Latest realisations:

• I really really want to eat my dad's homemade curry and a roast beef dinner. Perhaps not at the same time though…
• That I am now calling trousers 'pants'… A little worrying for what I might say in error when I get home…
• That apparently speaking English in a native English speaking country does not help people understand you…
• That it's a bad ratio when your umbrella gets used more than your sunscreen…
• I now click Australia as my home for anything I book online…
• How much I love sunshine… 5 whole days of uninterrupted sunshine… Thank you Sydney. It has been most nice to have a break from the rain!!

• I chose the wrong month to temp in the public sector… Two public holidays for Easter plus one for Anzac Day does not a full week of work make…

Yes Easter public holidays. Holidays that everyone who is working looks forward to and anyone working on a temporary basis wants to work… Gaining a higher base wage here as a temp in contrast to back home, here there is no holiday accrual. Back home, I had holiday accrual but a low wage… Obviously wanting to be working as many days as possible, by the time Thursday rolled round I was actually quite thankful I had a day off!!!

Making good use of these days off, throwing myself into exploring the city, spending more time with Sarah, we tried out a sushi restaurant called Kura Kura. With iPads on hand to aid the ordering process, I did my best to introduce Sarah to sushi and sashimi. Sushi a hit, sashimi not so much… A dangerous process of just tapping what you want, it was very speedy and efficient. I know for sure my sister would like the button that said 'request bill' :-). Ending our night with frozen yoghurt, I tried sweet potato yoghurt for the first time… Not too bad at all…

The sun appearing as if by magic, Sarah suggested a scenic walk that runs from Manly beach in the north to middle harbour near harbour bridge. Taking the ferry from circular quay, it was nice to appreciate Sydney's skyline in the sunshine :-). Powering up on lunch beside the sea, we were welcomed onto the 9km walk by a penguin… ;-). The walk curving along the Coast, we watched families out enjoying themselves, many people walking the track (albeit in the opposite direction which we later realised was because William and Kate were heading to Manly that afternoon!) and lots and lots of water and blue sky.

The signs causing no end of banter, we noted that we were prohibited from playing golf on the first section, then nude bathing on the second (presumably meaning we could have at the first?!) and a sign informing we that we shouldn't swim after a lot of heavy rain as it washes pollution to the shore… Fair enough. Our tired legs finishing the walk, we rewarded ourselves with a pint of cider in the Edinburgh Castle Hotel bar. Fittingly of course with missing George's, we recorded him a video. This still makes me laugh when I watch it back :-). Sarah unfortunately leaving the next day, wishing her well with her onward journey up the east coast, I think we really enjoyed each other's company :-). It was awesome to spend time with someone who you can properly talk to beyond the usual polite 'how long have you been in Australia' chat… I am very much looking forward to the Sarah, George and Jane renunion in the UK…

On a recommendation from my colleagues, I ventured to the royal Easter show with a friend from my hostel. Tickets costing $38.50 including transport to and from the regenerated Olympic Park we made sure to get our money's worth… Especially after Granma's kitchen charged us $5 for a 450ml bottle of coke… $5… Actual madness. Many agricultural stalls, food, animals and fayre rides, there were also shows on throughout the day. We both got very involved in the Australia vs New Zealand wood chopping relay… Very competitive and strangely compelling!!! Wow.

Enjoying a rodeo and a celebration of 'Australia', we were treated to a more than life size Dame Edna, Vegemite dancing to Kylie, some awesome moto tricks, an uplifting standing ovation for Olympic gold medalist swimmer Dawn Fraser and Ned Kelly dressed as Sidney Nolan. Yes really! Finishing the night with some awesome fireworks, having been not sure whether to go at all, I am really glad I did. It was an awesome way to spend Easter.

Banter of course, here are just some of the things we noted during the 9 hours we spent there:

• There are some very pretty looking chickens. There are also some unfortunately not so pretty, very scary looking ones… One genuinely looked like predator!
• That a man trying to fish in a tank of water filled with barramundi probably has a pretty big chance of catching a fish…
• Parents really do need to watch their children at all times. We watched a child in the sheep pen pick up a chain and put it round his neck… Hmmm.
• Lots of ducks and lots of hay in their cages I asked Zak what ducks ate… His response? Bread…
• New South Wales farmers apparently produce the highest proportion of eggs in Australia
• Cows apparently get haircuts…
• Corn is very popular at the Easter show. Lots of corn on the cob and corn dogs, I will really have to try a corn dog some point…
• New South Wales apparently has drinking measures called a schmiddy (halfway between middy and schooner (half pint and 3/4 pint to those back home!)) and a pony (140ml). We wondered if anybody ever genuinely walks into a bar and asks for a pony…
• They make most of their money on soft drinks… $5 for a 450ml bottle of coke. About £3.50 my friends… I still remember the days of 79p bottles and two for £1…
• Olympic Park holds spotless stadium. Its name, not an adjective of its condition…
• Despite watching for an hour we still have absolutely no idea how the scores of a rodeo work…

My weekend not done quite yet, I also managed Sydney's Westfield tower. Meeting a friend I met working at the roadhouse and her sister, we looked out over Sydney's bounds. Not quite as impressive as Melbourne's eureka tower, I don't think we were high enough to see beyond the realms of Sydney's suburbs. It is a very vast, sprawling city. Always good to view a city from many perspectives though my heads up for this attraction is to book it online… You can save up to $8 off general admission and $14 for a skywalk.

Also enjoying book reading, firing through books at many a pace here (heavy, I am determined to read all the ones I've been carrying and revert to kindle), opening my next choice, 'A fortune teller told me', a very nice message on the inside cover made me smile.

I really really like that this book has a story attached… It reminds of my own unforgettable adventures. I really hope that their paths did cross again.

Post weekend, experiencing some pretty ridiculous mood shifts, feeling a bit in limbo and momentarily stuck I was nearly tempted to just get on a plane to Broome. Crying proper huge silent tears on Tuesday, just wanting to lie in bed and feel sorry for myself, I walked into my dorm to find the loveliest Irish lass who in the space of 5 minutes turned me from flying out of Sydney the next day to happy and contended again :-). Bonding bizarrely over shared experiences with powdery mildew, I actually love this girl. We’ve just clicked :-). Between her and some other awesome hostel friends, they have made me content to spend another couple of weeks here and and to find new work before I move. Finding words on a blog called 'Yoga to be kidding' they reminded that at times it is important to be still on your journey… That it is important not to be overwhelmed… Exactly how I felt when I arrived back into Sydney… A different, slower pace is sometimes important, facilitating the achievement of different goals. Achieving book reading, lightening my load, making new friends, catching up with old ones and also immersing myself in city culture, Sydney certainly has offered a different experience… It is though, still getting pretty close to needing to move on… Soon…

Til next time… 😉