Sydney … Christmas and New Year …

Tue, 25th Dec: Christmas Day … dinner at The Terrace, Lake Pittwater …
Sorry for the language but we woke up today and it is pissing down – sooooo gutted 😦 Guess my baking hot sunny Christmas Day on the beach will have to wait until another time!
11hrs ahead of the UK we start our Christmas Day in the usual fashion – the kids on our bed opening their stockings, lol, LOVE IT 🙂 Neil and I open up the cards which have been sent out to us and are grateful for the messages from home.

We have a lovely lazy morning in each other’s company and, despite the weather, manage ok in the restrictions of the Motor Home.

We tart ourselves up for our Christmas Dinner at The Terrace on Pittwater @ Newport Arms Hotel and head there for our 2.00pm reservation. This place was recommended to us by a Sydney couple who we met in India and we are delighted when we arrive. The restaurants location has operated for over 75 years on the upper level of Sydney’s famous Newport Arms Hotel, home to Australia’s largest waterfront beer garden, which itself has been a restaurants, dining & hotel landmark for locals and travellers since 1880. It is situated only 10mins away in the heart of the Northern Beaches amidst stunning hillside scenery and, if it were not raining, it would have been more sensational if we were able to venture outside. The restaurant is ideally located on the shores of picturesque Lake Pittwater, with breathtaking water views to Bayview & Ku-Ring-Gai National Park, and is the ideal spot for eating out. It goes without saying that we thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas Dinner!

Once back on the site, it was still lashing down with rain so we bummed out, drank and ate too much, played the normal Christmas games and did a bit of facetiming with the family wishing them well for their Christmas morning.

Wed, 26th Dec: Boxing Day … bowling, laser skirmish and The Hobbit …
Just where did the rain go? Not that we are complaining, lol! You just couldn’t believe the difference in the days.

We have a great Boxing Day. A leisurely morning is had and the request of the day is to go and see The Hobbit which opens in Oz today. We locate a cinema and decide to drive out and purchase our tickets which we do so for the 7.00pm show. We are glad we did as it is heaving with visitors and the car park and roads are packed which makes us decide to walk back later.

In the meantime, we are keen to ‘get out and do something’ so head off to a local bowling venue. We have a great time bowling and get to play laser skirmish which is included in the holiday bowling offer. This is something Neil and I have never done before but enjoy it so much that we would be keen to do again!

We take the van back to Narrabeen for a quick fajita tea before our 20min walk to the cinema to watch The Hobbit. Me and the kids loved the film; Neil not so much, lol, and we chat about it on the walk home 🙂

Thu, 27th Dec: Palm Beach … the Lighthouse Walk … last day at North Narrabeen …
It’s a beautiful day and we spend it at Palm Beach – which we are told is the beach used in the filming of Home and Away. It is the jewel of the Northern Beaches and the northernmost suburb of Sydney. Nestled on a landmark peninsula, it is blessed with a unique contrast of lush evergreen bushland and beaches of golden sand, enveloped by the pristine blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and the calm sailing paradise of Pittwater. A unique environmental awareness blending breathtaking views with quaint cottages and palatial homes, ensures that Palm Beach enjoys a lifestyle of relaxed and casual affluence.

Our ‘post Christmas walk’ is one up to The Barranjoey Lighthouse on the Barranjoey Head at Palm Beach. Having an interesting history, the lighthouse was built from the attractive Hawkesbury Sandstone at Barranjoey Head. Its preservation has been a battle against bureaucracy, the elements and vandals. The Barranjoey Lighthouse was the third light on the headland and was completed in 1881. A customs station was established in 1843 as the Headland marked the entrance to Broken Bay and the Pittwater which were considered to be the backdoor of Sydney for smugglers.

Once back on site, we get the bbq going and, as Kieran and the laptop go home tomorrow, I begin the task of transferring the rest of our photos to date to the storage device. After tea, the kids spend some time looking at all the OLD photos on the iPad which have transferred from my pc at home when I synced it with the iPad. Neil and I join them and it’s a nice last evening as they reminisce but also as they laugh at old pics of family and friends.

