It's terribly handy if your host receives an invitation to attend the Mayor's party at the Opera House on New Years Eve.  Being one of the luckier people on the planet I had actually enjoyed New Year at the Opera House last year, but as a paying punter for the Gala Concert. This year's party was much more exclusive and most importantly free, including gallons of champagne, wine and beer flowing in all directions - oh and the odd sexy (and not so sexy) dancer/performer. Enjoy the pics and the beautiful people .................... it's 9.30pm on 1st Jan and I've still not fully recovered from the hospitality and our 4.00am crash ....... on our way in ....................... Enjoying an early evening snifter ............... the start of the 8pm fireworks Lizy's friend the Mayor giving her address ................ some of the entertainment, can't say I noticed much of it ..................... ...

The Coastal Track in the Royal National Park is one of the classic walks in Australia and snakes 26km south along the coast from Sydney.  The start of the walk is a remote village called Bundeena which is reached by ferry.  We reached Bundeena on the ferry from Cronulla - pitched the tent and headed off for an enormous body fortifying Chinese meal and beer ............ Most of my time in Australia has seen sunny day after sunny day.  However On the eve of our big walk the sky opened (see wet tent above).  We woke to a very wet Friday morning and delayed our start til 10.00am and managed to detour via the coffee shop for not so light refreshments with Lizy declaring we would not be getting the 11.00am ferry back to Sydney, rather we would head off into the rain .................... We walked for about 3 hours in the rain over headlands and across beautiful beaches.     By mid afternoon the rain slowed then cleared.  W...