Ok, after flying 10 hours straight on both BA and Quantas I can categorically state that BA SUCKS. Quantas is the don - better food, huge legroom even in economy, hotter, friendlier cabin crew and as much Victoria Bitter as you can drink. Those of you that promised/threatened to come visit me in the new year - FLY QUANTAS.

So fortified with a Krispy Kreme I arranged transport into town to our hostel. I say hostel, I mean UBER hostel - that place was huge.

Quickly dumped stuff and had a wander through town... wasn't too impressed at first really, our hostel was naturally in a crappier part of town and we had just come from Tokyo. Ended up at Circular Quay which despite being a tourist bucket it is pretty special - the harbour is an astonishing sight and it turns out that giant cruise ship The World was there...

Cue a fine Aussie steak and Schooner of VB by the seafront and we wandered round the corner to the Opera House... and the first thing Mike said:

"Yeah, whatever"
I thought it was ace - it's a pretty mental building.. the only downside was this:
We come all this way and what's on at the Opera House? Pirates of Bloody Penzance. Where I grew up. I contemplated setting fire to something before having a little sleepie in the (very pretty) Botanical Gardens instead.

I'd like to say I woke up with a Kangaroo licking my face but in actual truth it was a stray page of the local paper blowing over causing me to wake up in an embarrasing panic as I thought it was an unfeasably big spider. Or Russel Crowe. Yeah, whatever.

Sydney's alright.