Here I am in Sydney Town

Wilmot street and Victoria House is in one of those doorways!

It's 11.30pm Sydney time and I am sitting downstairs in Victoria House, an experience that puts a whole new meaning into budget accommodation. It is in Wilmot Street for those interested. We (the girls and staff) have been given dormitory style rooms with bunk beds to sleep in - 10 bunks in the room I am supposed to be in!! The girls were less than impressed - no mattress protectors and beds with ripped mattresses, sheets - clean but with stains that have not come out in industrial laundry treatment, with an aircell blanket (sorry, you get a pillow and pillow case as well). There is dubious air conditioning that the manager finally got going as the girls were going to bed. There are some windows that open, though that is not necessarily a positive thing. However, all this pales into insignificance when after walking up the seedy side street that we are on, there right at the end of the street....., across the road....., is the cinema, where the RED CARPET PREMIERE of Baz Luhrmann's "AUSTRALIA", WITH Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman (*squeal twice,LOL) will be appearing TOMORROW night!!!!!!!!!


If you look closely you can see the rolls of red carpet in the entrance of the theatre. There are trucks and minions everywhere as I write - this may very well be the first published photo of the pre, premiere, LOL. Who would have thought I would be in Sydney coinciding with such an auspicious happening.

My day started at 5am in Tardun having got to bed somewhere around 1am this morning and we were on our way by about 6.30am. Had a good trip down as the WM and I travelled with another staff member, in her car, as there were heaps of staff to go on the bus with the girls. Bliss indeed if any of you know what travelling is like with a hoard of girls who all have their MP3's and phones on playing different sorts of thump, thump music, screeching with excitement at everything on the way. Enough said. Had a good flight with Qantas - contrary to what you may have read in the papers lately, (there was the odd bit of turbulance but we all had seat belts on heh, heh).

Things of note on the way down, saw a very large wedge tailed eagle sitting in a tree just before Morawa and then somewhere after Mora, there were all these huge hay bales that were square standing on end in the paddock looking somewhat like stone henge plinths. God knows what size cows eat them, LOL! There were round bales as well that looked as though they were wrapped in some sort of plastic covering lying on their sides in other paddocks and then some normal sized smaller square bales. As I write this, I realise the bales are not strictly square as in four equal sides but square oblongs (is it the lack of sleep you may well ask, LOL). I should have taken a photo but we were trying to catch up to the bus so maybe on the way back. I did get a few cat naps in on the way down and managed to sleep most of the way on the plane, hence me feeling wide away now - a few coffees along the way also helped I think, LOL. Had a flat white the size of a small swimming pool at DOME (a coffee and snack type franchaise over here) at Perth airport and am still feeling the effects.

We arrived at our accommodation around 9pm and after finding respective beds, went down the road to get a bite to eat. In the space of about 400m there is two Hungry Jacks, Starbucks, KFC, McDonalds, a Kebab place, Gelatissimo (ice cream to die for) and several pubs and coffee/cake type places. Most of the girls had Mc D's or Hungry Jacks. I opted for a kebab and baklava for desert which was sinfully sugary, nutty and dripping with honey.

Am on five bars with the G3 broadband here and it has never been so quick, LOL. The joys of living in a big city. Tomorrow we are out and about going to Sydney Tower and Oztrek, touring Hyde Park barracks, circular quay and catching a ferry to Manly so a busy day. The temp has dropped considerably - down to the 20's so have had jeans and jumper on today. It was muggy for awhile when we first got here and were busy unpacking etc. It is feeling quite fresh now. Am feeling thirsty so may go and get some water. Catch you later.