3rd March
Went into town today and changed our flights, we are no longer going to china or india but on the bright side we are going to south Africa for a month and we will be home early. After we changed our flights Robin and I picked up a tipsy jim from the bar and went for a walk in Sydney. We walked through the old town and saw where the convicts and later the immigrants came into aus. We went to see the oldest house and went to the museum and then walked over the harbor bridge. The bridge is nowhere as good as san fran bridge but it was nice that robin and jim had a race over this one. You do not have the Samaritan phones on Sydney bridge like you do on san fran bridge but you do have security guards. Jim asked the security guards how many suisides they had and they replied the weekend is worst, they work all night Fridays and sats.From the bridge we waved to a yacht which belonged to cruella de ville with spotted sails. They waved back so jim broke into song, I do not think anyone understands jims humour but I do find him funny!! After robin and jim had a race back along the bridge we walked some more along the front. Robin and Jim complained tonight their feet hurt from walking too far, I don’t know about that but their feet certainly smell!!

4th March
Out for brekkie and onto train into center. Went to the maritime museum which was so cool we stayed for most of the day. It was interesting that it was a government paid pirate that mapped most of western aus a 100 years before james cook arrived on his endeavour. Our brains hurt afterwards so we sat and watched the world go by for a bit, admiring cockle bay. Well by the time we dawdelled past the aquariam etc and admired the tower and bridges and buildings and then caught the train back to motel where we had a meal in the pub and retired. In the museum was and exhibition of a man who sailed on a tall ship from America to Australia during his gap year when he was 19 in the 1930s, jim found it very interesting, but the history of the whole place is quite short and the only thing I found out about the aboriginis was that they do not like their pictures shown or their name written after they die, which is perhaps, why there was nothing about them in the museum. The Maoris had stuff everywhere, I do hope we find out a bit more about the aboriginis. We also found out a bit about the 10 pound poms. When jim was talking to his mum the other week, she said that ernie had come home one day he had filled all the forms in and got the 10pounds ready to go to New Zealand but June wouldn’t leave her mum so they didn’t go. How different life would have been. I am sooo glad they didn’t go or I would not have met Jim. Jims complaining about his legs again!
5March
Jim has woken up with a swollen knee! Dragged him out for breakfast and then onwards to Bondi beach! Said he didn’t have to go in swimming but robin decided he did!! Needless to say he swam but is really suffering this evening. He has to go back to airport to get the car in the morning and I am just praying that his leg is working!! We got chatting to a guy this evening, he goes out spear fishing and he said that at the moment he would not go swimming at bondi beach as it is full of sharks and you cannot see them coming up behind you. Well robin heard that and I had said to him this morning he was safe so he is a bit annoyed with me but they went over the area in helicopters at hourly intervals so we were quite safe! It was a bit disappointing after the v arious uninhabited sandy beaches of new Zealand and the spacious copa cabana but it was something I had always wanted to do, go to bondi beach and it was a lovely sunny day and the boys got sunburnt (I did tell them about sunblock but did not want to nag!) Serves em right!!!
6th March
Jim went to pick up car and we got an upgrade!!!!!! Fantastic vehicle!!!! I saw the paper whilst jim was at airport getting the beautiful car and on the front page was a picture of a shark swimming at bondi beach yesterday!! Right on the front page and clear as anything, the photo had been taken at 6pm so we had left in time, we left at 5.30 so were probably quite near the shark at some point!! Drove towards Mick and Narelles and took the wrong road so visited other places instead. Got to Mick and Narelles in the afternoon, they live in tumbi umbi, which I think is a wonderful name, and it is a lovely place to live too. It was lovely seeing Mick and Archie and their dog Aussie and then narelle came home and it was fantastic, the night just went sooo quickly, we had a bbq and a couple of bottles of wine, it was so great catching up, I think jim and mick went to bed about midnight but narelle and I chatted even longer it was great.
7th March
Woke up with headache, bigtime, felt better once I had been sick! Narelle and Mick and Archie took us out and about, went to the headland and looked out over the beaches at the Entrance, went swimming, saw some of the local area, and had a lovely day talking to mick and narelle and playing and watching Archie, who has to be the most adorable little rascal ever, he is so happy and content and very very very cute.Went into the Entrance, there was a country music festival on, but we didn’t stay long though we did see the pelicans feed and saw the sights, then we went home again and swam in the pool and chatted and chatted and Narelle made the best roast dinner in a long long time! Proper roast potatoes and lovely bit of lamb, yummy.
8th March
Jim Robin and Mick went surfing cause that is what robin wanted but when they got to the beach the red flag was up but then they took it down and said they could surf in a small area but conditions were not right though mick did pull robin out to catch a few wave, then they gave up. Robin had a brilliant time!!!!
Jim, Mick and robin went fishing, they went to river and used little nippers which were a soft shelled lobster. Mick caught a couple and robin caught one. Mick told jim to stand back and jim asked why and mick showed him the sting rays in the shallows. The stinger looks black and sticks up out of the water. They had a fantastic time. Narelle and me and archie went into town for lunch and then to the beach for a swim. Archie was soooo cute sitting in a puddle of seawater chatting to a little girl. Then caught up with the boys. In the evening we had a bbq and chatted but poor mick had to go out to work. We hadn’t realized he had to do nightwork and felt really guilty cause he had no rest all the time we had been there, taking us out and about and cooking and stuff. We chatted to narelle and then jim went to bed and it was just narelle and I again, great.
9th marchHad to say our goodbyes today. When we got up Archie wasn’t very well, even though he was still happy and not really out of sorts and narelle was going to take him to the doctors. We phoned up later in the day and found that all three of them were ill, think it’s a bug. We felt really sad to be leaving, they had been such great hosts and made sure we had a great time. We went to Newcastle and had a walk round, walked along the beach and robin found a bodyboard that he carried all the way back to the car for libs!! Walked all through the town, the baths and some of the older buildings are stunning. Then went to Hawkes Nest and a place called Jimmys Beach!! There are koalas crossing signs everywhere though I did not see any today, will look for them again tomorrow. Found a motel and Jim settled down for a nap and robin and I went bodyboarding at the beach (Not Jimmys one) and robin let me borrow libbys bodyboard!! We had a great time but when everyone else got out of the water we got out too and went back to the hotel pool which was a bit warmer than the sea. We went for a walk through hawks nest and saw loads of different birds and stuff but still no koalas. We then went back to hotel, woke jim and went to dinner. Robin could not eat he was feeling sick, I think he is coming down with mick and narelles bug.