Fri, 28th Dec: Kieran’s Departure … and Lane Cove River Tourist Park …
Today, we make the journey inland for our stay at a national park close to Sydney and it proves to be a great location to base ourselves for our journeys in and out of Sydney over the next few days.

Lane Cove River Tourist Park is in an idyllic setting and it’s here we are woken up (early) to the birdsong. Amongst sightings of wildlife, we get close up to a possum who visits our neighbouring van and we also get to actually see a Kookaburra – having heard their ‘laughter’ for days! Just 10kms from Sydney City with over 600 hectares to explore Lane Cove also has numerous bushwalks and facilities.

After setting the van up, we relax and Kieran starts to pack 😦

It’s only a 10min walk to North Ryde train station where we get the train to central and pick up the train from central to international airport – it’s so easy to get around. We get Kieran all checked in and wait in the bar until he needs to go through security. It’s a lovely last hour but the goodbye comes all too soon 😦 It’s another emotional one and we are saddened as he disappears from view 😦

Sat, 29th Dec: Lazy, lazy, catch up day 🙂 @ Lane Cove River Tourist Park
We literally spend the whole day on site – I played ‘catch up’ with the Blog whilst Lauren and Neil planned out itinerary for the next two weeks. By teatime, we had a bit of ‘cabin fever’ and caught the courtesy bus to the RSL club – yay!!!!!!!!!! A few beers, pool games and burgers later we headed home. A very very lazy day indeed.

Sun, 30th Dec: $2.50 Sydney family saver travel ticket …
Neil is delighted as we qualify for the $2.50 family saver ticket today – well, Lauren is only 15 after all, pmsl :-). This offer allows us unlimited public transport travel today which makes us a considerable saving as we venture into Sydney today.

From North Ryde station we get the train into Sydney but decide to get off at to Milson’s Point (on the North Side of Harbour Bridge) so we can actually walk over the bridge into Sydney – again more amazing views of the harbour!!!!!!!

We can see that the Bridge Climbs are closed today as the final checks on the fireworks are being made. There is a real buzz about Sydney today – it is a real hive of activity. All the preparations are being made for the New Year celebrations tomorrow 😀 Everywhere you look, there are people setting up blockards, signage, band stands, canopies and loads of toilet blocks!

Once on the other side we use the remainder of our Bridge Climb ticket allowing us entry to the Pylon Museum, again with so many interesting facts and figures about the Bridge and more amazing views at this well appointed but different vantage point. On this clear day we could see so far into the distance with the places pinpointed on a map around the edge of the pylon.

On our walk around the city we seek out the wharf for the New Year’s Eve Cruise tomorrow. How exciting, King Street Wharf was lovely, vibrant and buzzing! and it didn’t take us long to locate Jetty 9 where we will be meeting the Lady Rose x The boats already in the wharf were being prepared and adorned with decorations and lights which adds to our excitement.

We leave King Street Wharf by ferry to Cockatoo Island. I had it in my head that this was a beautiful island where the birds were very friendly and thought nothing of landing on you in great numbers (Pam x). That thought was soon extinguished as we approached the island and Lauren said ‘that looks like a prison’ and it did! Not very ‘pretty’ at all. I suddenly realise that it was Magnetic Island I was thinking about – oh dear, pmsl, soz Loz x

We get off the ferry and it does look very depressing indeed. However, our mistake (sorry, my mistake) has led us to a very historic place. Cockatoo Island is actually an ex prison colony and shipbuilding yard – and, at this time of year, a prime camping location for NYE!

During our short visit here we take a drink in the unique Island Bar made from recycled shipping containers. On our walk around, we discover that Cockatoo Island, retaining all its character and heritage from years of human endeavour by convicts and ship-builders alike, has undergone a renaissance in every sense of the word. Cockatoo Island is actually a world heritage site listed alongside 10 other sites for its convict history; an incredible industrial landscape thanks to its place in Australian maritime history; and now one of the most sought after cultural venues in the country. Off limits for more than 100 years, Cockatoo Island has been opened as a remarkable historical landmark and the world’s first urban waterfront campground.

