Sydney update

4 days in Sydney and have done a lot - as promised I have walked my little socks off (and now can't put my left foot down to walk far as it hurts too much - yeouch!)

Anyhow:
Monday: I met a friend who also has TCS and it was interesting talking to her about her experiences of medics, not being taken seriously (sounds familiar from my early days of discovery that I had a TC), walking and pain problems - yes we all have them, even though sometimes it looks like we are ok. She and her sister kindly took me up to the Northern beaches and coastline in a car, and it was nice getting out of the city and seeing more of the local countryside. I may try to hire a car after Xmas and get out of the city under my own steam.

The Opera House: mixed feelings about it. From a distance, yes it looks amazing, and when I took the pics, the angles, and design IS fascinating. However, it is 60s concrete, inside the entry place it is like a municipal car park, and very dark. from the outside I think it would look better in the evening, with the lights on it. I will report on that later in the week! The Harbour Bridge is a feat of engineering, and I got good pics of the metal work as the ferry went under it yesterday. I am not walking up the span on the Bridge Climb though as it costs about $250!!!

Went up river to Parramatta yesterday - one of the first places to be settled after Sydney. Very interesting tour round the oldest house in Australia, and there is a place in the town called Brislington. The river cat was excellent and quite cheap for the distances (equiv. 3.35pounds for an hour's ride).

Went up into the Blue Mountains today on a trip with Oztrails (very good, small numbers in a small bus) and saw the Three Sisters Rock formation, Wentworth Falls, had a ride on a cable car at an angle of 52deg! above a temperate rainforest, which was in turn at the bottom of the valley which had been mined for coal, and saw kangaroos in the wild - cute. However I will be working with them at the Warrawong Wildlie Sanctuary outside Adelaide, so that will be more interesting and up close.

Just got back into town from that and went into the Botanic Gardens on the walk back up to the hotel - my horticultural and photographic interests came together and I spent an hour or so photographing beautiful and unusual flowers that we don't have in the UK. (I need another camera card now :))

Weather in Sydney is still unsettled. I think you in the UK are having more sun than us at the moment. However when it does come out it is HOT - once the clouds go away it will be great (let's keep hoping).

OK, another update soon. Time for dinner. It might be Japanese tonight - Wagamamas is just up the road

Speak soon