wasn't able to...so before I left the States I knew I had a mission to climb that bridge for him! We were scheduled to climb at 8:15 Friday morning....We woke up early and made our way into the City. The short five minute walk to the bus was amazing in itself--the boys life steps away from an ocean view--breathtaking to say the least! It was such an amazing morning to be in Sydney, it was quiet and although it is a huge city, there is a quaintness about it that is hard to explain! We arrived at our destination and suited up from head to toe in some rather sexy climbing gear aka a full body jump suit! We were in a group of seven people and one tour guide. Each of us wore headsets so that we could hear the tour guide explain the sites and the history of the bridge. We had everything strapped securely to us--from sunglasses, to raincoats...thus preventing any accidents from happening on the motorway! The weather had been rainy for 13 days straight before we had arrived...and although the day we climbed it was a little on the cloudy side...we didn't get rained on until the last two minutes of the two and a half hour climb! I will admit....the walk/climb was a bit scary at times, but the payoff was immaculate! The view, the feeling, and the overall experience was amazing--and I know my Uncle Jim was right there with me to see it all, which made it even better!

After the climb we made our way to a cafe and enjoyed some lunch in the city. We then headed around the harbour to check out the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, and all the excitement of Sydney! It was great to be somewhere I never thought I would ever see in person...I loved it. We did some shopping and wandering around for the rest of the day before making it back to Coogee for some dinner. We were exhausted to say the least....so we planned on staying in for the night...because once again we had big plans for the following day. As part of the Anzac holiday the festivities last the entire weekend...Friday was the Anzac Parade, and Saturday was the Royal Derby. Our friend from Sydney (Andy) had told us all about the Derby and this thing called the "lawn party." So we decided to check it out! The horse races started at 11:30 and the "lawn party" gave us access to all the food, drinks, and front row action we could want. It was so neat to experience---they had stages set up for bands, and a pampering booth for the ladies! In Australia the horse races are a rather formal event, and the major races are even more formal. Lucky for us the weather in Sydney was hot and sunny for race day. So Lacey and I got all dressed up (head feathers included) and made our way to the "lawn party." It was an all day event, and it was a blast! I even made a few bets and came out on top....I guess going with the best name works after all...who needs to know the odds?! Once again we were exhausted after a long day of absorbing the Australian culture and we headed back to the house for a little more rest!Our final day in Sydney came with perfect weather! We headed to China town and some markets for some last minute "touristing." Once again---Sydney blew my mind. I loved it there! It is such an incredible place. We had dinner with the boys before being swept off by a taxi driver airport bound.

I can honestly say I just didn't get enough of Sydney, the heart of Australia--and I plan to go back before I leave this country!