Australia Weeks 1 & 2

As the sunshine didn't play at all yesterday and it insisted on raining for the whole day, I found myself at the Aquarium, and must admit it was amazing!
I'm not sure how i managed to loose myself in there for 5 1/2 hours but I did! It really wasn't like any aquarium I'm seen in England before.
For a start one section was all around the great barrier reef and was floor to ceiling glass in a maaive rectangle shape (kind of) that was so massive it took about 15 mins to walk around it. In the centre and all around was live coral with the most fabulous array of the brightest funkiest fish, sting rays and sharks all merrily swimming around.
Another section was the Oceanarium, which was underwater tunnels that you walked through whilst the most massive sharks and sting rays swum right up to you, there must have been about 10 sharks in there, a big mummy and big daddy (about 15 feet long) and lots of smaller ones. There was a sting ray that was about 3metres in diameter - huge ugly thing, I'd hate to come face to face with it whilst snorkellling!!!
And a section with hundreds of see through jelly fish floating around in it.
It was amazing, then at the end was a huge glass wall bit - like a cinema screen, with seats that people just sat in to watch, it was completely captivating.
(Dad - you would have loved it!)
Anyhow bored you all enough about the aquarium now (but at least I'll remember it in future!) I'll pop a couple of selected piccies online when I ge the chance.
H.xxxxx

Well, 3 weeks in and still having a whale of a time! The weather has really picked up so spent quite a lot of last week on various beaches, loving the ferry ride to manly, but the sand on Bondi is so much better - blimey, what tough decisions I have to make!
Highlight of week 2 was spending a couple of days with Rob (friend from Uni), who as a surprise had organised for us to go on a seaplane. It was truly amazing, we headed to Rose Bay to catch the plane, it was a tiny little thing, that seated only 4 and was on ski's so it could take off and land from the water. We hopped on with a couple of weirdo's, a loving couple, that didn't really want to be sharing the plane with anybody (at least she didn't, the boyfriend was quite ok with us.) We then took off and flew out around the coast and ove rthe national park, we than landed in a beautiful secluded river in the middle of a valley in the national park, hopped of onto a jetty and went into the most stunning restuarant. It was the only thing in the valley and all you could see around you was the river and the trees on the opposite bank of the valley. The view, the journey and the restuarant, were simply stunning and will definately take some beating. It was a perfect surprise organised by Rob.

Usual Razzle has been happening, On Fri, met jac from work, ended up plastered and inviting ourselves round to the neighbours again at midnight, for further drinks! then on Sun, Jac and I went over to Manly beach for a bit of a relax, had the best tea (a steak thing that came to the table on a massive swinging skewer thing - sounds odd, but will have to go back to get a pic - it was ace!), somehow consumed 3 bottles of wine and missed the ferry home - it was fun tho!!!

On Monday, I went to meet with the recruitment consultant about my job situation, she was really postitive, said they'd have no trouble placing me and how soon did I want to start work! They've said my salary expectations are fine and we're pretty much good to go, they've put me forward for a 6 month project role from Quantas (so back to the airline world potentially). Not sure if I want it, but I'll go along to find out about it.

Have booked the most fabulous trip today for next week. On tuesday I fly to Cairns and then do a 14 day trip back to Sydney, which includes a coupe of days sailing around the Whitsundays, a couple of days on Fraser Island, staying on a cattle ranch and a day or 2 at surf school, before heading back to Sydney. A complete extrravagence, but I figured what the hell, I deserve a holiday!!! (Once I've got this out of my system, I'll be fully focused on work - so I guess it's worth it...!!). Plus Jac and Matt move house next Mon, so after all of that heavy work - I'll NEED a break!

Hope you are all well, keep in touch and I'll blog after my trip!

H.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well, after loving my first 2 weeks here, I've decided to start blogging it! Geek! Mainly, so I can keep you folks back at home continually jealous with my exploits and also so I don't forget anything! The millions of pictures I've already taken will also aid that!

to be continued...