Return to Australia Jan 07

Time again for the not so weekly janitor's report. This week I can say that all cockroach, ant, snake and wombat infestations have been dealt with in the appropriate manner.(allowing J&K to get in about them with sticks) Oz animal welfare groups are still hunting us down as we “speak”.
Since returning to Aus on Jan 7th we managed to achieve selling our Nissan for a decent price and immediately too, I almost had to walk home to achieve the sale. We had to get a hire car to cover the gap, however Jen managed to get a one-way from Brisbane to Sydney(1000kms) for £6 a day as our flights back to NZ were from Sydney.
We eventually found a shipping co. to use after a vast amount of dead end tracks and then packed up all our stuff. Kayaks, bikes and camping gear into anything we could stuff full. This period was naturally completely stress-free and not a bad word passed between the warring factions. G “I'm not paying for that trash to be shipped into Europe when it could be dumped”. G “Don't the French sell bed linen anymore?”. J “These items have more emotional attachment to me than you'll ever have”, and on it went. Not an occasion passed when one word would have done but it translated into a tirade. This stuff arrives in France in about 6-8 weeks when we should have finished counselling!
We managed a few tourist things before leaving Sarah & Darryl's after getting rid of all our baggage, emotional or otherwise. We made it up Mount Warning after delaying our departure by 24hrs to shin up it. We were virtually in the car to leave when Jen determined some severe exercise was required. Sarah and Darryl couldn't believe their luck that we were staying another night, again! It was 1200m high starting from 300m and quite severe at the top finishing the last 200-300m pulling yourself up on a chain at 45o. We watched an eagle cruise by when at the top and you could walk 360o to get the full view. We had another farewell dinner at S&D's before heading on to Sydney taking the slow route. We had 3 days before flying so we meandered down through Tamworth to visit the Country Music Festival for lunch. I managed, at Jen's insistence, a Chinese massage which involved the executioner walking on my back and legs followed by a kicking session into my back. Then when I thought I had suffered enough, he stuck a massive herbal plaster on my hairy back. This plaster 18cm x 9 stuck like a limpet for 5 days and gave no ground even after being soaked in the swimming pool for 1 hour. I took it like a man and wept for an hour after it ripped out every hair on the way off. The Chinese fairly like a joke.
After driving through the Great Dividing Range and the Blue Mountains we reached Sydney at 5pm and really had no problem in traffic considering it was rush hour in a city of 3.5m. Our apartment was superb with 2 balconies, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and kitchen on the 15th floor for £85 a night. J&K loved the height and the lifts which were“cool”.
The following morning, my 46th birthday, I was rudely awoken at 6.30am and forced out of bed. We found a taxi and headed off for the harbour bridge which, unknown to me, we were booked to climb up and over. We were lucky and were taken up on our own. After crawling through the underbelly of the bridge we popped up on the main structure and started up. Once at the top you got a fine view over the Opera House and Darling Harbour. While at the top we discovered through the guide that Sweeney Todd was on at the opera and tickets were available. After breakfast overlooking the OH we got the opera tickets.
Out the front of the opera house was a temporary tennis court which invited anyone to have a shot against the ball machine, the pro, have your serve measured and analysed. We had a bit of fun there. Afternoon at the museum and The Rocks and watching buskers, then we finished the day in the opera house which was very good and a good introductory for J&K. An excellent full-on day for our last in Australia.
We certainly have unfinished business in Australia and another 6 months is required in future to complete the circuit.