Our return ferry ride is direct to Circular Quay where we walk right up to the Opera House. It is very vibrant here and the Opera Bar is simply buzzing. It is so alive here as people ‘socialise’ the afternoon away. We are provided once more with fantastic views of Sydney from this side of the Quay – simply breathtaking. It is so busy in CBD today; we can’t imagine what its going to be like tomorrow. On our walk back to the ferry we notice a restaurant on the shore front advertising a NYE buffet evening at $295 per head !!!!! Excitement is spilling over now … on experiencing the buzz of the City and the Harbour today we are convinced we are doing the right thing tomorrow night – the cruise I looked into 7 months ago is now less than 24 hours away – OMG!

A weary train ride back to North Ryde and Lane Cove brings our day to an end. BBQ, drinks and My Rummy finish our day off a treat.

Mon, 31st Dec: New Year’s Eve … The Lady Rose Cruise … bring it on …
OMG, NYE 2012 – sooooooooooo soooooooooexcited. We wake at 8am to a glorious beautiful sunny day. We take a relaxed morning getting ready and facetime the family with messages before the onslaught of the normal texts and phone calls which is normal at this time of year!

We leave camp at 2pm for a leisurely journey into Sydney and onward walk to the wharf where we plan to soak up the atmosphere, chill out, eat and generally get ourselves prepared for the cruise. It is a fantastic afternoon and the wharf is ‘banging’ and it’s not long before we have to be at the jetty – 6.45pm PROMPT!!!!!

Well, we usher in the New Year from one of the best vantage points in style aboard the luxurious Lady Rose for a fabulous all inclusive New Year’s Eve cruise on the world’s most beautiful harbour. In addition, it allows us prime position for the 9.00pm and midnight fireworks and all other planned activities. Whilst doing so, we see the stunning sites of the Sydney skyline as the sun goes down and as the city lights up the sky.

The atmosphere at the wharf is amazing and continues as we board the Lady Rose. Straight away the drinks and food are being served and we investigate the decks of the boat before settling ourselves on the top deck. The DJ starts as does the boat and we are on our way up the Harbour to cruise, eat and drink our night away. It’s not long before the people around us are friends for the night – one lady was even from the same Uni as Lauren, albeit 10 years previously!

The 9.00pm Family Fireworks display boasts to have been the biggest yet, with 4 firing barges and several effects never seen before on the harbour.

They were brilliant and we couldn’t wait for the ones at midnight. Following the 9.00pm fireworks the Lady Rose takes part in the official “Harbour of Lights Parade”, cruising up and down the centre of the harbour in the exclusion Zone! The Harbour Of Lights Parade is a parade of decorated vessels in fairy lights invited to cruise in the exclusion zone to add to the atmosphere of the evening and only invited vessels have this privilege.

Before we know it, we are alongside the Opera House waiting for the fireworks to bring in the New Year … and they are simply the best. These fabled 12 minutes of pyrotechnical synchronization, employ 30,000 effects, six barges spanning 6 kilometres of water, both arches and all the roadways of the Harbour Bridge, plus 8 city buildings to provide the 1.5 million spectators around the Harbour – and a world-wide television audience – with the unique opportunity to experience collective awe. They literally went off all around us – the highlight of course were the Bridge fireworks and our photos do not do the display any justice at all.

The night is over all too soon and once back at the wharf we join the throngs of people making their way home. An excellent New Year’s Eve 😀

Tue, 1st Dec: New Year’s Day …
Chill, chill, chill! That was the order of the day today … and that’s exactly what we did! At 11.30am UK time, we had a call from Philip to say they were in the Farthings, would be at Mum and Dad’s to bring in the new year and asking would we facetime them to bring in 2013 in the UK. We went directly to the IT Room, connected to the internet and called them just before midnight and, very surreally, brought in the new year with them – we could even hear Big Ben’s chimes!!!!!! Afterwards, we all sang Auld Lang Syne together – oh the joys of modern technology – another brilliant moment! We left them to do the usual phone calls to everybody and went heartwarmingly back to the Motor Home.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, packing, meeting a very friendly possum (lol) and generally getting ready for our move tomorrow and the start of Lauren’s Road Trip.